diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java
index 0df6d21c0..3f484a28b 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java
@@ -123,8 +123,7 @@ public class Delete extends MatchingTask {
         }
         else {
           project.log("Deleting: " + f.getAbsolutePath());
-          f.delete();
-	  if (f.exists()) {
+          if (!f.delete()) {
 	      throw new BuildException("Unable to delete file " + f.getAbsolutePath());
           }
         }
@@ -148,8 +147,7 @@ public class Delete extends MatchingTask {
 
         if (f.exists()) {
           project.log("Deleting: " + f.getAbsolutePath(), verbosity);
-          f.delete();
-	  if (f.exists()) {
+          if (!f.delete()) {
 	      throw new BuildException("Unable to delete " + f.getAbsolutePath());
           }
         }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java
index 59f00ce25..a0a355100 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ public class Deltree extends Task {
 
 	if (dir.exists()) {
 	    if (!dir.isDirectory()) {
-		dir.delete();
-		if (dir.exists()) {
+		if (!dir.delete()) {
         	    throw new BuildException("Unable to delete file " + dir.getAbsolutePath());
 	        }
 		return;
@@ -110,14 +109,12 @@ public class Deltree extends Task {
 	    if (f.isDirectory()) {
 		removeDir(f);
 	    } else {
-		f.delete();
-		if (f.exists()) {
+		if (!f.delete()) {
         	    throw new BuildException("Unable to delete file " + f.getAbsolutePath());
 	        }
 	    }
 	}
-        dir.delete();
-	if (dir.exists()) {
+        if (!dir.delete()) {
 	    throw new BuildException("Unable to delete directory " + dir.getAbsolutePath());
 	}
     }