diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 6622d420a..d29f3ccc4 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ Fixed bugs:
 * The ExpandProperties filter threw NPEs when defined using
   the <filterreader> format.
 
+* If a task got redefined via <taskdef>, it lost its child elements.
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/RuntimeConfigurable.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/RuntimeConfigurable.java
index a0a05ce14..20a2a062d 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/RuntimeConfigurable.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/RuntimeConfigurable.java
@@ -148,6 +148,15 @@ public class RuntimeConfigurable {
         return (RuntimeConfigurable) children.elementAt(index);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an enumeration of all child wrappers.
+     *
+     * @since Ant 1.6
+     */
+    Enumeration getChildren() {
+        return children.elements();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Adds characters from #PCDATA areas to the wrapped element.
      *
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java
index 2f2ea1121..16e131478 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Task.java
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 
 package org.apache.tools.ant;
 
+import java.util.Enumeration;
+
 /**
  * Base class for all tasks.
  *
@@ -372,9 +374,31 @@ public abstract class Task extends ProjectComponent {
             replacement.setOwningTarget(target);
             replacement.setRuntimeConfigurableWrapper(wrapper);
             wrapper.setProxy(replacement);
+            replaceChildren(wrapper, replacement);
             target.replaceChild(this, replacement);
             replacement.maybeConfigure();
         }
         return replacement;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Recursively adds an UnknownElement instances for each child
+     * element of replacement.
+     *
+     * @since Ant 1.6
+     */
+    private void replaceChildren(RuntimeConfigurable wrapper,
+                                 UnknownElement parentElement) {
+        Enumeration enum = wrapper.getChildren();
+        while (enum.hasMoreElements()) {
+            RuntimeConfigurable childWrapper =
+                (RuntimeConfigurable) enum.nextElement();
+            UnknownElement childElement = 
+                new UnknownElement(childWrapper.getElementTag());
+            parentElement.addChild(childElement);
+            childElement.setRuntimeConfigurableWrapper(childWrapper);
+            childWrapper.setProxy(childElement);
+            replaceChildren(childWrapper, childElement);
+        }
+    }
 }