diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java
index 61d6a0378..3f88f8371 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java
@@ -319,6 +319,10 @@ public class Project {
         taskClassDefinitions.put(taskName, taskClass);
     }
 
+    public Hashtable getTaskDefinitions() {
+        return taskClassDefinitions;
+    }
+
     /**
      * This call expects to add a <em>new</em> Target.
      * @param target is the Target to be added to the current
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java
index fd7a4ac6e..14d88bc06 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Ant.java
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ public class Ant extends Task {
 
         p1.init();
 
+        Hashtable taskdefs = project.getTaskDefinitions();
+        Enumeration et = taskdefs.keys();
+        while (et.hasMoreElements()) {
+            String taskName = (String) et.nextElement();
+            Class taskClass = (Class) taskdefs.get(taskName);
+            p1.addTaskDefinition(taskName, taskClass);
+        }
+
         // set user-define properties
         Hashtable prop1 = project.getProperties();
         Enumeration e = prop1.keys();