diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 92a708c3b..3b8a0fa3e 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ Fixed bugs:
 
 * SQL task did not work with Informix IDS 9.2. Bugzilla Report 27162.
 
+* MacroDef did not allow attributes named 'description'. Bugzilla Report 27175.
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml
index b8780fa82..b64418c72 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml
@@ -156,4 +156,16 @@
     </macrodef>
     <escape a="avalue" b="bvalue"/>
   </target>
+
+  <target name="attribute.description">
+    <macrodef name="d">
+      <attribute name="description"/>
+      <attribute name="d" default="p"/>
+      <sequential>
+        <echo>description is @{description}</echo>
+      </sequential>
+    </macrodef>
+    <d description="hello world"/>
+  </target>
+
 </project>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java
index dfc3e9db5..e6634e11c 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ public class MacroInstance extends Task implements DynamicConfigurator {
         for (Iterator i = macroDef.getAttributes().iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
             MacroDef.Attribute attribute = (MacroDef.Attribute) i.next();
             String value = (String) map.get(attribute.getName());
+            if (value == null && "description".equals(attribute.getName())) {
+                value = getDescription();
+            }
             if (value == null) {
                 value = attribute.getDefault();
                 value = macroSubs(value, localProperties);
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java
index 5bd24d879..dfbdd3998 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java
@@ -104,5 +104,10 @@ public class MacroDefTest extends BuildFileTest {
             "escape",
             "a@b or a@b is avalue@bvalue");
     }
+    public void testAttributeDescription() {
+        expectLog(
+            "attribute.description",
+            "description is hello world");
+    }
 }