diff --git a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/net/ftp.xml b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/net/ftp.xml
index c00cb8ef8..919aaf3ef 100644
--- a/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/net/ftp.xml
+++ b/src/etc/testcases/taskdefs/optional/net/ftp.xml
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
     <fileset dir="${tmp.get.dir}" id="fileset-destination-without-selector">
         <include name="alpha/**"/>
     </fileset>
+    <fileset dir="${tmp.get.dir}" id="fileset-destination-followsymlinks" followsymlinks="true">
+        <include name="alpha/**"/>
+    </fileset>
+    <fileset dir="${tmp.get.dir}" id="fileset-destination-nofollowsymlinks" followsymlinks="false">
+        <include name="alpha/**"/>
+    </fileset>
     <target name="setup">
         <mkdir dir="${tmp.get.dir}"/>
         <mkdir dir="${tmp.dir}/alpha/beta/gamma"/>
@@ -47,6 +53,26 @@
         <symlink link="${tmp.dir}/alpha/beta" resource="${tmp.dir}/epsilon"/>
         <touch file="${tmp.dir}/alpha/beta/gamma/gamma.xml"/>
     </target>
+    <target name="ftp-get-directory-symbolic-link" depends="symlink-setup">
+        <ftp action="get"
+            server="${ftp.host}"
+            userid="${ftp.user}"
+            password="${ftp.password}"
+            remotedir="${tmp.dir}"
+            >
+            <fileset refid="fileset-destination-followsymlinks"/>
+        </ftp>
+    </target>
+    <target name="ftp-get-directory-no-symbolic-link" depends="symlink-setup">
+        <ftp action="get"
+            server="${ftp.host}"
+            userid="${ftp.user}"
+            password="${ftp.password}"
+            remotedir="${tmp.dir}"
+            >
+            <fileset refid="fileset-destination-nofollowsymlinks"/>
+        </ftp>
+    </target>
     <target name="symlink-file-setup" depends="setup">
         <delete file="${tmp.dir}/alpha/beta/gamma/gamma.xml"/>
         <symlink link="${tmp.dir}/alpha/beta/gamma/gamma.xml"
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
index 6b5ebdfb8..019a98d8d 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@ public class FTP
                     ftp.changeToParentDirectory();
                     return;
                 }
-
                 for (int i = 0; i < newfiles.length; i++) {
                     FTPFile file = newfiles[i];
                     if (!file.getName().equals(".")
@@ -662,7 +661,7 @@ public class FTP
      */
     protected int transferFiles(FTPClient ftp, FileSet fs)
          throws IOException, BuildException {
-        FileScanner ds;
+        DirectoryScanner ds;
 
         if (action == SEND_FILES) {
             ds = fs.getDirectoryScanner(getProject());
@@ -674,6 +673,7 @@ public class FTP
             }
             ds = new FTPDirectoryScanner(ftp);
             fs.setupDirectoryScanner(ds, getProject());
+            ds.setFollowSymlinks(fs.isFollowSymlinks());
             ds.scan();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java
index fecc37e5e..898a3a72c 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/AbstractFileSet.java
@@ -329,6 +329,21 @@ public abstract class AbstractFileSet extends DataType implements Cloneable,
         this.followSymlinks = followSymlinks;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * find out if the fileset wants to follow symbolic links
+     *
+     * @return  flag indicating whether or not symbolic links should be followed
+     *
+     * @since ant 1.6
+     */
+    public boolean isFollowSymlinks() {
+        if (isReference()) {
+            return getRef(getProject()).isFollowSymlinks();
+        } else {
+            return followSymlinks;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * sets the name used for this datatype instance.
      */
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTest.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTest.java
index 2c09df713..8d4f78aa2 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTest.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTest.java
@@ -226,6 +226,40 @@ public class FTPTest extends BuildFileTest{
         dsSource.scan();
         compareFiles(dsSource, sortedDestinationFiles, sortedDestinationDirectories);
     }
+    public void testGetFollowSymlinksTrue() {
+        if (!supportsSymlinks) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!loginSuceeded) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!changeRemoteDir(remoteTmpDir)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        getProject().executeTarget("ftp-get-directory-symbolic-link");
+        FileSet fsDestination = (FileSet) getProject().getReference("fileset-destination-without-selector");
+        DirectoryScanner dsDestination = fsDestination.getDirectoryScanner(getProject());
+        dsDestination.scan();
+        compareFiles(dsDestination, new String[] {"alpha/beta/gamma/gamma.xml"},
+            new String[] {"alpha", "alpha/beta", "alpha/beta/gamma"});
+    }
+    public void testGetFollowSymlinksFalse() {
+        if (!supportsSymlinks) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!loginSuceeded) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!changeRemoteDir(remoteTmpDir)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        getProject().executeTarget("ftp-get-directory-no-symbolic-link");
+        FileSet fsDestination = (FileSet) getProject().getReference("fileset-destination-without-selector");
+        DirectoryScanner dsDestination = fsDestination.getDirectoryScanner(getProject());
+        dsDestination.scan();
+        compareFiles(dsDestination, new String[] {},
+            new String[] {});
+    }
     public void testAllowSymlinks() {
         if (!supportsSymlinks) {
             return;