diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index deced2b23..b2bfba5b0 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ Other changes:
    Bugzilla report 35627.
 
  * <ftp>'s logging has been improved.
-   Bugzilla report 30932.
+   Bugzilla reports 30932, 31743.
 
 Changes from Ant 1.7.0 TO Ant 1.7.1
 =============================================
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
index b21a928fb..05bf500aa 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
@@ -2205,7 +2205,11 @@ public class FTP
          throws IOException, BuildException {
         String workingDirectory = ftp.printWorkingDirectory();
         if (verbose) {
-            log("Creating directory: " + dir);
+            if (dir.indexOf("/") == 0 || workingDirectory == null) {
+                log("Creating directory: " + dir + " in /");
+            } else {
+                log("Creating directory: " + dir + " in " + workingDirectory);
+            }
         }
         if (dir.indexOf("/") == 0) {
             ftp.changeWorkingDirectory("/");