diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java
index 3e54f2cd8..8ca081959 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecTask.java
@@ -607,7 +607,6 @@ public class ExecTask extends Task {
         exe.setAntRun(getProject());
         exe.setWorkingDirectory(dir);
         exe.setVMLauncher(vmLauncher);
-        exe.setSpawn(spawn);
         String[] environment = env.getVariables();
         if (environment != null) {
             for (int i = 0; i < environment.length; i++) {
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
index da5dce07a..0f09f3bb1 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.io.StringReader;
-import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
-import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Vector;
@@ -66,9 +64,6 @@ public class Execute {
     private File workingDirectory = null;
     private Project project = null;
     private boolean newEnvironment = false;
-    //TODO: nothing appears to read this but is set using a public setter.
-    private boolean spawn = false;
-
 
     /** Controls whether the VM is used to launch commands, where possible. */
     private boolean useVMLauncher = true;
@@ -140,11 +135,14 @@ public class Execute {
      *
      * @param spawn if true you do not want Ant
      *              to wait for the end of the process.
+     *              Has no influence in here, the calling task contains
+     *              and acts accordingly
      *
      * @since Ant 1.6
+     * @deprecated
      */
     public void setSpawn(boolean spawn) {
-        this.spawn = spawn;
+        // Method did not do anything to begin with
     }
 
     /**
@@ -528,6 +526,7 @@ public class Execute {
         }
         OutputStream dummyOut = new OutputStream() {
             public void write(int b) throws IOException {
+                // Method intended to swallow whatever comes at it
             }
         };
 
@@ -802,13 +801,9 @@ public class Execute {
      * Runtime.exec() command.
      */
     private static class Java13CommandLauncher extends CommandLauncher {
-        private Method myExecWithCWD;
 
         public Java13CommandLauncher() throws NoSuchMethodException {
-            // Locate method Runtime.exec(String[] cmdarray,
-            //                            String[] envp, File dir)
-            myExecWithCWD = Runtime.class.getMethod("exec",
-                new Class[] {String[].class, String[].class, File.class});
+            // Used to verify if Java13 is available, is prerequisite in ant 1.8
         }
 
         /**
@@ -829,18 +824,7 @@ public class Execute {
                     project.log("Execute:Java13CommandLauncher: "
                         + Commandline.describeCommand(cmd), Project.MSG_DEBUG);
                 }
-                return (Process) myExecWithCWD.invoke(Runtime.getRuntime(),
-                   /* the arguments: */ new Object[] {cmd, env, workingDir});
-            } catch (InvocationTargetException exc) {
-                Throwable realexc = exc.getTargetException();
-                if (realexc instanceof ThreadDeath) {
-                    throw (ThreadDeath) realexc;
-                } else if (realexc instanceof IOException) {
-                    throw (IOException) realexc;
-                } else {
-                    throw new BuildException("Unable to execute command",
-                                             realexc);
-                }
+                return Runtime.getRuntime().exec(cmd, env, workingDir);
             } catch (Exception exc) {
                 // IllegalAccess, IllegalArgument, ClassCast
                 throw new BuildException("Unable to execute command", exc);