diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/unix/symlink.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/unix/symlink.xml
index 257361894..e75e7b72d 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/unix/symlink.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/unix/symlink.xml
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/link3==>
                                            ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/file2
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink2==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
          File: ${tdir}/symtest1/recorded.links
          File: ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/recorded.links
     Deletes:
@@ -134,6 +136,12 @@
     <symlink resource="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3"
              link="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink"
              failonerror="no" />
+    <symlink resource="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3" 
+             link="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink2"
+             failonerror="no"/>
+    <symlink resource="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3" 
+             link="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3"
+             failonerror="no"/>
 
     <sleep seconds="${delay}"/> <!-- make sure OS has time to catch up -->
 
@@ -188,6 +196,11 @@
     <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink"
                property="test.record.dirlink.created"/>
 
+    <!-- this is redundant for this test, but used in the recreate test -->
+
+    <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink2" 
+               property="test.record.dirlink2.created"/>
+
     <!-- Test to see if the linkfiles were created -->
 
     <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/recorded.links"
@@ -213,14 +226,26 @@
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/link2==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/file2
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/link3==>
                                            ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/file2
-         Link: ${tdir}/sumtest1/dirlink==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+
+    Creates
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2
 
     Recreates:
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/link1==>${tdir}/symtest1/file1
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/link2==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/file2
          Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/link3==>
                                            ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/file2
-         Link: ${tdir}/sumtest1/dirlink==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+
+    Should Change:
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2
+               to
+               ${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
+
+    Should Not Create (bug 25181):
+         Link: ${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3/dirlink2==>${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3
   -->
 
   <target name="test-recreate" depends="test-record">
@@ -229,6 +254,16 @@
     <symlink action="delete" link="${tdir}/symtest1/link2"/>
     <symlink action="delete" link="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2/link3"/>
     <symlink action="delete" link="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink"/>
+    <!-- dirlink2 intentionally not deleted to test bug 25181 -->
+    <symlink action="delete" link="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3"/>
+
+    <sleep seconds="${delay}"/>  <!-- make sure OS has time to catch up -->
+
+    <symlink resource="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest2" 
+             link="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3"
+             failonerror="no"/>
+
+    <sleep seconds="${delay}"/>  <!-- make sure OS has time to catch up -->
 
     <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/link1"
                property="test.recreate.link1.not.removed"
@@ -265,6 +300,18 @@
 
     <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink"
                property="test.recreate.dirlink.recreated"/>
+
+    <!-- this should not get set -->
+    <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3/symtest3" 
+               property="test.recreate.dirlink2.recreated.twice"
+               value="ERROR: dirlink2 was created a second time (bug 25181)"/>
+
+    <touch file="${tdir}/symtest1/dirlink3/WhereAmI"/>
+
+    <sleep seconds="${delay}"/>  <!-- make sure OS has time to do the execs -->
+
+    <available file="${tdir}/symtest1/symtest3/WhereAmI" 
+               property="test.recreate.dirlink3.was.altered"/>
   </target>
 
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/Symlink.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/Symlink.java
index 58c76617a..6b6692bf1 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/Symlink.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/Symlink.java
@@ -160,7 +160,26 @@ public class Symlink extends Task {
                 while (keys.hasMoreElements()) {
                     link = (String) keys.nextElement();
                     resource = listOfLinks.getProperty(link);
-                    doLink(resource, link);
+		    // handle the case where the link exists 
+		    // and points to a directory (bug 25181)
+		    try {
+			FileUtils fu = FileUtils.newFileUtils();
+			File test = new File(link);
+			File testRes = new File(resource);
+			if (!fu.isSymbolicLink(test.getParentFile(), 
+					       test.getName())) {
+			    doLink(resource, link);
+			} else {
+			    if (!test.getCanonicalPath().
+			    	equals(testRes.getCanonicalPath())) {
+			    	Symlink.deleteSymlink(link);
+			    	doLink(resource,link);
+			    } // else the link exists, do nothing
+			}
+		    } catch (IOException ioe) {
+			handleError("IO exception while creating "
+				    + "link");
+		    }
                 }
             } else if (action.equals("record")) {
                 Vector vectOfLinks;
@@ -735,7 +754,6 @@ public class Symlink extends Task {
                 keys = propTemp.keys();
                 propTemp.list(System.out);
                 // Write the contents to our master list of links
-
                 // This method assumes that all links are defined in
                 // terms of absolute paths, or paths relative to the
                 // working directory
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/SymlinkTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/SymlinkTest.java
index cfe906a10..d8a6c35d6 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/SymlinkTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/unix/SymlinkTest.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
 
     private Project p;
     private boolean supportsSymlinks = Os.isFamily("unix");
-    private boolean testfail = false;
 
     public SymlinkTest(String name) {
         super(name);
@@ -62,7 +61,6 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
 
 
     public void testSingle() {
-        testfail = true;
         if (supportsSymlinks) {
             executeTarget("test-single");
             p = getProject();
@@ -71,11 +69,9 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
             assertNotNull("Failed to create link",
                           p.getProperty("test.single.link.created"));
         }
-        testfail = false;
     }
 
     public void testDelete() {
-        testfail = true;
         if (supportsSymlinks) {
             executeTarget("test-delete");
             p = getProject();
@@ -86,11 +82,9 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
                 fail(linkDeleted);
             }
         }
-        testfail = false;
     }
 
     public void testRecord() {
-        testfail = true;
         if (supportsSymlinks) {
             executeTarget("test-record");
             p = getProject();
@@ -128,6 +122,9 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
             assertNotNull("Failed to create dirlink",
                           p.getProperty("test.record.dirlink.created"));
 
+            assertNotNull("Failed to create dirlink2",
+                          p.getProperty("test.record.dirlink2.created"));
+
             assertNotNull("Couldn't record links in dir1",
                           p.getProperty("test.record.dir1.recorded"));
 
@@ -141,11 +138,9 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
             }
 
         }
-        testfail = false;
     }
 
     public void testRecreate() {
-        testfail = true;
         if (supportsSymlinks) {
             executeTarget("test-recreate");
             p = getProject();
@@ -173,14 +168,21 @@ public class SymlinkTest extends BuildFileTest {
                           p.getProperty("test.recreate.link3.recreated"));
             assertNotNull("Failed to recreate dirlink",
                           p.getProperty("test.recreate.dirlink.recreated"));
+            
+            String doubleRecreate = p.getProperty("test.recreate.dirlink2.recreated.twice");
+
+            if (doubleRecreate != null) {
+                fail(doubleRecreate);
+            }
+
+            assertNotNull("Failed to alter dirlink3",
+                          p.getProperty("test.recreate.dirlink3.was.altered"));
+
         }
-        testfail = false;
     }
 
     public void tearDown() {
-        if (supportsSymlinks && !testfail) {
-            executeTarget("teardown");
-        }
+        executeTarget("teardown");
     }
 
 }