diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Touch.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Touch.java
index 57a94e60b..bd049d4f6 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Touch.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Touch.java
@@ -180,7 +180,11 @@ public class Touch extends Task {
             log("modification time of files cannot be set in JDK 1.1",
                 Project.MSG_WARN);
             return;
-        } else {
+        } 
+
+        boolean resetMillis = false;
+        if (millis < 0) {
+            resetMillis = true;
             millis = System.currentTimeMillis();
         }
 
@@ -205,6 +209,10 @@ public class Touch extends Task {
                 touch(new File(fromDir, srcDirs[j]));
             }
         }
+
+        if (resetMillis) {
+            millis = -1;
+        }
     }
 
     protected void touch(File file) throws BuildException {