diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 54be3f1bd..4f89490b7 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ Changes that could break older environments:
 * The <script> task now requires Apache BSF instead of the older IBM
   version.  See <http://jakarta.apache.org/bsf/>
 
+* The signjar keystore attribute has been reverted to a String allowing
+  it to once again accept URLs. This should not affect current FIle based usage
+  unless you are extending the Signjar task.
+
 * <xmlproperty> will no longer fail if the file to be loaded doesn't exist.
 
 Fixed bugs:
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 39fab94d2..be9b3a59a 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@
   </selector>
   <patternset id="onlinetests">
     <exclude name="**/GetTest.java" if="offline"/>
+    <exclude name="**/SignJarTest.java" if="offline"/>
   </patternset>
   <patternset id="teststhatfail">
     <exclude name="${optional.package}/BeanShellScriptTest.java"/>
@@ -577,14 +578,14 @@
             <selector refid="needs.sun.tools" unless="sun.tools.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.sun.uue" unless="sunuue.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.sun.b64" unless="base64.present"/>
-  
+
             <selector refid="needs.trax" unless="trax.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.xalan1" unless="xalan.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.xalan2" unless="xalan2.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.xslp" unless="xslp.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.apache.resolver" unless="apache.resolver.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.junit" unless="junit.present"/>
-            <selector refid="needs.jakarta.regexp" 
+            <selector refid="needs.jakarta.regexp"
                       unless="jakarta.regexp.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.jakarta.oro" unless="jakarta.oro.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.jakarta.bcel" unless="bcel.present"/>
@@ -597,7 +598,7 @@
             <selector refid="needs.icontract" unless="icontract.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.netrexx" unless="netrexx.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.weblogic.ejbc" unless="ejb.ejbc.present"/>
-            <selector refid="needs.weblogic.ddcreator" 
+            <selector refid="needs.weblogic.ddcreator"
                       unless="ejb.DDCreator.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.weblogic.server" unless="ejb.wls.present"/>
             <selector refid="needs.netcomponents" unless="netcomp.present"/>
@@ -782,7 +783,7 @@
       <metainf dir="${build.dir}" includes="LICENSE.txt"/>
     </jar>
 
-    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-trax.jar" 
+    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-trax.jar"
          basedir="${build.classes}"
          manifest="${manifest.tmp}">
       <selector refid="needs.trax"/>
@@ -818,7 +819,7 @@
       <selector refid="needs.junit"/>
     </jar>
 
-    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-jakarta-regexp.jar" 
+    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-jakarta-regexp.jar"
          basedir="${build.classes}" manifest="${manifest.tmp}">
       <selector refid="needs.jakarta.regexp"/>
     </jar>
@@ -829,7 +830,7 @@
       <selector refid="needs.jakarta.oro"/>
     </jar>
 
-    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-bcel.jar" 
+    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-bcel.jar"
          basedir="${build.classes}"
          manifest="${manifest.tmp}">
       <selector refid="needs.jakarta.bcel"/>
@@ -841,7 +842,7 @@
       <selector refid="needs.jakarta.log4j"/>
     </jar>
 
-    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-commons-logging.jar" 
+    <jar destfile="${build.lib}/${optional.jars.prefix}-commons-logging.jar"
          basedir="${build.classes}" manifest="${manifest.tmp}">
       <selector refid="needs.commons.logging"/>
     </jar>
@@ -1595,7 +1596,7 @@
   <target name="run-single-test" if="testcase" depends="compile-tests,run-single-test-only"
     description="--> runs the single unit test defined in the testcase property"/>
 
-  <target name="run-single-test-only" 
+  <target name="run-single-test-only"
     description="--> runs the single unit test defined in the testcase property">
 
 
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/signjar.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/signjar.xml
index 01809c864..7d81921ff 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/signjar.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/signjar.xml
@@ -1,24 +1,36 @@
-<project name="signjartest" default="help">
-  <property name="classes.dir" value="../../../../build/classes"/>
+<project name="signjartest" default="help" basedir="..">
+  <property name="classes.dir" value="../../../build/classes"/>
 
   <target name="basic">
     <jar jarfile="signtest.jar" basedir="${classes.dir}" includes="**/Task.class"/>
-    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="../testkeystore"
+    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="testkeystore"
              storepass="apacheant"/>
   </target>
 
   <target name="sigfile">
     <jar jarfile="signtest.jar" basedir="${classes.dir}" includes="**/Task.class"/>
-    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="../testkeystore"
+    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="testkeystore"
              storepass="apacheant" sigfile="TEST"/>
   </target>
 
   <target name="maxmemory">
     <jar jarfile="signtest.jar" basedir="${classes.dir}" includes="**/Task.class"/>
-    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="../testkeystore"
+    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="testkeystore"
              storepass="apacheant" maxmemory="128m"/>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="urlKeystoreFile">
+    <jar jarfile="signtest.jar" basedir="${classes.dir}" includes="**/Task.class"/>
+    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly" keystore="file://../testkeystore"
+             storepass="apacheant" maxmemory="128m"/>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="urlKeystoreHTTP">
+    <jar jarfile="signtest.jar" basedir="${classes.dir}" includes="**/Task.class"/>
+    <signjar jar="signtest.jar" alias="testonly"
+             keystore="http://cvs.apache.org/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/jakarta-ant/src/etc/testcases/testkeystore?rev=HEAD"
+             storepass="apacheant" maxmemory="128m"/>
+  </target>
 
   <target name="clean">
     <delete file="signtest.jar"/>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJar.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJar.java
index 515373186..e4ee4342b 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJar.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJar.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * The Apache Software License, Version 1.1
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2000-2002 The Apache Software Foundation.  All rights
+ * Copyright (c) 2000-2003 The Apache Software Foundation.  All rights
  * reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public class SignJar extends Task {
     /**
      * The name of keystore file.
      */
-    protected File keystore;
+    private String keystore;
 
     protected String storepass;
     protected String storetype;
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ public class SignJar extends Task {
      * the filesets of the jars to sign
      */
     protected Vector filesets = new Vector();
+
     /**
      * Whether to assume a jar which has an appropriate .SF file in is already
      * signed.
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ public class SignJar extends Task {
     /**
      * keystore location; required
      */
-    public void setKeystore(final File keystore) {
+    public void setKeystore(final String keystore) {
         this.keystore = keystore;
     }
 
@@ -286,8 +287,16 @@ public class SignJar extends Task {
         }
 
         if (null != keystore) {
-            cmd.createArg().setValue("-keystore");
-            cmd.createArg().setValue(keystore.toString());
+            // is the keystore a file
+            File keystoreFile = getProject().resolveFile(keystore);
+            if (keystoreFile.exists()) {
+                cmd.createArg().setValue("-keystore");
+                cmd.createArg().setValue(keystoreFile.getPath());
+            } else {
+                // must be a URL - just pass as is
+                cmd.createArg().setValue("-keystore");
+                cmd.createArg().setValue(keystore);
+            }
         }
 
         if (null != storepass) {
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJarTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJarTest.java
index 67eedc332..807f1283f 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJarTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SignJarTest.java
@@ -97,4 +97,11 @@ public class SignJarTest extends BuildFileTest {
         executeTarget("maxmemory");
     }
 
+    public void testURLKeystoreFile() {
+        executeTarget("urlKeystoreFile");
+    }
+
+    public void testURLKeystoreHTTP() {
+        executeTarget("urlKeystoreHTTP");
+    }
 }