diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index ec2d6980c..0b10ef7b4 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -244,6 +244,8 @@ Other changes:
   
 * New <ejbdeploy> "optional" task.
 
+* <patternset> now supports nested patternsets.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.4 to Ant 1.4.1
 ===========================================
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSet.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSet.java
index 2dae3aae2..02cbd42a1 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSet.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSet.java
@@ -164,6 +164,27 @@ public class PatternSet extends DataType {
         super.setRefid(r);
     }
 
+    public void addConfiguredPatternset(PatternSet p) {
+        if (isReference()) {
+            throw noChildrenAllowed();
+        }
+
+        String[] nestedIncludes = p.getIncludePatterns(getProject());
+        String[] nestedExcludes = p.getExcludePatterns(getProject());
+
+        if (nestedIncludes != null) {
+            for (int i=0; i < nestedIncludes.length; i++) {
+                createInclude().setName(nestedIncludes[i]);
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (nestedExcludes != null) {
+            for (int i=0; i < nestedExcludes.length; i++) {
+                createExclude().setName(nestedExcludes[i]);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * add a name entry on the include list
      */
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSetTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSetTest.java
index e4977b13a..975fb15ee 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSetTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/PatternSetTest.java
@@ -222,4 +222,20 @@ public class PatternSetTest extends TestCase {
                      1, i.length);
         assertEquals("exclude", i[0]);
     }
+    
+    public void testNestedPatternset() {
+        PatternSet p = new PatternSet();
+        p.setIncludes("**/*.java");
+
+        PatternSet nested = new PatternSet();
+        nested.setExcludes("**/*.class");
+
+        p.addConfiguredPatternset(nested);
+
+        String[] excludes = p.getExcludePatterns(project);
+        String[] includes = p.getIncludePatterns(project);
+
+        assertEquals("Includes","**/*.java", includes[0]);
+        assertEquals("Excludes","**/*.class", excludes[0]);
+    }
 }