diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ComponentHelper.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ComponentHelper.java
index 355e11aa2..8588c918b 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ComponentHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ComponentHelper.java
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ public class ComponentHelper  {
      */
     public static String getElementName(Project p, Object o, boolean brief) {
         if (p == null) {
-            p = getProject(o);
+            p = Project.getProject(o);
         }
         return p == null ? getUnmappedElementName(o.getClass(), brief)
                 : getComponentHelper(p).getElementName(o, brief);
@@ -593,21 +593,6 @@ public class ComponentHelper  {
         return c.toString();
     }
 
-    private static Project getProject(Object o) {
-        if (o instanceof ProjectComponent) {
-            return ((ProjectComponent) o).getProject();
-        }
-        try {
-            Method m = o.getClass().getMethod("getProject", (Class[]) null);
-            if (Project.class == m.getReturnType()) {
-                return (Project) m.invoke(o, (Object[]) null);
-            }
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            //too bad
-        }
-        return null;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Check if definition is a valid definition--it may be a
      * definition of an optional task that does not exist.
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java
index b8c256728..d56f36d15 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Project.java
@@ -1651,6 +1651,26 @@ public class Project implements ResourceFactory {
                 || "yes".equalsIgnoreCase(s));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the Project instance associated with the specified object.
+     * @return Project instance, if any.
+     * @since Ant 1.7.1
+     */
+    public static Project getProject(Object o) {
+        if (o instanceof ProjectComponent) {
+            return ((ProjectComponent) o).getProject();
+        }
+        try {
+            Method m = o.getClass().getMethod("getProject", (Class[]) null);
+            if (Project.class == m.getReturnType()) {
+                return (Project) m.invoke(o, (Object[]) null);
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            //too bad
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Topologically sort a set of targets.  Equivalent to calling
      * <code>topoSort(new String[] {root}, targets, true)</code>.