diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
index 499d9581e..155751af5 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
@@ -450,27 +450,30 @@ public class Execute {
         }
         streamHandler.start();
 
-        // add the process to the list of those to destroy if the VM exits
-        //
-        processDestroyer.add(process);
+        try {
+            // add the process to the list of those to destroy if the VM exits
+            //
+            processDestroyer.add(process);
 
-        if (watchdog != null) {
-            watchdog.start(process);
-        }
-        waitFor(process);
+            if (watchdog != null) {
+                watchdog.start(process);
+            }
+            waitFor(process);
 
-        // remove the process to the list of those to destroy if the VM exits
-        //
-        processDestroyer.remove(process);
+            if (watchdog != null) {
+                watchdog.stop();
+            }
+            streamHandler.stop();
 
-        if (watchdog != null) {
-            watchdog.stop();
-        }
-        streamHandler.stop();
-        if (watchdog != null) {
-            watchdog.checkException();
+            if (watchdog != null) {
+                watchdog.checkException();
+            }
+            return getExitValue();
+        } finally {
+            // remove the process to the list of those to destroy if the VM exits
+            //
+            processDestroyer.remove(process);
         }
-        return getExitValue();
     }
 
     protected void waitFor(Process process) {
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdog.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdog.java
index d429db830..01735d225 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdog.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdog.java
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public class ExecuteWatchdog implements TimeoutObserver {
                 // We must check if the process was not stopped
                 // before being here
                 process.exitValue();
-            } catch (IllegalThreadStateException itse){
+            } catch (IllegalThreadStateException itse) {
                 // the process is not terminated, if this is really
                 // a timeout and not a manual stop then kill it.
                 if (watch){
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ProcessDestroyer.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ProcessDestroyer.java
index a1cb84203..20a1cc16f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ProcessDestroyer.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ProcessDestroyer.java
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ class ProcessDestroyer implements Runnable {
         synchronized (processes) {
             boolean processRemoved = processes.removeElement(process);
             if (processes.size() == 0) {
+                processes.notify();
                 removeShutdownHook();
             }
             return processRemoved;
@@ -229,6 +230,13 @@ class ProcessDestroyer implements Runnable {
             while (e.hasMoreElements()) {
                 ((Process) e.nextElement()).destroy();
             }
+
+            try {
+                // wait for all processes to finish
+                processes.wait();
+            } catch (InterruptedException interrupt) {
+                // ignore
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/Watchdog.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/Watchdog.java
index 7ec81678f..cc7836679 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/Watchdog.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/Watchdog.java
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ public class Watchdog implements Runnable {
         while (!stopped && until > (now = System.currentTimeMillis())) {
             try {
                 wait(until - now);
-            } catch (InterruptedException e) {}
+            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            }
         }
         if (!stopped) {
             fireTimeoutOccured();