diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java
index dcb27df97..75096155a 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java
@@ -772,16 +772,19 @@ public class DirectoryScanner
                 excludes = nullExcludes ? new String[0] : excludes;
 
                 if (basedir == null) {
-                    throw new IllegalStateException("No basedir set");
+                    illegal = new IllegalStateException("No basedir set");
                 }
                 if (!basedir.exists()) {
-                    throw new IllegalStateException("basedir " + basedir
+                    illegal = new IllegalStateException("basedir " + basedir
                                                     + " does not exist");
                 }
                 if (!basedir.isDirectory()) {
-                    throw new IllegalStateException("basedir " + basedir
+                    illegal = new IllegalStateException("basedir " + basedir
                                                     + " is not a directory");
                 }
+                if (illegal != null) {
+                    throw illegal;
+                }
                 if (isIncluded("")) {
                     if (!isExcluded("")) {
                         if (isSelected("", basedir)) {