diff --git a/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/scp.html b/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/scp.html
index a84d0e0a9..29892be4b 100644
--- a/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/scp.html
+++ b/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/scp.html
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ remote machine.</p>
 <p><b>Note:</b> This task depends on external libraries not included
 in the Ant distribution.  See <a
 href="../install.html#librarydependencies">Library Dependencies</a>
-for more information.  This task has been tested with jsch-0.1.2 and jsch-0.1.3.</p>
+for more information.  This task has been tested with jsch-0.1.2 to
+jsch-0.1.7.</p>
 
 <h3>Parameters</h3>
 <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
diff --git a/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/sshexec.html b/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/sshexec.html
index a55f91efe..4b8d35b50 100644
--- a/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/sshexec.html
+++ b/docs/manual/OptionalTasks/sshexec.html
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 <p><b>Note:</b> This task depends on external libraries not included
 in the Ant distribution.  See <a
 href="../install.html#librarydependencies">Library Dependencies</a>
-for more information.  This task has been tested with jsch-0.1.3.</p>
+for more information.  This task has been tested with jsch-0.1.7 and
+won't work with earlier versions of jsch..</p>
 
 <h3>Parameters</h3>
 <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/ssh/SSHExec.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/ssh/SSHExec.java
index 32ed56f7f..41529abcd 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/ssh/SSHExec.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/ssh/SSHExec.java
@@ -214,8 +214,22 @@ public class SSHExec extends SSHBase {
                 if (outputFile != null) {
                     writeToFile(out.toString(), append, outputFile);
                 }
+
+                // this is the wrong test if the remote OS is OpenVMS,
+                // but there doesn't seem to be a way to detect it.
+                int ec = channel.getExitStatus();
+                if (ec != 0) {
+                    String msg = "Remote command failed with exit status " + ec;
+                    if (getFailonerror()) {
+                        throw new BuildException(msg);
+                    } else {
+                        log(msg, Project.MSG_ERR);
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
+        } catch (BuildException e) {
+            throw e;
         } catch (Exception e) {
             if (getFailonerror()) {
                 throw new BuildException(e);