diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
index d1025d9fd..ea4612f87 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
@@ -1661,18 +1661,28 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
                         File packageListLocation = la.getPackagelistLoc();
                         if (packageListLocation == null) {
                             throw new BuildException("The package list "
-                                + " location for link " + la.getHref()
-                                + " must be provided because the link is "
-                                + "offline");
+                                                     + " location for link " + la.getHref()
+                                                     + " must be provided because the link is "
+                                                     + "offline");
                         }
                         File packageListFile =
                             new File(packageListLocation, "package-list");
                         if (packageListFile.exists()) {
-                            toExecute.createArgument().setValue("-linkoffline");
-                            toExecute.createArgument().setValue(la.getHref());
-                            toExecute.createArgument()
-                                .setValue(packageListLocation
-                                          .getAbsolutePath());
+                            try {
+                                String packageListURL =
+                                    fileUtils.getFileURL(packageListLocation)
+                                    .toExternalForm();
+                                toExecute.createArgument()
+                                    .setValue("-linkoffline");
+                                toExecute.createArgument()
+                                    .setValue(la.getHref());
+                                toExecute.createArgument()
+                                    .setValue(packageListURL);
+                            } catch (MalformedURLException ex) {
+                                log("Warning: Package list location was "
+                                    + "invalid " + packageListLocation,
+                                    Project.MSG_WARN);
+                            }
                         } else {
                             log("Warning: No package list was found at "
                                 + packageListLocation, Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
@@ -1776,8 +1786,8 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
                         .setValue("@" + tmpList.getAbsolutePath());
                 }
                 srcListWriter = new PrintWriter(
-                                    new FileWriter(tmpList.getAbsolutePath(),
-                                                   true));
+                                                new FileWriter(tmpList.getAbsolutePath(),
+                                                               true));
             }
 
             Enumeration enum = packagesToDoc.elements();