diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java
index fc9d7768e..d6a0f40d6 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java
@@ -518,7 +518,12 @@ public class ExecTask extends Task {
 
             //test for and handle a forced process death
             if (exe.killedProcess()) {
-                log("Timeout: killed the sub-process", Project.MSG_WARN);
+                String msg = "Timeout: killed the sub-process";
+                if (failOnError) {
+                    throw new BuildException(msg);
+                } else {
+                    log(msg, Project.MSG_WARN);
+                }
             }
             maybeSetResultPropertyValue(returnCode);
             if (Execute.isFailure(returnCode)) {
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
index e1f0b82e0..b7ee3a7c2 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
@@ -569,8 +569,8 @@ public class Execute {
 
     /**
      * Query the exit value of the process.
-     * @return the exit value, 1 if the process was killed,
-     * or Execute.INVALID if no exit value has been received
+     * @return the exit value or Execute.INVALID if no exit value has
+     * been received
      */
     public int getExitValue() {
         return exitValue;
@@ -1153,4 +1153,4 @@ public class Execute {
         }
 
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Java.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Java.java
index 14e4aef6e..6cce7c262 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Java.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Java.java
@@ -691,6 +691,9 @@ public class Java extends Task {
             redirector.createStreams();
             exe.execute(getProject());
             redirector.complete();
+            if (exe.killedProcess()) {
+                throw new BuildException("Timeout: killed the sub-process");
+            }
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new BuildException(e);
         }
@@ -728,10 +731,10 @@ public class Java extends Task {
             exe.setCommandline(command);
             try {
                 int rc = exe.execute();
+                redirector.complete();
                 if (exe.killedProcess()) {
-                    log("Timeout: killed the sub-process", Project.MSG_WARN);
+                    throw new BuildException("Timeout: killed the sub-process");
                 }
-                redirector.complete();
                 return rc;
             } catch (IOException e) {
                 throw new BuildException(e, getLocation());