diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/basename.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/basename.xml
index 143819758..3574880fe 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/basename.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/basename.xml
@@ -22,4 +22,20 @@
     <basename property="file.wo.suf" file="foo.txt" suffix="txt"/>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="testMultipleDots">
+    <basename property="file.wo.suf" file="foo.bar.txt" suffix="txt"/>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="testNoDots">
+    <basename property="file.wo.suf" file="foo.bartxt" suffix="txt"/>
+  </target>
+  
+  <target name="testValueEqualsSuffixWithDot">
+    <basename property="file.wo.suf" file=".txt" suffix=".txt"/>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="testValueEqualsSuffixWithoutDot">
+    <basename property="file.wo.suf" file=".txt" suffix="txt"/>
+  </target>
+  
 </project>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Basename.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Basename.java
index 7898f67e9..9fff23629 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Basename.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Basename.java
@@ -118,20 +118,25 @@ public class Basename extends Task {
 
   // The method executing the task
   public void execute() throws BuildException {
-      String value;
       if (property == null) {
           throw new BuildException("property attribute required", location);
       }
       if (file == null) {
           throw new BuildException("file attribute required", location);
-      } else {
-        value = file.getName();
-        if (suffix != null && value.endsWith(suffix)) {
-            int pos = value.indexOf('.');
-            value = value.substring(0, pos);
-        }
-        getProject().setNewProperty(property, value);
       }
+      String value = file.getName();
+      if (suffix != null && value.endsWith(suffix)) {
+          // if the suffix does not starts with a '.' and the
+          // char preceding the suffix is a '.', we assume the user
+          // wants to remove the '.' as well (see docs)
+          int pos = value.length() - suffix.length();
+          if (pos > 0 && suffix.charAt(0) != '.' 
+              && value.charAt(pos - 1) == '.') {
+              pos--;
+          }
+          value = value.substring(0, pos);
+      }
+      getProject().setNewProperty(property, value);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/BasenameTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/BasenameTest.java
index 02d34a67a..b18d240c4 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/BasenameTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/BasenameTest.java
@@ -84,20 +84,38 @@ public class BasenameTest extends BuildFileTest {
 
     public void test4() { 
         executeTarget("test4");
-        String expected = "foo.txt";
         String checkprop = project.getProperty("file.w.suf");
-        if (!checkprop.equals(expected)) { 
-            fail("basename failed");
-        }
+        assertEquals("foo.txt", checkprop);
     }
     
     public void test5() { 
         executeTarget("test5");
-        String expected = "foo";
         String checkprop = project.getProperty("file.wo.suf");
-        if (!checkprop.equals(expected)) { 
-            fail("basename failed");
-        }
+        assertEquals("foo", checkprop);
     }
     
+    public void testMultipleDots() { 
+        executeTarget("testMultipleDots");
+        String checkprop = project.getProperty("file.wo.suf");
+        assertEquals("foo.bar", checkprop);
+    }
+    
+    public void testNoDots() { 
+        executeTarget("testNoDots");
+        String checkprop = project.getProperty("file.wo.suf");
+        assertEquals("foo.bar", checkprop);
+    }
+
+    public void testValueEqualsSuffixWithDot() { 
+        executeTarget("testValueEqualsSuffixWithDot");
+        String checkprop = project.getProperty("file.wo.suf");
+        assertEquals("", checkprop);
+    }
+
+    public void testValueEqualsSuffixWithoutDot() { 
+        executeTarget("testValueEqualsSuffixWithoutDot");
+        String checkprop = project.getProperty("file.wo.suf");
+        assertEquals("", checkprop);
+    }
+
 }