diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 426b9dc25..a0acec871 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ Other changes:
  * it is now possible to use references to Ant types and classloaders
    built around Ant <path>s as values for TraX factory attributes.
 
+ * AntClassLoader and its subclasses register themselves as parallel
+   capable.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.9.6 TO Ant 1.9.7
 ===================================
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java
index 44f7b2d78..e56822f30 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ public class AntClassLoader extends ClassLoader implements SubBuildListener, Clo
 
     private static final FileUtils FILE_UTILS = FileUtils.getFileUtils();
 
+    static {
+        registerAsParallelCapable();
+    }
+
     /**
      * An enumeration of all resources of a given name found within the
      * classpath of this class loader. This enumeration is used by the
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader2.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader2.java
index 1a4cac621..4838b0d8b 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader2.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader2.java
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.AntClassLoader;
  *             Just use {@link AntClassLoader} itself.
  */
 public class AntClassLoader2 extends AntClassLoader {
+    static {
+        registerAsParallelCapable();
+    }
+
     /** No args constructor. */
     public AntClassLoader2() {
     }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader5.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader5.java
index 15c29dfe3..873e48ad0 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader5.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/loader/AntClassLoader5.java
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path;
  *             Just use {@link AntClassLoader} itself.
  */
 public class AntClassLoader5 extends AntClassLoader {
+    static {
+        registerAsParallelCapable();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Creates a classloader for the given project using the classpath given.
      *