diff --git a/src/script/ant.bat b/src/script/ant.bat
index aa8de1193..2b28ba0ae 100755
--- a/src/script/ant.bat
+++ b/src/script/ant.bat
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 if exist "%HOME%\antrc_pre.bat" call "%HOME%\antrc_pre.bat"
 
-if not "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" goto start
+if not "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" goto win9xStart
+:winNTStart
+@setlocal
 
 rem %~dp0 is name of current script under NT
 set DEFAULT_ANT_HOME=%~dp0
@@ -10,25 +12,28 @@ set DEFAULT_ANT_HOME=%~dp0
 rem : operator works similar to make : operator
 set DEFAULT_ANT_HOME=%DEFAULT_ANT_HOME:\bin\=%
 
-if "%ANT_HOME%"=="" set ANT_HOME=%DEFAULT_ANT_HOME%
+if %ANT_HOME%a==a set ANT_HOME=%DEFAULT_ANT_HOME%
 set DEFAULT_ANT_HOME=
 
-:start
+rem On NT/2K grab all arguments at once
+set ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS=%*
+goto doneStart
 
+:win9xStart
 rem Slurp the command line arguments.  This loop allows for an unlimited number of 
 rem agruments (up to the command line limit, anyway).
 
 set ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS=
 
 :setupArgs
-if "%1"=="" goto doneArgs
+if %1a==a goto doneStart
 set ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS=%ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS% %1
 shift
 goto setupArgs
 
-:doneArgs
-rem The doneArgs label is here just to provide a place for the argument list loop
-rem to break out to.
+:doneStart
+rem This label provides a place for the argument list loop to break out 
+rem and for NT handling to skip to.
 
 rem find ANT_HOME
 if not "%ANT_HOME%"=="" goto checkJava
@@ -80,7 +85,13 @@ goto end
 %_JAVACMD% -classpath %LOCALCLASSPATH% -Dant.home="%ANT_HOME%" -Djikes.class.path=%JIKESPATH% %ANT_OPTS% org.apache.tools.ant.Main %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 
 :end
-if exist "%HOME%\antrc_post.bat" call "%HOME%\antrc_post.bat"
 set LOCALCLASSPATH=
 set ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS=
 
+if not "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" goto mainEnd
+:winNTend
+@endlocal
+
+:mainEnd
+if exist "%HOME%\antrc_post.bat" call "%HOME%\antrc_post.bat"
+