diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 199b3b8f5..84723899d 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -6,47 +6,50 @@
 
 <project name="Ant" default="main" basedir=".">
 
-  <target name="init">
-    <property name="Name" value="Ant"/>
-    <property name="name" value="ant"/>
-    <property name="version" value="1.0-rc1"/>
-
-    <property name="ant.home" value="."/>
-    <property name="bin.dir" value="bin"/>
-    <property name="src.bin.dir" value="src/bin"/>
-    <property name="src.dir" value="${basedir}/src/main"/>
-    <property name="lib.dir" value="lib"/>
-    <property name="docs.dir" value="docs"/>
-    <property name="build.dir" value="build"/>
-    <property name="build.classes" value="build/classes"/>
-    <property name="build.javadocs" value="build/javadocs"/>
-    <property name="ant.dist.dir" value="dist"/>
-
-    <property name="classpath" value="lib/xml.jar"/>
-    <property name="packages" value="org.apache.tools.*"/>
-    <property name="manifest" value="src/etc/manifest"/>
-
-    <property name="build.compiler" value="classic"/>
+  <property name="Name" value="Ant"/>
+  <property name="name" value="ant"/>
+  <property name="version" value="1.0-rc1"/>
 
+  <property name="ant.home" value="."/>
+  <property name="bin.dir" value="bin"/>
+  <property name="src.bin.dir" value="src/bin"/>
+  <property name="src.dir" value="${basedir}/src/main"/>
+  <property name="lib.dir" value="lib"/>
+  <property name="docs.dir" value="docs"/>
+  <property name="build.dir" value="build"/>
+  <property name="build.classes" value="build/classes"/>
+  <property name="build.javadocs" value="build/javadocs"/>
+  <property name="ant.dist.dir" value="dist"/>
+
+  <property name="classpath" value="lib/xml.jar"/>
+  <property name="packages" value="org.apache.tools.*"/>
+  <property name="manifest" value="src/etc/manifest"/>
+
+  <property name="build.compiler" value="classic"/>
+
+  <!-- Give user a chance to override without editing this file 
+       (and without typing -D each time it compiles it -->
+  <property file="${user.home}/.ant.properties" />
+
+  <!-- =================================================================== -->
+  <!-- Check to see what optional dependencies are available               -->
+  <!-- =================================================================== -->
+  <target name="check_for_optional_packages">
     <available property="bsf.present" classname="com.ibm.bsf.BSFManager" />
     <available property="netrexx.present" classname="netrexx.lang.Rexx" />
-
-    <!-- Give user a chance to override without editing this file 
-         (and without typing -D each time it compiles it -->
-    <property file="${user.home}/.ant.properties" />
   </target>
 
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
   <!-- Prepares the build directory                                        -->
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
-  <target name="prepare" depends="init">
+  <target name="prepare">
     <mkdir dir="${build.dir}"/>
   </target>
 
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
   <!-- Compiles the source code                                            -->
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
-  <target name="compile" depends="prepare">
+  <target name="compile" depends="prepare,check_for_optional_packages">
     <mkdir dir="${build.classes}"/>
     <javac srcdir="${src.dir}"
            destdir="${build.classes}"
@@ -143,7 +146,7 @@
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
   <!-- Cleans up generated stuff                                           -->
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
-  <target name="clean" depends="init">
+  <target name="clean">
     <deltree dir="${build.dir}"/>
     <deltree dir="${ant.dist.dir}"/>
   </target>
@@ -161,7 +164,7 @@
 
   <!-- in progress ! (may not work) -->
 
-  <target name="get.snapshot" depends="init">
+  <target name="get.snapshot">
     <get src="http://jakarta.apache.org/build/tmp/ant/ant.src.zip" dest="ant-src.zip" />
     <expand src="ant-src.zip" dest="." />
   </target>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java
index 7e5a9fa7e..9d7949bca 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ import java.lang.reflect.*;
 import java.util.*;
 import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
 import org.w3c.dom.*;
+import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.*;
 
 /**
  * Configures a Project (complete with Targets and Tasks) based on
@@ -129,15 +130,33 @@ public class ProjectHelper {
 
         //      configureTaskDefs(project, root);
 
-        // set up the targets into the project
-        configureTargets(project, root);
+        // set up the taskdefs, properties, and targets into the project
+        configureProject(project, root);
     }
 
-    private static void configureTargets(Project project, Element root)
+    private static void configureProject(Project project, Element root)
         throws BuildException
     {
+        // configure taskdefs
+        NodeList list = root.getElementsByTagName("taskdef");
+        for (int i = 0; i < list.getLength(); i++) {
+            Taskdef taskdef = new Taskdef();
+            configure(project, taskdef, (Element)list.item(i));
+            taskdef.setProject(project);
+            taskdef.init();
+        }
+
+        // configure properties
+        list = root.getElementsByTagName("property");
+        for (int i = 0; i < list.getLength(); i++) {
+            Property property = new Property();
+            configure(project, property, (Element)list.item(i));
+            property.setProject(project);
+            property.init();
+        }
+
         // configure targets
-        NodeList list = root.getElementsByTagName("target");
+        list = root.getElementsByTagName("target");
         for (int i = 0; i < list.getLength(); i++) {
             Element element = (Element)list.item(i);
             String targetName = element.getAttribute("name");
@@ -199,8 +218,7 @@ public class ProjectHelper {
                 // get the attributes of this element and reflect them
                 // into the task
 
-                NamedNodeMap nodeMap = element.getAttributes();
-                configure(project, task, nodeMap);
+                configure(project, task, element);
                 task.init();
                 task.setTarget(target);
                 target.addTask(task);
@@ -253,8 +271,7 @@ public class ProjectHelper {
                         targetClass.getMethod(methodName, new Class[]{});
                     Object child = addProp.invoke(target, new Object[] {});
 
-                    NamedNodeMap nodeMap = element.getAttributes();
-                    configure(project, child, nodeMap);
+                    configure(project, child, element);
 
                     processNestedProperties(project, child, element);
                 } catch (NoSuchMethodException nsme) {
@@ -272,9 +289,11 @@ public class ProjectHelper {
 
     private static void configure(Project project,
                                   Object target,
-                                  NamedNodeMap nodeMap)
+                                  Element element)
         throws BuildException
     {
+        NamedNodeMap nodeMap = element.getAttributes();
+
         if( target instanceof TaskAdapter )
             target=((TaskAdapter)target).getProxy();