diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 3dbdba6e4..c8ded0296 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ Other changes:
    Bugzilla Report 48755.
    
  * Add removeKeepExtension option to NetRexxC task.
-   Bugzilla Report 48788.  
+   Bugzilla Report 48788.
+
+ * Add prefix attribute to loadproperties task.
 
 Changes from Ant 1.8.0RC1 TO Ant 1.8.0
 ======================================
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/loadproperties.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/loadproperties.html
index 0f253c25c..11d68c5cd 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/loadproperties.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/loadproperties.html
@@ -72,6 +72,12 @@ filter.</p>
       to a <code>&lt;path&gt;</code> defined elsewhere..</td>
     <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
   </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td valign="top">prefix</td>
+    <td valign="top">Prefix to apply to loaded properties;
+      a "." is appended to the prefix if not specified. <em>Since Ant 1.8.1</em></td>
+    <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
+  </tr>
 </table>
 
 <h3>Parameters specified as nested elements</h3>
@@ -124,4 +130,3 @@ on the fly and load the contents as Ant properties.
 
 </body>
 </html>
-
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadProperties.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadProperties.java
index 964d1db69..4357c42dc 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadProperties.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/LoadProperties.java
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ public class LoadProperties extends Task {
      * Encoding to use for input; defaults to the platform's default encoding.
      */
     private String encoding = null;
+    
+    /**
+     * Prefix for loaded properties.
+     */
+    private String prefix = null;
 
     /**
      * Set the file to load.
@@ -127,6 +132,14 @@ public class LoadProperties extends Task {
         return getRequiredJavaResource().getClasspath();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the prefix to load these properties under.
+     * @param prefix to set
+     */
+    public void setPrefix(String prefix) {
+        this.prefix = prefix;
+    }
+
     /**
      * load Ant properties from the source file or resource
      *
@@ -174,6 +187,7 @@ public class LoadProperties extends Task {
 
                 Property propertyTask = new Property();
                 propertyTask.bindToOwner(this);
+                propertyTask.setPrefix(prefix);
                 propertyTask.addProperties(props);
             }
         } catch (final IOException ioe) {
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadproperties-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadproperties-test.xml
index fbb1c0e9e..15ae9a0e2 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadproperties-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/loadproperties-test.xml
@@ -97,6 +97,50 @@ http.@SERVER@ = ${server}
       value="http://${server1.http.server}:${server1.http.port}"/>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="testLineCommentsWithoutFiltering">
+    <loadproperties>
+      <string value="#foo=bar" />
+    </loadproperties>
+    <au:assertFalse>
+      <isset property="foo" />
+    </au:assertFalse>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="testPrefixAttributeProperties">
+    <loadproperties prefix="prefixFromAttribute.">
+      <string>foo=foo
+bar=bar
+baz=${foo} ${bar}
+      </string>
+    </loadproperties>
+    <au:assertTrue>
+      <and>
+        <equals arg1="foo" arg2="${prefixFromAttribute.foo}" />
+        <equals arg1="bar" arg2="${prefixFromAttribute.bar}" />
+        <equals arg1="foo bar" arg2="${prefixFromAttribute.baz}" />
+      </and>
+    </au:assertTrue>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="testSelfContainedPrefixFilterFailure"
+          description="Show why the prefix attribute is needed">
+    <loadproperties>
+      <string>foo=foo
+bar=bar
+baz=${foo} ${bar}
+      </string>
+      <filterchain>
+        <prefixlines prefix="prefixFromFilter." />
+      </filterchain>
+    </loadproperties>
+    <au:assertTrue>
+      <and>
+        <equals arg1="$${foo} $${bar}" arg2="${prefixFromFilter.baz}" />
+        <isset property="prefixFromFilter." />
+      </and>
+    </au:assertTrue>
+  </target>
+
   <target name="write properties.tmp" depends="setUp">
     <echo file="${properties.tmp}">
 #tpfr.a=a