diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java
index 3d13d0fe6..0df6d21c0 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Delete.java
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ public class Delete extends MatchingTask {
         else {
           project.log("Deleting: " + f.getAbsolutePath());
           f.delete();
+	  if (f.exists()) {
+	      throw new BuildException("Unable to delete file " + f.getAbsolutePath());
+          }
         }
       }
     }
@@ -146,6 +149,9 @@ public class Delete extends MatchingTask {
         if (f.exists()) {
           project.log("Deleting: " + f.getAbsolutePath(), verbosity);
           f.delete();
+	  if (f.exists()) {
+	      throw new BuildException("Unable to delete " + f.getAbsolutePath());
+          }
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java
index 03cb33f67..59f00ce25 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Deltree.java
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ public class Deltree extends Task {
 	if (dir.exists()) {
 	    if (!dir.isDirectory()) {
 		dir.delete();
+		if (dir.exists()) {
+        	    throw new BuildException("Unable to delete file " + dir.getAbsolutePath());
+	        }
 		return;
 		// String msg = "Given dir: " + dir.getAbsolutePath() +
 		// " is not a dir";
@@ -108,10 +111,15 @@ public class Deltree extends Task {
 		removeDir(f);
 	    } else {
 		f.delete();
+		if (f.exists()) {
+        	    throw new BuildException("Unable to delete file " + f.getAbsolutePath());
+	        }
 	    }
 	}
-	    //        }
         dir.delete();
+	if (dir.exists()) {
+	    throw new BuildException("Unable to delete directory " + dir.getAbsolutePath());
+	}
     }
 }