diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 6b7580d54..2ea890d1a 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ Other changes:
 * Added a comment attribute to the zip task.
   Bugzilla report 22793.
 
+* Made the dest attribute of the apply task optional; mapped target
+  filenames will be interpreted as absolute pathnames when dest is omitted.
+
 Fixed bugs:
 -----------
 
diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/exec/apply.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/exec/apply.xml
index 0d5540ed6..019a57ce5 100755
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/exec/apply.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/exec/apply.xml
@@ -406,6 +406,28 @@
         </fail>
     </target>
 
+    <target name="testNoDest" depends="init,xyz" if="echo.can.run">
+      <presetdef name="ekko">
+        <apply executable="echo" addsourcefile="false" force="true">
+          <filelist dir="${basedir}" files="x" />
+          <globmapper from="*" to="${basedir}/*" />
+          <targetfile />
+        </apply>
+      </presetdef>
+      <ekko outputproperty="dest" dest="${basedir}" />
+      <ekko outputproperty="nodest" />
+      <fail>
+        <condition>
+          <or>
+            <available file="${dest}" />
+            <not>
+              <available file="${nodest}" />
+            </not>
+          </or>
+        </condition>
+      </fail>
+    </target>
+
     <target name="cleanup">
         <delete>
             <fileset refid="xyz" />
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOn.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOn.java
index a15fbf41b..0444079da 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOn.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOn.java
@@ -277,16 +277,15 @@ public class ExecuteOn extends ExecTask {
             throw new BuildException("no filesets and no filelists specified",
                                      getLocation());
         }
-        if (targetFilePos != null || mapperElement != null
-            || destDir != null) {
-
-            if (mapperElement == null) {
-                throw new BuildException("no mapper specified", getLocation());
-            }
-            if (destDir == null) {
-                throw new BuildException("no dest attribute specified",
-                                         getLocation());
-            }
+        if (targetFilePos != null && mapperElement == null) {
+            throw new BuildException("targetfile specified without mapper",
+                                     getLocation());
+        }
+        if (destDir != null && mapperElement == null) {
+            throw new BuildException("dest specified without mapper",
+                                     getLocation());
+        }
+        if (mapperElement != null) {
             mapper = mapperElement.getImplementation();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOnTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOnTest.java
index 8939bdfa2..ae7dcd9ba 100755
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOnTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteOnTest.java
@@ -558,6 +558,10 @@ public class ExecuteOnTest extends BuildFileTest {
         executeTarget("force");
     }
 
+    public void testNoDest() {
+        executeTarget("testNoDest");
+    }
+
     //borrowed from TokenFilterTest
     private String getFileString(String filename) throws IOException {
         String result = null;