diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 65c747513..92fbfdfae 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ Fixed bugs:
    streams of a process, could end up being truncated.
    Bugzilla Report 58833, 58451
 
+ * <fileset>/<zipfileset>/<tarfileset> will now throw an exception
+   with a more useful error message when setFile is called twice on
+   the same instance.
+   Bugzilla Report 62071
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java
index 868e7fa7a..7e1a3e4f5 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java
@@ -238,7 +238,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractFileSet extends DataType
         if (isReference()) {
             throw tooManyAttributes();
         }
-        if (getDir() != null) {
+        if (fileAttributeUsed) {
+            if (getDir().equals(file.getParentFile())) {
+                String[] includes = defaultPatterns.getIncludePatterns(getProject());
+                if (includes.length == 1 && includes[0].equals(file.getName())) {
+                    // NOOP, setFile has been invoked twice with the same parameter
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+            throw new BuildException("setFile cannot be called twice with different arguments");
+        } else if (getDir() != null) {
             throw dirAndFileAreMutuallyExclusive();
         }
         setDir(file.getParentFile());
@@ -298,7 +307,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFileSet extends DataType
     }
 
     /**
-     * Appends <code>excludes</code> to the current list of include
+     * Appends <code>excludes</code> to the current list of exclude
      * patterns.
      *
      * @param excludes array containing the exclude patterns.
diff --git a/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSetTest.java b/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSetTest.java
index 56ee49819..a025b2bf1 100644
--- a/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSetTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/junit/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSetTest.java
@@ -244,4 +244,24 @@ public abstract class AbstractFileSetTest {
         File dir = f1.getDir(project);
         assertEquals("Dir is basedir", dir, project.getBaseDir());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void canCallSetFileTwiceWithSameArgument() {
+        AbstractFileSet f = getInstance();
+        f.setFile(new File("/a"));
+        f.setFile(new File("/a"));
+        // really only asserts no exception is thrown
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void cantCallSetFileTwiceWithDifferentArguments() {
+        AbstractFileSet f = getInstance();
+        f.setFile(new File("/a"));
+        try {
+            f.setFile(new File("/b"));
+            fail("expected an exception");
+        } catch (BuildException ex) {
+            assertEquals("setFile cannot be called twice with different arguments", ex.getMessage());
+        }
+    }
 }