diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 20c7fd6c6..73ce7f7e6 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ Other changes:
 * <exec> (and hence, <apply>) have an OsFamily attribute, which can restrict
   execution to a single OS family.
 
+* added "backtrace" attribute to macrodef. Bugzilla report 27219.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.6.2 to current Ant 1.6 CVS version
 =====================================================
 
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/macrodef.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/macrodef.html
index 40eaf88fe..ecda2c2a1 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/macrodef.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/macrodef.html
@@ -50,6 +50,17 @@
         </td>
         <td valign="top" align="center">No</td>
       </tr>
+      <tr>
+        <td valign="top">backtrace</td>
+        <td valign="top">
+          This controls the error traceback if they is an
+          error detected when running the macro. If this is
+          set to true, there will be an erro trackback, if false
+          there will not be one. The default value is true.
+          <em>Since ant 1.7</em>.
+        </td>
+        <td valign="top" align="center">No</td>
+      </tr>
     </table>
       <h3>Parameters specified as nested elements</h3>
     <h4>attribute</h4>
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml
index fac274a1b..ed278f022 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/macrodef.xml
@@ -223,4 +223,20 @@
 
   </target>
 
+  <target name="backtraceoff">
+    <macrodef name="nobacktrace" backtrace="false">
+      <sequential>
+        <fail>This is a failure</fail>
+      </sequential>
+    </macrodef>
+    <nobacktrace/>
+  </target>
+  <target name="backtraceon">
+    <macrodef name="nobacktrace" backtrace="true">
+      <sequential>
+        <fail>This is a failure</fail>
+      </sequential>
+    </macrodef>
+    <nobacktrace/>
+  </target>
 </project>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDef.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDef.java
index cc7f65081..660b7fa78 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDef.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDef.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.UnknownElement;
 public class MacroDef extends AntlibDefinition  {
     private NestedSequential nestedSequential;
     private String     name;
+    private boolean    backTrace = true;
     private List       attributes = new ArrayList();
     private Map        elements   = new HashMap();
     private String     textName   = null;
@@ -92,6 +93,28 @@ public class MacroDef extends AntlibDefinition  {
         return text;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the backTrace attribute.
+     *
+     * @param backTrace if true and the macro instance generates has
+     *                  an error, a backtrace of the location within
+     *                  the macro and call to the macro will be outout.
+     *                  if false, only the location of the call to
+     *                  macro will be shown. Default is true.
+     * @since ant 1.7
+     */
+    public void setBackTrace(boolean backTrace) {
+        this.backTrace = backTrace;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return the backTrace attribute.
+     * @since ant 1.7
+     */
+    public boolean getBackTrace() {
+        return backTrace;
+    }
+
     /**
      * This is the sequential nested element of the macrodef.
      *
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java
index 905a58517..5194015c5 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroInstance.java
@@ -380,8 +380,12 @@ public class MacroInstance extends Task implements DynamicAttribute, TaskContain
         try {
             c.perform();
         } catch (BuildException ex) {
-            throw ProjectHelper.addLocationToBuildException(
-                ex, getLocation());
+            if (macroDef.getBackTrace()) {
+                throw ProjectHelper.addLocationToBuildException(
+                    ex, getLocation());
+            } else {
+                throw new BuildException(ex.getMessage(), ex);
+            }
         } finally {
             presentElements = null;
             localAttributes = null;
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java
index 793ad25c4..ba1f997d0 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/MacroDefTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs;
 
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildFileTest;
+import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.Project;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.Task;
 
@@ -128,5 +129,22 @@ public class MacroDefTest extends BuildFileTest {
             "Only one element allowed when using implicit elements",
             "Only one element allowed when using implicit elements");
     }
+
+    public void testBackTraceOff() {
+        try {
+            executeTarget("backtraceoff");
+        } catch (BuildException ex) {
+            if (ex.getMessage().indexOf("following error occurred") != -1) {
+                fail("error message contained backtrace - " + ex.getMessage());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void testBackTrace() {
+        expectBuildExceptionContaining(
+            "backtraceon",
+            "Checking if a back trace is created",
+            "following error occurred");
+    }
 }