diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadResource.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadResource.java
index 54a71d038..0e5856822 100755
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadResource.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadResource.java
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ public class LoadResource extends Task {
                 instream = crh.getAssembledReader();
 
                 text = crh.readFully(instream);
+            } else {
+                log("Do not set property " + property + " as its length is 0.");
             }
 
             if (text != null) {
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadresource-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadresource-test.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c137d088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadresource-test.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<project default="antunit" xmlns:au="antlib:org.apache.ant.antunit">
+
+  <import file="../antunit-base.xml" />
+
+  <target name="test-resourceString">
+    <loadresource property="p">
+      <string value="one"/>
+    </loadresource >
+    <au:assertPropertyEquals name="p" value="one"/>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="test-resourceSizeZero" description="Bug 42319">
+    <loadresource property="p">
+      <string value=""/>
+    </loadresource >
+    <au:assertTrue>
+      <not>
+        <isset property="p"/>
+      </not>
+    </au:assertTrue>
+    <au:assertLogContains text="Do not set property p as its length is 0."/>
+  </target>
+
+</project>