diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtils.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtils.java
index 74c8adfc9..9e534f236 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtils.java
@@ -256,4 +256,19 @@ public final class StringUtils {
             return string;
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Removes the prefix from a given string, if the string contains 
+     * that prefix.
+     * @param string String for check
+     * @param prefix Prefix to remove
+     * @return the <i>string</i> with the <i>prefix</i>
+     */
+    public static String removePrefix(String string, String prefix) {
+        if (string.startsWith(prefix)) {
+            return string.substring(prefix.length());
+        } else {
+            return string;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtilsTest.java b/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtilsTest.java
index 7243b5280..52e089862 100644
--- a/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtilsTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/util/StringUtilsTest.java
@@ -117,4 +117,38 @@ public class StringUtilsTest extends TestCase {
     	assertEquals(StringUtils.parseHumanSizes("1P"), PETABYTE);
     	assertEquals(StringUtils.parseHumanSizes("1"), 1L);
     }
+    
+    public void testRemoveSuffix() {
+        String prefix = "Prefix";
+        String name = "Name";
+        String suffix = "Suffix";
+        String input = prefix + name + suffix;
+        assertEquals(
+            "Does not remove the suffix right.",    
+            prefix + name, 
+            StringUtils.removeSuffix(input, suffix)
+        );
+        assertEquals(
+            "Should leave the string unattended.",    
+            prefix + name + suffix, 
+            StringUtils.removeSuffix(input, "bla")
+        );
+    }
+    
+    public void testRemovePrefix() {
+        String prefix = "Prefix";
+        String name = "Name";
+        String suffix = "Suffix";
+        String input = prefix + name + suffix;
+        assertEquals(
+            "Does not remove the prefix right.",    
+            name + suffix, 
+            StringUtils.removePrefix(input, prefix)
+        );
+        assertEquals(
+            "Should leave the string unattended.",    
+            prefix + name + suffix, 
+            StringUtils.removePrefix(input, "bla")
+        );
+    }    
 }