diff --git a/src/script/ant b/src/script/ant
index af8658d5d..ba1712899 100644
--- a/src/script/ant
+++ b/src/script/ant
@@ -174,14 +174,14 @@ fi
 if [ -n "$CYGHOME" ]; then
   if [ -n "$JIKESPATH" ]; then
     JIKESPATH=`cygpath --path --windows "$JIKESPATH"`
-    exec "$JAVACMD" -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" -Djikes.class.path="$JIKESPATH" -Dcygwin.user.home="$CYGHOME" $ANT_OPTS org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
+    exec "$JAVACMD" $ANT_OPTS -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" -Djikes.class.path="$JIKESPATH" -Dcygwin.user.home="$CYGHOME" $ANT_OPTS org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
   else
-    exec "$JAVACMD" -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" -Dcygwin.user.home="$CYGHOME" $ANT_OPTS org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
+    exec "$JAVACMD" $ANT_OPTS -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" -Dcygwin.user.home="$CYGHOME" org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
   fi
 else
   if [ -n "$JIKESPATH" ]; then
-    exec "$JAVACMD" -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" -Djikes.class.path="$JIKESPATH" $ANT_OPTS org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
+    exec "$JAVACMD" $ANT_OPTS -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" -Djikes.class.path="$JIKESPATH" org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
   else
-    exec "$JAVACMD" -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" $ANT_OPTS org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
+    exec "$JAVACMD" $ANT_OPTS -classpath "$LOCALCLASSPATH" -Dant.home="${ANT_HOME}" org.apache.tools.ant.Main $ANT_ARGS "$@"
   fi
 fi
diff --git a/src/script/ant.bat b/src/script/ant.bat
index 31cbc3455..3c02ebcae 100755
--- a/src/script/ant.bat
+++ b/src/script/ant.bat
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ echo.
 if not "%JIKESPATH%"=="" goto runAntWithJikes
 
 :runAnt
-"%_JAVACMD%" -classpath "%LOCALCLASSPATH%" "-Dant.home=%ANT_HOME%" %ANT_OPTS% org.apache.tools.ant.Main %ANT_ARGS% %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
+"%_JAVACMD%" %ANT_OPTS% -classpath "%LOCALCLASSPATH%" "-Dant.home=%ANT_HOME%" org.apache.tools.ant.Main %ANT_ARGS% %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 goto end
 
 :runAntWithJikes
-"%_JAVACMD%" -classpath "%LOCALCLASSPATH%" "-Dant.home=%ANT_HOME%" "-Djikes.class.path=%JIKESPATH%" %ANT_OPTS% org.apache.tools.ant.Main %ANT_ARGS% %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
+"%_JAVACMD%" %ANT_OPTS% -classpath "%LOCALCLASSPATH%" "-Dant.home=%ANT_HOME%" "-Djikes.class.path=%JIKESPATH%" org.apache.tools.ant.Main %ANT_ARGS% %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 goto end
 
 :end