diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 9dbe31342..75b440491 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@ Other changes:
    instances when overriding other methods like runStatements.
    Bugzilla Report 27178.
 
+ * <sql> has a new failOnConnectionError attribute that can be used to
+   keep a build going even if the task failed to connect to the
+   database.
+   Bugzilla Report 36712.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.7.0 TO Ant 1.7.1
 =============================================
 
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
index b348c63c8..db9b8ff05 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
@@ -195,6 +195,13 @@ and <b>abort</b> execution and transaction and fail task.</p>
   <td width="10%" valign="top">No, default <em>false</em></td>
 </tr>
 
+<tr>
+  <td width="12%" valign="top">failOnConnectionError</td>
+  <td width="78%" valign="top">If false, will only print a warning
+    message and not execute any statement if the task fails to connect
+    to the database.  <em>Since Ant 1.8.0</em>.</td>
+  <td width="10%" valign="top">No, default <em>true</em></td>
+</tr>
 </table>
 
 <h3>Parameters specified as nested elements</h3>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JDBCTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JDBCTask.java
index 1a0e138f9..974c3e4bd 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JDBCTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JDBCTask.java
@@ -142,6 +142,12 @@ public abstract class JDBCTask extends Task {
      **/
     private String version = null;
 
+    /**
+     * whether the task fails when ant fails to connect to the database.
+     * @since Ant 1.8.0
+     */
+    private boolean failOnConnectionError = true;
+
     /**
      * Sets the classpath for loading the driver.
      * @param classpath The classpath to set
@@ -231,6 +237,15 @@ public abstract class JDBCTask extends Task {
         this.version = version;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * whether the task should cause the build to fail if it cannot
+     * connect to the database.
+     * @since Ant 1.8.0
+     */
+    public void setFailOnConnectionError(boolean b) {
+        failOnConnectionError = b;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Verify we are connected to the correct RDBMS
      * @param conn the jdbc connection
@@ -296,7 +311,8 @@ public abstract class JDBCTask extends Task {
      *
      * The calling method is responsible for closing the connection.
      *
-     * @return Connection the newly created connection.
+     * @return Connection the newly created connection or null if the
+     * connection failed and failOnConnectionError is false.
      * @throws BuildException if the UserId/Password/Url is not set or there
      * is no suitable driver or the driver fails to load.
      */
@@ -326,7 +342,13 @@ public abstract class JDBCTask extends Task {
             conn.setAutoCommit(autocommit);
             return conn;
         } catch (SQLException e) {
-            throw new BuildException(e, getLocation());
+            // failed to connect
+            if (!failOnConnectionError) {
+                log("Failed to connect: " + e.getMessage(), Project.MSG_WARN);
+                return null;
+            } else {
+                throw new BuildException(e, getLocation());
+            }
         }
 
     }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java
index 03a50fec7..cb0f0130f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public class SQLExec extends JDBCTask {
 
     /**
      * Action to perform if an error is found
-     **/
+     */
     private String onError = "abort";
 
     /**