diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
index 6104ec4e4..200b382d2 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -1042,14 +1042,7 @@ public class FileUtils {
      */
     public String fromURI(String uri) {
         String path = Locator.fromURI(uri);
-
-        // catch exception if normalize thinks this is not an absolute path
-        try {
-            path = normalize(path).getAbsolutePath();
-        } catch (BuildException e) {
-            // relative path
-        }
-        return path;
+        return isAbsolutePath(path) ? normalize(path).getAbsolutePath() : path;
     }
 
     /**