diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index b56993bb7..11a2bbbcf 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ Changes that could break older environments:
   it comes to bootclasspath handling), then the bootclasspath of the
   VM running Ant will be added to the bootclasspath you've specified.
 
+* The Reference class now has a project field that will get
+  used (if set) in preference to the passed in project, when
+  dereferencing the reference.
+  Bugzilla Report 25777.
+
 Fixed bugs:
 -----------
 
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml
index dc570ab5b..3531d3f32 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant.xml
@@ -82,6 +82,20 @@
     </ant>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="testInheritPath" description="try to pass a reference to a path, which refers itself to a second path">
+    <property name="rootdir" location="."/>
+    <path id="project.classpath">
+      <pathelement location="../classes"/>
+    </path>
+    <path id="test.classpath">
+      <pathelement location="${rootdir}/test/testframework.jar"/>
+      <path refid="project.classpath"/>
+    </path>
+    <ant antfile="ant/references.xml"  target="testInheritPath">
+      <reference refid="test.classpath"/>
+    </ant>
+  </target>
+
   <target name="testLogfilePlacement">
     <ant antfile="ant.xml" target="dummy" output="test1.log"
          inheritall="false" />
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant/references.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant/references.xml
index 937a0e590..f053c9807 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant/references.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/ant/references.xml
@@ -7,4 +7,10 @@
   </target>
 
   <target name="dummy" />
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+
+  <target name="testInheritPath">
+    <pathconvert refid="test.classpath" pathsep="${line.separator}" property="myprop"/>
+    <echo>${myprop}</echo>
+  </target>
+
+</project>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Reference.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Reference.java
index 93714b8f9..e34bff9f4 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Reference.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/Reference.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright  2000-2002,2004 The Apache Software Foundation
+ * Copyright  2000-2002,2004-2005 The Apache Software Foundation
  *
  *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -27,15 +27,31 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.Project;
 public class Reference {
 
     private String refid;
+    private Project project;
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated Please use {@link Reference#Reference(Project,String)} instead.
+     */
     public Reference() {
-        super();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated Please use {@link Reference#Reference(Project,String)} instead.
+     */
     public Reference(String id) {
-        this();
         setRefId(id);
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Create a reference to a named ID in a particular project.
+     * @param p the project this reference is associated with
+     * @param id the name of this reference
+     * @since Ant 1.7
+     */
+    public Reference(Project p, String id) {
+        setRefId(id);
+        setProject(p);
+    }
 
     public void setRefId(String id) {
         refid = id;
@@ -44,16 +60,59 @@ public class Reference {
     public String getRefId() {
         return refid;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Set the associated project. Should not normally be necessary;
+     * use {@link Reference#Reference(Project,String)}.
+     * @param p the project to use
+     * @since Ant 1.7
+     */
+    public void setProject(Project p) {
+        this.project = p;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Get the associated project, if any; may be null.
+     * @return the associated project
+     * @since Ant 1.7
+     */
+    public Project getProject() {
+        return project;
+    }
 
-    public Object getReferencedObject(Project project) throws BuildException {
+    /**
+     * Resolve the reference, using the associated project if
+     * it set, otherwise use the passed in project.
+     * @param fallback the fallback project to use if the project attribute of
+     *                 reference is not set.
+     * @return the dereferenced object.
+     * @throws BuildException if the reference cannot be dereferenced.
+     */
+    public Object getReferencedObject(Project fallback) throws BuildException {
         if (refid == null) {
             throw new BuildException("No reference specified");
         }
 
-        Object o = project.getReference(refid);
+        
+        Object o = project == null ? fallback.getReference(refid) : project.getReference(refid);
         if (o == null) {
             throw new BuildException("Reference " + refid + " not found.");
         }
         return o;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Resolve the reference, looking in the associated project.
+     * @see Project#getReference
+     * @return the dereferenced object.
+     * @throws BuildException if the project is null or the reference cannot be dereferenced
+     * @since Ant 1.7
+     */
+    public Object getReferencedObject() throws BuildException {
+        if (project == null) {
+            throw new BuildException("No project set on reference to " + refid);
+        }
+        return getReferencedObject(project);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java
index 61c2eb625..d6e1e5c50 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AntTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright  2000-2004 The Apache Software Foundation
+ * Copyright  2000-2005 The Apache Software Foundation
  *
  *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -173,6 +173,10 @@ public class AntTest extends BuildFileTest {
                       new boolean[] {false, true}, p);
     }
 
+    public void testInheritPath() {
+        executeTarget("testInheritPath");
+    }
+
     protected void testReference(String target, String[] keys,
                                  boolean[] expect, Object value) {
         ReferenceChecker rc = new ReferenceChecker(keys, expect, value);