diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/exec.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/exec.html
index 385b5aec5..50f97f8eb 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/exec.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/exec.html
@@ -20,20 +20,27 @@ Windows executable and is not aware of Cygwin conventions.
 </p>
  
 <h4>OpenVMS Users</h4>
-
 <p>The command specified using <code>executable</code> and
 <code>&lt;arg&gt;</code> elements is executed exactly as specified
-inside a temporary DCL script.  This means that paths have to be
-written in VMS style.  It is also required that the logical
-<code>JAVA$FORK_SUPPORT_CHDIR</code> is set to <code>TRUE</code> (see
-the <i>JDK Release Notes</i>).</p>
- 
+inside a temporary DCL script.  This has some implications:
+<ul>
+<li>paths have to be written in VMS style</li>
+<li>if your <code>executable</code> points to a DCL script remember to
+prefix it with an <code>@</code>-sign
+(e.g. <code>executable="@[FOO]BAR.COM"</code>), just as you would in a
+DCL script</li>
+</ul>
+For <code>&lt;exec&gt;</code> to work in an environment with a Java VM
+older than version 1.4.1-2 it is also <i>required</i> that the logical
+<code>JAVA$FORK_SUPPORT_CHDIR</code> is set to <code>TRUE</code> in
+the job table (see the <i>JDK Release Notes</i>).</p>
+
 <p>Please note that the Java VM provided by HP doesn't follow OpenVMS'
 conventions of exit codes.  If you run a Java VM with this task, the
 task may falsely claim that an error occured (or silently ignore an
 error).  Don't use this task to run <code>JAVA.EXE</code>, use a
 <code>&lt;java&gt;</code> task with the <code>fork</code> attribute
-set ti <code>true</code> instead as this task will follow the VM's
+set to <code>true</code> instead as this task will follow the VM's
 interpretation of exit codes.</p>
 
 <h3>Parameters</h3>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java
index 9b7b1b6e1..d26ffe1f6 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/DirectoryScanner.java
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.Vector;
 
+import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.condition.Os;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.Resource;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.ResourceFactory;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.FileSelector;
@@ -163,6 +164,8 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.util.FileUtils;
 public class DirectoryScanner
        implements FileScanner, SelectorScanner, ResourceFactory {
 
+    /** Is OpenVMS the operating system we're running on? */
+    private static final boolean ON_VMS = Os.isFamily("openvms");
 
     /**
      * Patterns which should be excluded by default.
@@ -725,7 +728,7 @@ public class DirectoryScanner
                         File canonFile = myfile.getCanonicalFile();
                         String path = fileUtils.removeLeadingPath(canonBase,
                                                                   canonFile);
-                        if (!path.equals(currentelement)) {
+                        if (!path.equals(currentelement) || ON_VMS) {
                             myfile = findFile(basedir, currentelement);
                             if (myfile != null) {
                                 currentelement =
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
index 44f6e4012..55f7d6a37 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
@@ -621,6 +621,13 @@ public class Execute {
      * @return the patched environment
      */
     private String[] patchEnvironment() {
+        // On OpenVMS Runtime#exec() doesn't support the environment array,
+        // so we only return the new values which then will be set in
+        // the generated DCL script, inheriting the parent process environment
+        if (Os.isFamily("openvms")) {
+                return env;
+        }
+
         Vector osEnv = (Vector) getProcEnvironment().clone();
         for (int i = 0; i < env.length; i++) {
             int pos = env[i].indexOf('=');
@@ -1119,7 +1126,7 @@ public class Execute {
          */
         public Process exec(Project project, String[] cmd, String[] env)
             throws IOException {
-            String[] vmsCmd = {createCommandFile(cmd).getPath()};
+            String[] vmsCmd = {createCommandFile(cmd, env).getPath()};
             return super.exec(project, vmsCmd, env);
         }
 
@@ -1131,7 +1138,7 @@ public class Execute {
          */
         public Process exec(Project project, String[] cmd, String[] env,
                             File workingDir) throws IOException {
-            String[] vmsCmd = {createCommandFile(cmd).getPath()};
+            String[] vmsCmd = {createCommandFile(cmd, env).getPath()};
             return super.exec(project, vmsCmd, env, workingDir);
         }
 
@@ -1139,17 +1146,34 @@ public class Execute {
          * Writes the command into a temporary DCL script and returns the
          * corresponding File object.  The script will be deleted on exit.
          */
-        private File createCommandFile(String[] cmd) throws IOException {
+        private File createCommandFile(String[] cmd, String[] env)
+            throws IOException {
             File script = File.createTempFile("ANT", ".COM");
             script.deleteOnExit();
             PrintWriter out = null;
             try {
                 out = new PrintWriter(new FileWriter(script));
-                StringBuffer dclCmd = new StringBuffer("$");
-                for (int i = 0; i < cmd.length; i++) {
-                    dclCmd.append(' ').append(cmd[i]);
+
+                // add the environment as logicals to the DCL script
+                if (env != null) {
+                    int eqIndex;
+                    for (int i = 1; i < env.length ; i++) {
+                        eqIndex = env[i].indexOf('=');
+                        if (eqIndex != -1) {
+                            out.print("$ DEFINE/NOLOG ");
+                            out.print(env[i].substring(0, eqIndex));
+                            out.print(" \"");
+                            out.print(env[i].substring(eqIndex + 1));
+                            out.println('\"');
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                out.print("$ " + cmd[0]);
+                for (int i = 1; i < cmd.length ; i++) {
+                    out.println(" -");
+                    out.print(cmd[i]);
                 }
-                out.println(dclCmd.toString());
             } finally {
                 if (out != null) {
                     out.close();
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
index eada52f11..cc6ae3a06 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -824,6 +824,8 @@ public class FileUtils {
      *   <li>DOS style paths that start with a drive letter will have
      *     \ as the separator.</li>
      * </ul>
+     * Unlike <code>File#getCanonicalPath()</code> it specifically doesn't
+     * resolve symbolic links.
      *
      * @param path the path to be normalized
      * @return the normalized version of the path.
@@ -937,6 +939,65 @@ public class FileUtils {
         return new File(path);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a VMS String representation of a <code>File</code> object.
+     * This is useful since the JVM by default internally converts VMS paths
+     * to Unix style.
+     * The returned String is always an absolute path.
+     * 
+     * @param f The <code>File</code> to get the VMS path for.
+     * @return The absolute VMS path to <code>f</code>.
+     */
+    public String toVMSPath(File f) {
+        // format: "DEVICE:[DIR.SUBDIR]FILE"
+        String osPath;
+        String path = normalize(f.getAbsolutePath()).getPath();
+        String name = f.getName();
+        boolean isAbsolute = path.charAt(0) == File.separatorChar;
+        // treat directories specified using .DIR syntax as files
+        boolean isDirectory = f.isDirectory() &&
+            !name.regionMatches(true, name.length() - 4, ".DIR", 0, 4); 
+
+        String device = null;
+        StringBuffer directory = null;
+        String file = null;
+
+        int index = 0;
+
+        if (isAbsolute) {
+            index = path.indexOf(File.separatorChar, 1);
+            if (index == -1) {
+                return path.substring(1) + ":[000000]";
+            } else {
+                device = path.substring(1, index++);
+            }
+        }
+        if (isDirectory) {
+            directory = new StringBuffer(path.substring(index).
+                                         replace(File.separatorChar, '.'));
+        } else {
+            int dirEnd =
+                path.lastIndexOf(File.separatorChar, path.length());
+            if (dirEnd == -1 || dirEnd < index) {
+                file = path.substring(index);
+            } else {
+                directory = new StringBuffer(path.substring(index, dirEnd).
+                                             replace(File.separatorChar, '.'));
+                index = dirEnd + 1;
+                if (path.length() > index) {
+                    file = path.substring(index);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if (!isAbsolute && directory != null) {
+            directory.insert(0, '.');
+        }
+        osPath = ((device != null) ? device + ":" : "") +
+            ((directory != null) ? "[" + directory + "]" : "") +
+            ((file != null) ? file : "");
+        return osPath;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create a temporary file in a given directory.
      *