diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index 8dd13ffd6..c04ef17f2 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -6205,7 +6205,11 @@ output.
   <li>All attributes of all child elements get set via their corresponding
     <code>setXXX</code> methods - at runtime.</li>
 
-  <li><code>execute()</code> is called at runtime.</li>
+  <li><code>execute()</code> is called at runtime. While the above initialization 
+    steps only occur once, the execute() method may be 
+    called more than once, if the task is invoked more than once. For example, 
+    if target1 and target2 both depend on target3, then running 
+    "ant target1 target2" will run all tasks in target3 twice.</li>
 
 </ol>
 <h3>Example</h3>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java
index 6ea82ac7e..563eb863e 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java
@@ -168,18 +168,21 @@ public abstract class Task {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Called by the project to let the task initialize properly. Normally it does nothing.
+     * Called by the project to let the task initialize properly. 
      *
      * @throws BuildException if someting goes wrong with the build
      */
     public void init() throws BuildException {}
 
     /**
-     * Called by the project to let the task do it's work. Normally it does nothing.
+     * Called by the project to let the task do it's work. This method may be 
+     * called more than once, if the task is invoked more than once. For example, 
+     * if target1 and target2 both depend on target3, then running 
+     * "ant target1 target2" will run all tasks in target3 twice.
      *
      * @throws BuildException if someting goes wrong with the build
      */
-    public void execute() throws BuildException {};
+    public void execute() throws BuildException {}
 
     /**
      * Returns the file location where this task was defined.