diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.topleveltest.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.topleveltest.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d61fe5acd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.topleveltest.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<project>
+  <echo>Hello world</echo>
+</project>
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml
index 5d3ce07d6..a802a755e 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml
@@ -169,4 +169,20 @@
 
   <target name="middleman" depends="infinite-loop-via-depends"/>
   <target name="dependent" depends="middleman"/>
+  
+  <target name="multi-same-property">
+    <ant antfile="ant.xml" target="echo-for-multi-same">
+      <property name="prop" value="one"/>
+      <property name="prop" value="two"/>
+    </ant>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="echo-for-multi-same">
+    <echo>prop is ${prop}</echo>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="topleveltarget">
+    <ant antfile="ant.topleveltest.xml"/>
+  </target>
+
 </project>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java
index bb631c075..c25f5bfbb 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.Enumeration;
 import java.util.Hashtable;
 import java.util.Vector;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildListener;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.DefaultLogger;
@@ -393,10 +395,10 @@ public class Ant extends Task {
                     throw new BuildException(getTaskName() + " task calling "
                                              + "its own parent target.");
                 } else {
-                    Target other = 
+                    Target other =
                         (Target) getProject().getTargets().get(target);
                     if (other != null && other.dependsOn(owningTargetName)) {
-                        throw new BuildException(getTaskName() 
+                        throw new BuildException(getTaskName()
                                                  + " task calling a target"
                                                  + " that depends on"
                                                  + " its parent target \'"
@@ -409,9 +411,9 @@ public class Ant extends Task {
             addReferences();
 
             if (target != null) {
-                newProject.executeTarget(target);
-            } else {
-                newProject.executeTarget("");
+                if (!"".equals(target)) {
+                    newProject.executeTarget(target);
+                }
             }
         } finally {
             // help the gc
@@ -441,6 +443,17 @@ public class Ant extends Task {
      * @throws BuildException under unknown circumstances
      */
     private void overrideProperties() throws BuildException {
+        // remove duplicate properties - last property wins
+        // Needed for backward compatibility
+        Set set = new HashSet();
+        for (int i = properties.size() - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
+            Property p = (Property) properties.get(i);
+            if (set.contains(p.getName())) {
+                properties.remove(i);
+            } else {
+                set.add(p.getName());
+            }
+        }
         Enumeration e = properties.elements();
         while (e.hasMoreElements()) {
             Property p = (Property) e.nextElement();
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java
index 9dc3d1e5a..a3ef00610 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java
@@ -306,6 +306,14 @@ public class AntTest extends BuildFileTest {
         expectBuildException("infinite-loop-via-depends", "recursive call");
     }
 
+    public void testMultiSameProperty() {
+        expectLog("multi-same-property", "prop is two");
+    }
+
+    public void testTopLevelTarget() {
+        expectLog("topleveltarget", "Hello world");
+    }
+    
     private class BasedirChecker implements BuildListener {
         private String[] expectedBasedirs;
         private int calls = 0;