diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 85b0cd29c..d506d0549 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ Other changes:
 
 * <concat> is now usable as a single-element ResourceCollection.
 
+* It is now possible to provide the value of a <striplinecomments> filter's
+  <comment> nested element as nested text instead of using the 'value'
+  attribute.
+
 
 Changes from Ant 1.6.5 to Ant 1.7.0
 ===================================
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/filters/StripLineComments.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/filters/StripLineComments.java
index d9bd97df5..84ac8904f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/filters/StripLineComments.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/filters/StripLineComments.java
@@ -219,5 +219,15 @@ public final class StripLineComments
         public final String getValue() {
             return value;
         }
+
+        /**
+         * Alt. syntax to set the prefix for this type of line comment.
+         *
+         * @param comment The prefix for a line comment of this type.
+         * Must not be <code>null</code>.
+         */
+        public void addText(String comment) {
+            setValue(comment);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/filters/striplinecomments-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/filters/striplinecomments-test.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a1cafee6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/filters/striplinecomments-test.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+<project default="antunit" xmlns:au="antlib:org.apache.ant.antunit">
+  <import file="../antunit-base.xml" />
+
+  <property name="br" value="${line.separator}" />
+
+  <string id="input">foo
+#pound
+bar
+//java sl
+baz
+REMark
+</string>
+
+  <macrodef name="test">
+    <attribute name="lines" />
+    <element name="comments" implicit="true" />
+    <sequential>
+      <au:assertTrue>
+        <resourcecount count="@{lines}">
+          <tokens>
+            <concat>
+              <resource refid="input" />
+              <filterchain>
+                <striplinecomments>
+                  <comments />
+                </striplinecomments>
+                <ignoreblank />
+              </filterchain>
+            </concat>
+          </tokens>
+        </resourcecount>
+      </au:assertTrue>
+    </sequential>
+  </macrodef>
+
+  <target name="testBasic">
+    <test lines="5">
+      <comment value="#" />
+    </test>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="testMultiple">
+    <test lines="3">
+      <comment value="#" />
+      <comment value="//" />
+      <comment value="REM" />
+    </test>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="testNestedText">
+    <test lines="3">
+      <comment>#</comment>
+      <comment>//</comment>
+      <comment>REM</comment>
+    </test>
+  </target>
+
+</project>