diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/DefaultCompilerAdapter.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/DefaultCompilerAdapter.java
index 30ba0f151..6cce50444 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/DefaultCompilerAdapter.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/DefaultCompilerAdapter.java
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ public abstract class DefaultCompilerAdapter implements CompilerAdapter {
                 cp.append(bootclasspath);
             }
             if (extdirs != null) {
-                addExtdirsToClasspath(cp);
+                cp.addExtdirs(extdirs);
             }
             cp.append(classpath);
             cp.append(src);
@@ -407,36 +407,6 @@ public abstract class DefaultCompilerAdapter implements CompilerAdapter {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Emulation of extdirs feature in java >= 1.2.
-     * This method adds all files in the given
-     * directories (but not in sub-directories!) to the classpath,
-     * so that you don't have to specify them all one by one.
-     * @param classpath - Path to append files to
-     */
-    protected void addExtdirsToClasspath(Path classpath) {
-        if (extdirs == null) {
-            String extProp = System.getProperty("java.ext.dirs");
-            if (extProp != null) {
-                extdirs = new Path(project, extProp);
-            } else {
-                return;
-            }
-        }
-
-        String[] dirs = extdirs.list();
-        for (int i=0; i<dirs.length; i++) {
-            if (!dirs[i].endsWith(File.separator)) {
-                dirs[i] += File.separator;
-            }
-            File dir = project.resolveFile(dirs[i]);
-            FileSet fs = new FileSet();
-            fs.setDir(dir);
-            fs.setIncludes("*");
-            classpath.addFileset(fs);
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Adds the command line arguments specifc to the current implementation.
      */
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Gcj.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Gcj.java
index fe92a0ce1..f6ed7a229 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Gcj.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Gcj.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public class Gcj extends DefaultCompilerAdapter {
 
         // gcj doesn't support an extension dir (-extdir)
         // so we'll emulate it for compatibility and convenience.
-        addExtdirsToClasspath(classpath);
+        classpath.addExtdirs(extdirs);
 
         if ( (bootclasspath == null) || (bootclasspath.size() == 0) ) {
             // no bootclasspath, therefore, get one from the java runtime
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jikes.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jikes.java
index 4b4c12b04..4037c5ad4 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jikes.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jikes.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public class Jikes extends DefaultCompilerAdapter {
 
         // Jikes doesn't support an extension dir (-extdir)
         // so we'll emulate it for compatibility and convenience.
-        addExtdirsToClasspath(classpath);
+        classpath.addExtdirs(extdirs);
 
         if ( (bootclasspath == null) || (bootclasspath.size() == 0) ) {
             // no bootclasspath, therefore, get one from the java runtime
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jvc.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jvc.java
index 6818f0140..667a668ef 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jvc.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Jvc.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public class Jvc extends DefaultCompilerAdapter {
 
         // jvc doesn't support an extension dir (-extdir)
         // so we'll emulate it for compatibility and convenience.
-        addExtdirsToClasspath(classpath);
+        classpath.addExtdirs(extdirs);
 
         if ( (bootclasspath == null) || (bootclasspath.size() == 0) ) {
             // no bootclasspath, therefore, get one from the java runtime
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Kjc.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Kjc.java
index 2c571b824..1947b30ff 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Kjc.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/compilers/Kjc.java
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public class Kjc extends DefaultCompilerAdapter {
 	}
 
 	if (extdirs != null) {
-            addExtdirsToClasspath(cp);
+            cp.addExtdirs(extdirs);
 	}
 
 	cp.append(classpath);
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java
index 0037a8524..164116ac5 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ public abstract class DefaultRmicAdapter implements RmicAdapter {
                 /*
                  * XXX - This doesn't mix very well with build.systemclasspath,
                  */
-                addExtdirsToClasspath(classpath);
+                classpath.addExtdirs(attributes.getExtdirs());
             } else {
                 cmd.createArgument().setValue("-extdirs");
                 cmd.createArgument().setPath(attributes.getExtdirs());
@@ -259,37 +259,6 @@ public abstract class DefaultRmicAdapter implements RmicAdapter {
         attributes.log(niceSourceList.toString(), Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Emulation of extdirs feature in java >= 1.2.
-     * This method adds all files in the given
-     * directories (but not in sub-directories!) to the classpath,
-     * so that you don't have to specify them all one by one.
-     * @param classpath - Path to append files to
-     */
-    protected void addExtdirsToClasspath(Path classpath) {
-        Path extdirs = attributes.getExtdirs();
-        if (extdirs == null) {
-            String extProp = System.getProperty("java.ext.dirs");
-            if (extProp != null) {
-                extdirs = new Path(attributes.getProject(), extProp);
-            } else {
-                return;
-            }
-        }
-
-        String[] dirs = extdirs.list();
-        for (int i=0; i<dirs.length; i++) {
-            if (!dirs[i].endsWith(File.separator)) {
-                dirs[i] += File.separator;
-            }
-            File dir = attributes.getProject().resolveFile(dirs[i]);
-            FileSet fs = new FileSet();
-            fs.setDir(dir);
-            fs.setIncludes("*");
-            classpath.addFileset(fs);
-        }
-    }
-
     private final static Random rand = new Random();
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Path.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Path.java
index 46f9b2ea4..b726ca5dd 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Path.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Path.java
@@ -571,4 +571,33 @@ public class Path extends DataType implements Cloneable {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Emulation of extdirs feature in java >= 1.2.
+     * This method adds all files in the given
+     * directories (but not in sub-directories!) to the classpath,
+     * so that you don't have to specify them all one by one.
+     * @param classpath - Path to append files to
+     */
+    public void addExtdirs(Path extdirs) {
+        if (extdirs == null) {
+            String extProp = System.getProperty("java.ext.dirs");
+            if (extProp != null) {
+                extdirs = new Path(project, extProp);
+            } else {
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        String[] dirs = extdirs.list();
+        for (int i=0; i<dirs.length; i++) {
+            File dir = project.resolveFile(dirs[i]);
+            if (dir.exists() && dir.isDirectory()) {
+                FileSet fs = new FileSet();
+                fs.setDir(dir);
+                fs.setIncludes("*");
+                addFileset(fs);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
 }