diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/Resources.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/Resources.java
index 252619b54..aae28aa5a 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/Resources.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/Resources.java
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@
 package org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Stack;
 import java.util.Vector;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.AbstractCollection;
 import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
 
         MyCollection() {
             size = 0;
-            for (Iterator rci = rc.iterator(); rci.hasNext();) {
+            for (Iterator rci = getNested().iterator(); rci.hasNext();) {
                 size += ((ResourceCollection) rci.next()).size();
             }
         }
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
             return new MyIterator();
         }
         private class MyIterator implements Iterator {
-            private Iterator rci = rc.iterator();
+            private Iterator rci = getNested().iterator();
             private Iterator ri = null;
 
             public boolean hasNext() {
@@ -99,8 +101,8 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
         }
     }
 
-    private Vector rc = new Vector();
-    private Collection coll = null;
+    private Vector rc;
+    private Collection coll;
 
     /**
      * Add a ResourceCollection.
@@ -113,6 +115,9 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
         if (c == null) {
             return;
         }
+        if (rc == null) {
+            rc = new Vector();
+        }
         rc.add(c);
         FailFast.invalidate(this);
         coll = null;
@@ -153,7 +158,7 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
         }
         validate();
 
-        for (Iterator i = rc.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
+        for (Iterator i = getNested().iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
             if ((!((ResourceCollection) i.next()).isFilesystemOnly())) {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -161,6 +166,27 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Format this BaseResourceCollectionContainer as a String.
+     * @return a descriptive <code>String</code>.
+     */
+    public synchronized String toString() {
+        if (isReference()) {
+            return getCheckedRef().toString();
+        }
+        if (coll == null || coll.isEmpty()) {
+            return "";
+        }
+        StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
+        for (Iterator i = coll.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
+            if (sb.length() > 0) {
+                sb.append(File.pathSeparatorChar);
+            }
+            sb.append(i.next());
+        }
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Overrides the version of DataType to recurse on all DataType
      * child elements that may have been added.
@@ -176,7 +202,7 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
         if (isReference()) {
             super.dieOnCircularReference(stk, p);
         } else {
-            for (Iterator i = rc.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
+            for (Iterator i = getNested().iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
                 Object o = i.next();
                 if (o instanceof DataType) {
                     invokeCircularReferenceCheck((DataType) o, stk, p);
@@ -200,25 +226,7 @@ public class Resources extends DataType implements ResourceCollection {
         coll = (coll == null) ? new MyCollection() : coll;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Format this BaseResourceCollectionContainer as a String.
-     * @return a descriptive <code>String</code>.
-     */
-    public synchronized String toString() {
-        if (isReference()) {
-            return getCheckedRef().toString();
-        }
-        if (coll == null || coll.isEmpty()) {
-            return "";
-        }
-        StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
-        for (Iterator i = coll.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
-            if (sb.length() > 0) {
-                sb.append(File.pathSeparatorChar);
-            }
-            sb.append(i.next());
-        }
-        return sb.toString();
+    private synchronized List getNested() {
+        return rc == null ? Collections.EMPTY_LIST : rc;
     }
-
 }