diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 6d2736df9..bd604343a 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ Other changes:
 
 * <fail> supports nested text
 
+* <fixcrlf> won't override files that are already in the correct
+   format.
+
+* <sql> now supports REM comments as well as // and --
+
 Fixed bugs:
 -----------
 
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
index 579bc3888..097ddefcc 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 <h3>Description</h3>
 <p>Executes a series of sql statement via JDBC to a database. Statements can either be read in from a text file using the src attribute or from between the enclosing sql tags.</p>
 
-<p>Multiple statements can be set and each statement is delimited from the next use a semi-colon. Individual lines within the statements can be commented using either -- or // at the start of the line.</p>
+<p>Multiple statements can be set and each statement is delimited from the next use a semi-colon. Individual lines within the statements can be commented using either --, // or REM at the start of the line.</p>
 
 <p>The auto-commit attribute specifies whether auto commit should be turned on or off whilst executing the statements. If auto-commit is turned on each statement will be executed and committed. If it is turned off the statements will all be executed as one transaction.</p>
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java
index 78d71734b..58956189e 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/SQLExec.java
@@ -68,9 +68,10 @@ import java.sql.*;
 /**
  * Reads in a text file containing SQL statements seperated with semicolons
  * and executes it in a given db.
- * Both -- and // maybe used as comments.
+ * Comments may be created with REM -- or //.
  * 
  * @author <a href="mailto:jeff@custommonkey.org">Jeff Martin</a>
+ * @author <A href="gholam@xtra.co.nz">Michael McCallum</A>
  */
 public class SQLExec extends Task {
     
@@ -425,8 +426,12 @@ public class SQLExec extends Task {
  
         try{
             while ((line=in.readLine()) != null){
-                if (line.trim().startsWith("//")) continue;
-                if (line.trim().startsWith("--")) continue;
+                line = line.trim();
+                if (line.startsWith("//")) continue;
+                if (line.startsWith("--")) continue;
+                if ( line.length() > 2 ) {
+                  if (line.substring(0,3).equalsIgnoreCase("REM")) continue;
+                }
 
                 sql += " " + line;
                 sql = sql.trim();
@@ -535,7 +540,7 @@ public class SQLExec extends Task {
         do {
             rs = statement.getResultSet();
             if (rs != null) {
-      	        log("Processing new result set.", Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
+                log("Processing new result set.", Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
                 ResultSetMetaData md = rs.getMetaData();
                 int columnCount = md.getColumnCount();
                 StringBuffer line = new StringBuffer();