diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
index c59d60e3d..538920670 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Execute.java
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.util.FileUtils;
  */
 public class Execute {
 
-    /** Invalid exit code. **/
+    /** Invalid exit code. 
+     * set to {@link Integer#MAX_VALUE}
+     */
     public static final int INVALID = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 
     private static final FileUtils FILE_UTILS = FileUtils.getFileUtils();
@@ -586,6 +588,16 @@ public class Execute {
             ? (exitValue % 2 == 0) : (exitValue != 0);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Did this execute return in a failure.
+     * @see #isFailure(int) 
+     * @return true if and only if the exit code is interpreted as a failure
+     * @since Ant1.7
+     */
+    public boolean isFailure() {
+        return isFailure(getExitValue());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test for an untimely death of the process.
      * @return true if a watchdog had to kill the process.
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/ForkingSunRmic.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/ForkingSunRmic.java
index ddfebdecd..b1e0cd23e 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/ForkingSunRmic.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/ForkingSunRmic.java
@@ -65,9 +65,8 @@ public class ForkingSunRmic extends DefaultRmicAdapter {
             exe.setAntRun(project);
             exe.setWorkingDirectory(project.getBaseDir());
             exe.setCommandline(args);
-
             exe.execute();
-            return exe.getExitValue() == 0;
+            return !exe.isFailure();
         } catch (IOException exception) {
             throw new BuildException("Error running " + SunRmic.RMIC_EXECUTABLE
                     + " -maybe it is not on the path", exception);
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdogTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdogTest.java
index 7c35a912b..d9ec9e492 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdogTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ExecuteWatchdogTest.java
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ import java.io.*;
  */
 public class ExecuteWatchdogTest extends TestCase {
 
-    private final static int TIME_OUT = 5000;
+    private final static long TIME_OUT = 5000;
 
     private final static String TEST_CLASSPATH = getTestClassPath();
 
     private final static int CLOCK_ERROR=200;
-    private final static int TIME_OUT_TEST=TIME_OUT-CLOCK_ERROR;
+    private final static long TIME_OUT_TEST=TIME_OUT-CLOCK_ERROR;
 
     private ExecuteWatchdog watchdog;
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class ExecuteWatchdogTest extends TestCase {
         return classpath;
     }
 
-    private Process getProcess(int timetorun) throws Exception {
+    private Process getProcess(long timetorun) throws Exception {
         String[] cmdArray = {
             JavaEnvUtils.getJreExecutable("java"), "-classpath", TEST_CLASSPATH,
             TimeProcess.class.getName(), String.valueOf(timetorun)
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class ExecuteWatchdogTest extends TestCase {
         watchdog.start(process);
         int retCode = waitForEnd(process);
         assertTrue("process should not have been killed", !watchdog.killedProcess());
-        assertEquals(0, retCode);
+        assertFalse(Execute.isFailure(retCode));
     }
 
     // test that the watchdog ends the process