diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 8734014dc..836a13794 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ Other changes:
   up ${user.dir}/.lib/ant. This is useful when compiling ant, and antlibs.
   Modified the build.sh and build.bat to use the option.
 
+* Added -noclasspath option to allow running ant WITHOUT using CLASSPATH env
+  variable. Modified ant.bat to do this so that %CLASSPATH% is not looked at.
+  Modified build.sh and build.bat to use the option.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.6.2 to current Ant 1.6 CVS version
 =====================================================
 
diff --git a/build.bat b/build.bat
index 2452e402c..c5b6ec092 100755
--- a/build.bat
+++ b/build.bat
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ call bootstrap\bin\ant.bat -lib lib/optional %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
 goto cleanup
 
 :install_ant
-call bootstrap\bin\ant.bat -nouserlib -lib lib/optional -Dant.install="%REAL_ANT_HOME%" %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
+call bootstrap\bin\ant.bat -nouserlib -noclasspath -lib lib/optional -Dant.install="%REAL_ANT_HOME%" %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
 
 rem clean up
 :cleanup
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index f1bfb3731..52a026db5 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -41,5 +41,5 @@ else
   ANT_INSTALL="-emacs"
 fi
 
-bootstrap/bin/ant -nouserlib -lib lib/optional "$ANT_INSTALL" $*
+bootstrap/bin/ant -nouserlib -noclasspath -lib lib/optional "$ANT_INSTALL" $*
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
index 998d6e039..34b803144 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
@@ -840,6 +840,7 @@ public class Main implements AntMain {
                    + lSep);
         msg.append("  -nouserlib             Run ant without using the jar files from ${user.home}/"
                    + ".ant/lib");
+        msg.append("  -noclasspath           Run ant without using CLASSPATH");
         System.out.println(msg.toString());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/launch/Launcher.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/launch/Launcher.java
index 25110b410..8abf81f28 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/launch/Launcher.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/launch/Launcher.java
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ public class Launcher {
         List argList = new ArrayList();
         String[] newArgs;
         boolean  noUserLib = false;
+        boolean  noClassPath = false;
 
         for (int i = 0; i < args.length; ++i) {
             if (args[i].equals("-lib")) {
@@ -143,6 +144,8 @@ public class Launcher {
                 cpString = args[++i];
             } else if (args[i].equals("--nouserlib") || args[i].equals("-nouserlib")) {
                 noUserLib = true;
+            } else if (args[i].equals("--noclasspath") || args[i].equals("-noclasspath")) {
+                noClassPath = true;
             } else {
                 argList.add(args[i]);
             }
@@ -156,7 +159,7 @@ public class Launcher {
 
         List libPathURLs = new ArrayList();
 
-        if (cpString != null) {
+        if (cpString != null && !noClassPath) {
             addPath(cpString, false, libPathURLs);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/script/ant.bat b/src/script/ant.bat
index d61f4756e..d78839092 100755
--- a/src/script/ant.bat
+++ b/src/script/ant.bat
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ set DEFAULT_ANT_HOME=%~dp0..
 if "%ANT_HOME%"=="" set ANT_HOME=%DEFAULT_ANT_HOME%
 set DEFAULT_ANT_HOME=
 
+set _USE_CLASSPATH=yes
+
 rem Slurp the command line arguments. This loop allows for an unlimited number
 rem of arguments (up to the command line limit, anyway).
 set ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS=%1
@@ -32,9 +34,17 @@ if ""%1""=="""" goto doneStart
 shift
 :setupArgs
 if ""%1""=="""" goto doneStart
+if ""%1""==""-noclasspath"" goto clearclasspath
 set ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS=%ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS% %1
 shift
 goto setupArgs
+
+rem here is there is a -noclasspath in the options
+:clearclasspath
+set _USE_CLASSPATH=no
+shift
+goto setupArgs
+
 rem This label provides a place for the argument list loop to break out
 rem and for NT handling to skip to.
 
@@ -79,6 +89,7 @@ if "%_JAVACMD%" == "" set _JAVACMD=java.exe
 if not "%JIKESPATH%"=="" goto runAntWithJikes
 
 :runAnt
+if "%_USE_CLASSPATH%"=="no" goto runAntNoClasspath
 if not "%CLASSPATH%"=="" goto runAntWithClasspath
 "%_JAVACMD%" %ANT_OPTS% -classpath "%ANT_HOME%\lib\ant-launcher.jar" "-Dant.home=%ANT_HOME%" org.apache.tools.ant.launch.Launcher %ANT_ARGS% %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 goto end
@@ -88,7 +99,10 @@ goto end
 goto end
 
 :runAntWithJikes
+if "%_USE_CLASSPATH%"=="no" goto runAntWithJikesNoClasspath
 if not "%CLASSPATH%"=="" goto runAntWithJikesAndClasspath
+
+:runAntWithJikesNoClasspath
 "%_JAVACMD%" %ANT_OPTS% -classpath "%ANT_HOME%\lib\ant-launcher.jar" "-Dant.home=%ANT_HOME%" "-Djikes.class.path=%JIKESPATH%" org.apache.tools.ant.launch.Launcher %ANT_ARGS% %ANT_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 goto end