diff -wur apache-ant-1.6.5/docs/manual/CoreTasks/rmic.html apache-ant-1.6.5-submit/docs/manual/CoreTasks/rmic.html
--- apache-ant-1.6.5/docs/manual/CoreTasks/rmic.html	2005-06-02 15:19:46.000000000 -0500
+++ apache-ant-1.6.5-submit/docs/manual/CoreTasks/rmic.html	2005-08-17 13:35:59.005414800 -0500
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@
     <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
+    <td valign="top">includesBase</td>
+    <td valign="top">the parent location to search from when using includes, excludes, etc.
+      Defaults to the value of the <code>base</code> property.</td>
+    <td valign="top" align="center">No</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
     <td valign="top">includes</td>
     <td valign="top">comma- or space-separated list of patterns of files that must be
       included. All files are included when omitted.</td>
diff -wur apache-ant-1.6.5/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Rmic.java apache-ant-1.6.5-submit/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Rmic.java
--- apache-ant-1.6.5/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Rmic.java	2005-06-02 15:19:58.000000000 -0500
+++ apache-ant-1.6.5-submit/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Rmic.java	2005-08-17 13:27:36.442743000 -0500
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@
         = "Rmic failed; see the compiler error output for details.";
 
     private File baseDir;
+    private File includesBaseDir;
     private String classname;
     private File sourceBase;
     private String stubVersion;
@@ -137,6 +138,23 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Sets the location to search for class files to <code>rmic</code> against;
+     * optional
+     * @param includesBase the location to search for class files for rmic to create code for
+     */
+    public void setIncludesBase(File includesBase) {
+        this.includesBaseDir = includesBase;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the location to search for class files to <code>rmic</code> against.
+     * @return the location to search for class files for rmic to create code for
+     */
+    public File getIncludesBase() {
+        return this.includesBaseDir;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Sets the class to run <code>rmic</code> against;
      * optional
      * @param classname the name of the class for rmic to create code for
@@ -507,7 +525,12 @@
             // scan base dirs to build up compile lists only if a
             // specific classname is not given
             if (classname == null) {
-                DirectoryScanner ds = this.getDirectoryScanner(baseDir);
+                File scanBase = getIncludesBase();
+                if (scanBase == null) {
+                    scanBase = getBase();
+                 }
+
+                DirectoryScanner ds = this.getDirectoryScanner(scanBase);
                 String[] files = ds.getIncludedFiles();
                 scanDir(baseDir, files, adapter.getMapper());
             } else {
diff -wur apache-ant-1.6.5/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java apache-ant-1.6.5-submit/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java
--- apache-ant-1.6.5/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java	2005-06-02 15:20:06.000000000 -0500
+++ apache-ant-1.6.5-submit/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/rmic/DefaultRmicAdapter.java	2005-08-17 13:30:15.694912200 -0500
@@ -96,6 +96,14 @@
      */
     protected Path getCompileClasspath() {
         Path classpath = new Path(attributes.getProject());
+
+        if (attributes.getIncludesBase() != null) {
+            // having searched for class files here, also add the
+            // location to the classpath so the internals of rmic
+            // can "find the classes" from the files.
+            classpath.setLocation(attributes.getIncludesBase());
+        }
+
         // add dest dir to classpath so that previously compiled and
         // untouched classes are on classpath
         classpath.setLocation(attributes.getBase());