diff --git a/manual/Tasks/local.html b/manual/Tasks/local.html
index 830cc1858..2e64ec631 100644
--- a/manual/Tasks/local.html
+++ b/manual/Tasks/local.html
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ examples section.</p>
   </tr>
 </table>
 
+<h3>Parameters specified as nested elements</h3>
+<h4>Name</h4>
+<p>As an alternative to (or in conjunction with) the <code>name</code> attribute, the nested text of
+each of one or more nested <code>&lt;name&gt;</code> elements specifies a property name to declare in
+the local scope.
+
 <h3>Examples</h3>
 
 <h4>Temporarily shadow a global property's value</h4>
@@ -171,5 +177,15 @@ come up with unique names in some cases.</p>
 <p>Each invocation gets its own property named <code>parent</code> and there will be no global
 property of that name at all.</p>
 
+<h4>Use of nested name elements</h4>
+This style declares and executes a single task, as compensation for requiring more lines of XML than
+would individual invocations using <code>@name</code>:
+<pre>
+&lt;local&gt;
+  &lt;name&gt;foo&lt;/name&gt;
+  &lt;name&gt;bar&lt;/name&gt;
+  &lt;name&gt;baz&lt;/name&gt;
+&lt;/local&gt;
+</pre>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Local.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Local.java
index 890571dfb..834b3e844 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Local.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Local.java
@@ -17,15 +17,48 @@
  */
 package org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs;
 
+import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
+
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.Task;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.property.LocalProperties;
+import org.apache.tools.ant.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
- * Task to create a local property in the current scope.
+ * Task to create local properties in the current scope.
  */
 public class Local extends Task {
+    /**
+     * Nested {@code name} element.
+     */
+    public static class Name implements Consumer<LocalProperties> {
+        private String text;
+
+        /**
+         * Set the property name.
+         * @param text
+         */
+        public void addText(String text) {
+            this.text = text;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * {@inheritDoc}
+         */
+        @Override
+        public void accept(LocalProperties localProperties) {
+            if (text == null) {
+                throw new BuildException("nested name element is missing text");
+            }
+            localProperties.addLocal(text);
+        }
+    }
+
     private String name;
+    
+    private final Set<Name> nameElements = new LinkedHashSet<>();
 
     /**
      * Set the name attribute.
@@ -35,13 +68,28 @@ public class Local extends Task {
         this.name = name;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Create a nested {@code name} element.
+     * @return {@link Name}
+     */
+    public Name createName() {
+        final Name result = new Name();
+        nameElements.add(result);
+        return result;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Run the task.
      */
     public void execute() {
-        if (name == null) {
-            throw new BuildException("Missing attribute name");
+        if (name == null && nameElements.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new BuildException("Found no configured local property names");
+        }
+        final LocalProperties localProperties = LocalProperties.get(getProject());
+
+        if (name != null) {
+            localProperties.addLocal(name);
         }
-        LocalProperties.get(getProject()).addLocal(name);
+        nameElements.forEach(n -> n.accept(localProperties));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/local-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/local-test.xml
index e8af945b2..8c4c51baa 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/local-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/local-test.xml
@@ -93,4 +93,24 @@
     <au:assertPropertyEquals name="foo" value="foo" />
   </target>
 
+  <target name="testMulti">
+    <property name="bar" value="bar" />
+    <property name="baz" value="baz" />
+    <sequential>
+      <local>
+        <name>foo</name>
+        <name>bar</name>
+        <name>baz</name>
+      </local>
+      <property name="foo" value="FOO" />
+      <property name="bar" value="BAR" />
+      <property name="baz" value="BAZ" />
+      <au:assertPropertyEquals name="foo" value="FOO" />
+      <au:assertPropertyEquals name="bar" value="BAR" />
+      <au:assertPropertyEquals name="baz" value="BAZ" />
+    </sequential>
+    <au:assertPropertyEquals name="foo" value="foo" />
+    <au:assertPropertyEquals name="bar" value="bar" />
+    <au:assertPropertyEquals name="baz" value="baz" />
+  </target>
 </project>