diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index ac0abd2a0..01cef160f 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ Other changes:
    used for up-to-date-ness checks.
    Bugzilla Report 52096.
 
+ * URLResources#isExists has become less noisy.
+   Bugzilla Report 51802.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.8.1 TO Ant 1.8.2
 ===================================
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/URLResource.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/URLResource.java
index 067226870..9f6aea9f0 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/URLResource.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/URLResource.java
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ public class URLResource extends Resource implements URLProvider {
             return false;
         }
         try {
-            connect();
+            connect(Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
             return true;
         } catch (IOException e) {
             return false;
@@ -363,7 +363,19 @@ public class URLResource extends Resource implements URLProvider {
      * Ensure that we have a connection.
      * @throws IOException if the connection cannot be established.
      */
-    protected synchronized void connect() throws IOException {
+    protected void connect() throws IOException {
+        connect(Project.MSG_ERR);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensure that we have a connection.
+     * @param logLevel severity to use when logging connection errors.
+     * Should be one of the <code>MSG_</code> constants in {@link
+     * Project Project}.
+     * @throws IOException if the connection cannot be established.
+     * @since Ant 1.8.2
+     */
+    protected synchronized void connect(int logLevel) throws IOException {
         URL u = getURL();
         if (u == null) {
             throw new BuildException("URL not set");
@@ -373,7 +385,7 @@ public class URLResource extends Resource implements URLProvider {
                 conn = u.openConnection();
                 conn.connect();
             } catch (IOException e) {
-                log(e.toString(), Project.MSG_ERR);
+                log(e.toString(), logLevel);
                 conn = null;
                 throw e;
             }