diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Recorder.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Recorder.java
index a797355e9..f9727975d 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Recorder.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Recorder.java
@@ -146,7 +146,15 @@ public class Recorder extends Task {
         RecorderEntry recorder = getRecorder(filename, getProject());
         // set the values on the recorder
         recorder.setMessageOutputLevel(loglevel);
-        recorder.setRecordState(start);
+        if (start != null) {
+            if (start.booleanValue()) {
+                recorder.reopenFile();
+                recorder.setRecordState(start);
+            } else {
+                recorder.setRecordState(start);
+                recorder.closeFile();
+            }
+        }
         recorder.setEmacsMode(emacsMode);
     }
 
@@ -193,24 +201,13 @@ public class Recorder extends Task {
 
         if (o == null) {
             // create a recorder entry
-            try {
                 entry = new RecorderEntry(name);
 
-                PrintStream out = null;
-
                 if (append == null) {
-                    out = new PrintStream(
-                        new FileOutputStream(name));
+                    entry.openFile(false);
                 } else {
-                    out = new PrintStream(
-                        new FileOutputStream(name, append.booleanValue()));
+                    entry.openFile(append.booleanValue());
                 }
-                entry.setErrorPrintStream(out);
-                entry.setOutputPrintStream(out);
-            } catch (IOException ioe) {
-                throw new BuildException("Problems creating a recorder entry",
-                    ioe);
-            }
             entry.setProject(proj);
             recorderEntries.put(name, entry);
         } else {
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/RecorderEntry.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/RecorderEntry.java
index f69d9b1bf..c5fd5d713 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/RecorderEntry.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/RecorderEntry.java
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@
  */
 package org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs;
 
+import java.io.FileOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintStream;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildEvent;
+import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildLogger;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.DefaultLogger;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.Project;
@@ -28,7 +31,6 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.util.StringUtils;
  * This is a class that represents a recorder. This is the listener to the
  * build process.
  *
- * @version 0.5
  * @since Ant 1.4
  */
 public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
      */
     public void setRecordState(Boolean state) {
         if (state != null) {
+            flush();
             record = state.booleanValue();
         }
     }
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
     public void buildFinished(BuildEvent event) {
         log("< BUILD FINISHED", Project.MSG_DEBUG);
 
+        if (record && out != null) {
         Throwable error = event.getException();
 
         if (error == null) {
@@ -102,6 +106,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
                  + StringUtils.LINE_SEP);
             error.printStackTrace(out);
         }
+        }
         cleanup();
     }
 
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
         String time = formatTime(System.currentTimeMillis() - targetStartTime);
 
         log(event.getTarget() + ":  duration " + time, Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
-        out.flush();
+        flush();
     }
 
 
@@ -156,7 +161,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
 
     public void taskFinished(BuildEvent event) {
         log("<<< TASK FINISHED -- " + event.getTask(), Project.MSG_DEBUG);
-        out.flush();
+        flush();
     }
 
 
@@ -191,10 +196,16 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
      * @param level The verbosity level of the message.
      */
     private void log(String mesg, int level) {
-        if (record && (level <= loglevel)) {
+        if (record && (level <= loglevel) && out != null) {
             out.println(mesg);
         }
     }
+    
+    private void flush() {
+        if (record && out != null) {
+            out.flush();
+        }
+    }
 
 
     public void setMessageOutputLevel(int level) {
@@ -205,6 +216,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
 
 
     public void setOutputPrintStream(PrintStream output) {
+        closeFile();
         out = output;
     }
 
@@ -215,7 +227,7 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
 
 
     public void setErrorPrintStream(PrintStream err) {
-        out = err;
+        setOutputPrintStream(err);
     }
 
 
@@ -254,12 +266,57 @@ public class RecorderEntry implements BuildLogger, SubBuildListener {
      * @since 1.6.2
      */
     public void cleanup() {
-        out.flush();
-        out.close();
+        closeFile();
         if (project != null) {
             project.removeBuildListener(this);
         }
         project = null;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Initially opens the file associated with this recorder.
+     * Used by Recorder.
+     * @param append Indicates if output must be appended to the logfile or that
+     * the logfile should be overwritten.
+     * @throws BuildException
+     * @since 1.6.3
+     */
+    void openFile(boolean append) throws BuildException {
+        openFileImpl(append);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Closes the file associated with this recorder.
+     * Used by Recorder.
+     * @since 1.6.3
+     */
+    void closeFile() {
+        if (out != null) {
+            out.close();
+            out = null;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Re-opens the file associated with this recorder.
+     * Used by Recorder.
+     * @throws BuildException
+     * @since 1.6.3
+     */
+    void reopenFile() throws BuildException {
+        openFileImpl(true);
+    }
+
+    private void openFileImpl(boolean append) throws BuildException {
+        if (out == null) {
+            try {
+                out = new PrintStream(new FileOutputStream(filename, append));
+            } catch (IOException ioe) {
+                throw new BuildException("Problems opening file using a " +
+                        "recorder entry", ioe);
+            }
+        }        
+    }
+
 }