diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 00c9b383a..bd8e6aa17 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -364,9 +364,12 @@ Other changes:
 
 * added the inline handler element to the input task.
 
-* <sql> supports property expansion if you set the expandProperties attribute. By default
-  it does not expand properties, something we dare not change for fear of breaking complex
-  SQL operations in existing files.
+* <sql> supports property expansion if you set the expandProperties
+  attribute. By default it does not expand properties, something we
+  dare not change for fear of breaking complex SQL operations in
+  existing files.
+
+* <javadoc>'s packagenames attribute is now optional and default to "*".
 
 Changes from Ant 1.6.4 to Ant 1.6.5
 ===================================
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
index dfd3acacb..6447c54c8 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
@@ -2077,8 +2077,9 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
         // taken from packagenames attribute and nested package
         // elements and excludes taken from excludepackages attribute
         // and nested excludepackage elements
-        if (sourcePath != null && packageNames.size() > 0) {
+        if (sourcePath != null) {
             PatternSet ps = new PatternSet();
+            if (packageNames.size() > 0) {
             Enumeration e = packageNames.elements();
             while (e.hasMoreElements()) {
                 PackageName p = (PackageName) e.nextElement();
@@ -2088,8 +2089,11 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
                 }
                 ps.createInclude().setName(pkg);
             }
+            } else {
+                ps.createInclude().setName("**");
+            }
 
-            e = excludePackageNames.elements();
+            Enumeration e = excludePackageNames.elements();
             while (e.hasMoreElements()) {
                 PackageName p = (PackageName) e.nextElement();
                 String pkg = p.getName().replace('.', '/');
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JavadocTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JavadocTest.java
index 3b003dacd..2856894aa 100755
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JavadocTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/JavadocTest.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public class JavadocTest extends BuildFileTest {
     }
 
     // PR 38370
-    public void XtestDirsetPathWithoutPackagenames() throws Exception {
+    public void testDirsetPathWithoutPackagenames() throws Exception {
         try {
             executeTarget("dirsetPathWithoutPackagenames");
         } catch (BuildException e) {