diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJava.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJava.java
index 9034778d2..b7cdab370 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJava.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJava.java
@@ -111,8 +111,12 @@ public class CommandlineJava implements Cloneable {
 
         public void setSystem() throws BuildException {
             try {
-                Properties p = new Properties(sys = System.getProperties());
-        
+                sys = System.getProperties();
+                Properties p = new Properties();
+                for (Enumeration e = sys.keys(); e.hasMoreElements(); ) {
+                    Object o = e.nextElement();
+                    p.put(o, sys.get(o));
+                }
                 for (Enumeration e = variables.elements(); e.hasMoreElements(); ) {
                     Environment.Variable v = (Environment.Variable) e.nextElement();
                     p.put(v.getKey(), v.getValue());
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJavaTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJavaTest.java
index 2cd7d7e77..9eda7fd76 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJavaTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/types/CommandlineJavaTest.java
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ public class CommandlineJavaTest extends TestCase {
             assertEquals(currentClasspath, newClasspath);
             assertNotNull(System.getProperty("key"));
             assertEquals("value", System.getProperty("key"));
+            assertTrue(System.getProperties().containsKey("java.class.path"));
         } finally {
             c.restoreSystemProperties();
         }