diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index eded0c2bf..af87578c3 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ Other changes:
    it is more portable.  For backwards compatibility reasons "warn"
    will still create "gnu" extensions rather than "posix" extensions.
 
+ * The ProjectHelper class now exposes a method to be used by third party
+   implementations to properly resolve the binding between target extensions
+   and extension points.
+   Bugzilla Report 53549.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.8.3 TO Ant 1.8.4
 ===================================
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java
index 7b61160ba..b600de483 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ProjectHelper.java
@@ -606,4 +606,51 @@ public class ProjectHelper {
     public String getDefaultBuildFile() {
         return Main.DEFAULT_BUILD_FILENAME;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Check extensionStack and inject all targets having extensionOf attributes
+     * into extensionPoint.
+     * <p>
+     * This method allow you to defer injection and have a powerful control of
+     * extensionPoint wiring.
+     * </p>
+     * <p>
+     * This should be invoked by each concrete implementation of ProjectHelper
+     * when the root "buildfile" and all imported/included buildfile are loaded.
+     * </p>
+     * 
+     * @param project The project containing the target. Must not be
+     *            <code>null</code>.
+     * @exception BuildException if OnMissingExtensionPoint.FAIL and
+     *                extensionPoint does not exist
+     * @see OnMissingExtensionPoint
+     * @since 1.9
+     */
+    public void resolveExtensionOfAttributes(Project project)
+            throws BuildException {
+        for (String[] extensionInfo : getExtensionStack()) {
+            String tgName = extensionInfo[0];
+            String name = extensionInfo[1];
+            OnMissingExtensionPoint missingBehaviour = OnMissingExtensionPoint.valueOf(extensionInfo[2]);
+            Hashtable projectTargets = project.getTargets();
+            if (!projectTargets.containsKey(tgName)) {
+                String message = "can't add target " + name
+                        + " to extension-point " + tgName
+                        + " because the extension-point is unknown.";
+                if (missingBehaviour == OnMissingExtensionPoint.FAIL) {
+                    throw new BuildException(message);
+                } else if (missingBehaviour == OnMissingExtensionPoint.WARN) {
+                    Target target = (Target) projectTargets.get(name);
+                    project.log(target, "Warning: " + message, Project.MSG_WARN);
+                }
+            } else {
+                Target t = (Target) projectTargets.get(tgName);
+                if (!(t instanceof ExtensionPoint)) {
+                    throw new BuildException("referenced target " + tgName
+                            + " is not an extension-point");
+                }
+                t.addDependency(name);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java
index 24d74df19..b6dd419f7 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java
@@ -180,34 +180,7 @@ public class ProjectHelper2 extends ProjectHelper {
             context.getImplicitTarget().execute();
 
             // resolve extensionOf attributes
-            for (String[] extensionInfo : getExtensionStack()) {
-                String tgName = extensionInfo[0];
-                String name = extensionInfo[1];
-                OnMissingExtensionPoint missingBehaviour = OnMissingExtensionPoint
-                        .valueOf(extensionInfo[2]);
-                Hashtable projectTargets = project.getTargets();
-                if (!projectTargets.containsKey(tgName)) {
-                    String message = "can't add target " + name
-                        + " to extension-point " + tgName
-                        + " because the extension-point is unknown.";
-                    if (missingBehaviour == OnMissingExtensionPoint.FAIL) {
-                        throw new BuildException(message);
-                    } else if (missingBehaviour == OnMissingExtensionPoint.WARN) {
-                        Target target = (Target) projectTargets.get(name);
-                        context.getProject().log(target,
-                                                 "Warning: " + message,
-                                                 Project.MSG_WARN);
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    Target t = (Target) projectTargets.get(tgName);
-                    if (!(t instanceof ExtensionPoint)) {
-                        throw new BuildException("referenced target "
-                                                 + tgName
-                                                 + " is not an extension-point");
-                    }
-                    t.addDependency(name);
-                }
-            }
+            resolveExtensionOfAttributes(project);
         }
     }