diff --git a/aclocal/ax_java.m4 b/aclocal/ax_java.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..301586c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aclocal/ax_java.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,277 @@
+dnl
+dnl The following commonly available Java macros converted to AX prefix 
+dnl in support of proper thrift/autoconf extension naming rules
+dnl
+
+divert(-1)
+
+autoconf M4 macros for Java programs
+Copyright Stephane Bortzmeyer <bortzmeyer@pasteur.fr>, 1999
+Released under the GPL licence
+
+A sample configure.in is at the end of this file. Each macro is
+documented by comments before its definition. Here is a summary:
+
+AX_PROG_JAVAC: finds a Java compiler
+AX_PROG_JAVA: finds a Java virtual machine
+AX_CHECK_CLASS: finds if we have the given class (beware of CLASSPATH!)
+AX_CHECK_RQRD_CLASS: finds if we have the given class and stops otherwise
+
+divert(0)
+
+
+divert(-1)
+AX_PROG_JAVAC tests an existing Java compiler. It uses the environment
+variable JAVAC then tests in sequence various common Java compilers. For
+political reasons, it starts with the free ones.
+If you want to force a specific compiler:
+ - at the configure.in level, set JAVAC=yourcompiler before calling 
+   AX_PROG_JAVAC
+ - at the configure level, setenv JAVAC
+You can use the JAVAC variable in your Makefile.in, with @JAVAC@.
+
+*Warning*: its success or failure can depend on a proper setting of the
+CLASSPATH env. variable.
+
+TODO: allow to exclude compilers (rationale: most Java programs cannot compile
+with some compilers like guavac).
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_PROG_JAVAC],[
+test -z "$JAVAC" && AC_CHECK_PROGS(JAVAC, "gcj -C" guavac jikes javac)
+test -z "$JAVAC" && AC_MSG_ERROR([no acceptable Java compiler found in \$PATH])
+AX_PROG_JAVAC_WORKS
+])
+
+
+divert(-1)
+AX_PROG_JAVA tests an existing Java virtual machine. It uses the 
+environment variable JAVA then tests in sequence various common Java 
+virtual machines. For political reasons, it starts with the free ones.
+You *must* call [AX_PROG_JAVAC] before.
+If you want to force a specific VM:
+ - at the configure.in level, set JAVA=yourvm before calling AX_PROG_JAVA
+ - at the configure level, setenv JAVA
+You can use the JAVA variable in your Makefile.in, with @JAVA@.
+
+*Warning*: its success or failure can depend on a proper setting of the
+CLASSPATH env. variable.
+
+TODO: allow to exclude virtual machines (rationale: most Java programs 
+cannot run with some VM like kaffe).
+
+TODO: allow to call this macro without [AX_PROG_JAVAC] before, using a
+class included uuencoded as an here document and uudecoded on the fly
+(check uudecode first) (rationale: a Java package can have no sources).
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_PROG_JAVA],[
+test -z "$JAVA" && AC_CHECK_PROGS(JAVA, kaffe java)
+test -z "$JAVA" && AC_MSG_ERROR([no acceptable Java virtual machine found in \$PATH])
+AX_PROG_JAVA_WORKS
+])
+
+
+divert(-1)
+AX_CHECK_CLASS tests the existence of a given Java class, either in
+a jar or in a '.class' file. 
+
+*Warning*: its success or failure can depend on a proper setting of the
+CLASSPATH env. variable.
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_CHECK_CLASS],[
+CLASS=$1
+echo -n "Testing if we have Java class $CLASS... "
+JAVA_TEST=Test.java
+CLASS=`echo $CLASS|sed 's/\./_/g'`
+cat << \EOF > $JAVA_TEST
+import $1;
+public class Test {
+}
+EOF
+if AC_TRY_COMMAND($JAVAC $JAVA_TEST) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  eval HAVE_$CLASS=yes
+  eval HAVE_LAST_CLASS=yes
+  echo "yes"
+else
+  eval HAVE_$CLASS=no
+  eval HAVE_LAST_CLASS=no
+  echo "no (check config.log, CLASSPATH may be wrong?)"
+fi
+rm -f $JAVA_TEST
+])
+
+
+divert(-1)
+AX_CHECK_RQRD_CLASS tests the existence of a given Java class, either in
+a jar or in a '.class' file and fails if it doesn't exist.
+
+*Warning*: its success or failure can depend on a proper setting of the
+CLASSPATH env. variable.
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_CHECK_RQRD_CLASS],[
+CLASS=`echo $1|sed 's/\./_/g'`
+AX_CHECK_CLASS($1)
+if test "$HAVE_LAST_CLASS" = "no"; then
+	AC_MSG_ERROR([Required class $1 missing, exiting.])
+fi
+])
+
+
+divert(-1)
+AX_CHECK_CLASSPATH just displays the CLASSPATH, for the edification
+of the user.
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_CHECK_CLASSPATH],[
+if test -z "$CLASSPATH"; then
+	echo "You have no CLASSPATH, I hope it is good"
+else
+	echo "You have CLASSPATH $CLASSPATH, hope it is correct"
+fi
+])
+
+
+divert(-1)
+Internal use
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_PROG_JAVA_WORKS],[
+echo -n "Testing if $JAVA works... "
+JAVA_TEST=Test.java
+CLASS_TEST=Test.class
+TEST=Test
+changequote(, )dnl
+cat << \EOF > $JAVA_TEST
+public class Test {
+	    public static void main (String args[]) {}
+}
+EOF
+changequote([, ])dnl
+if AC_TRY_COMMAND($JAVAC $JAVA_TEST) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  if AC_TRY_COMMAND($JAVA $TEST) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "yes"
+  else
+    echo "no"
+    AC_MSG_ERROR(The Java VM $JAVA failed (see config.log, check the CLASSPATH?))
+  fi
+else
+  AC_MSG_ERROR(The Java compiler $JAVAC failed (see config.log, check the CLASSPATH?))
+fi
+rm -f $JAVA_TEST $CLASS_TEST
+]
+)
+
+
+divert(-1)
+Internal use
+divert(0)
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_PROG_JAVAC_WORKS],[
+echo -n "Testing if $JAVAC works... "
+JAVA_TEST=Test.java
+CLASS_TEST=Test.class
+cat << \EOF > $JAVA_TEST
+public class Test {
+}
+EOF
+if AC_TRY_COMMAND($JAVAC $JAVA_TEST) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "yes"
+else
+  echo "no"
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([The Java compiler $JAVAC failed (see config.log, check the CLASSPATH?)])
+fi
+rm -f $JAVA_TEST $CLASS_TEST
+])
+
+
+
+
+divert(-1)
+TODO: add a AX_CHECK_JAVA_SOURCE where the user can give a complete
+Java source to compile or to compile and run.
+divert(0)
+
+
+
+divert(-1)
+dnl This is a sample configure.in
+dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
+dnl Drop the [] around the macro names
+
+[
+
+AC_INIT(UnTag.java)
+
+dnl Checks for programs.
+AX_CHECK_CLASSPATH
+AX_PROG_JAVAC
+AX_PROG_JAVA
+
+dnl Checks for classes
+AX_CHECK_RQRD_CLASS(org.xml.sax.Parser)
+AX_CHECK_RQRD_CLASS(com.jclark.xml.sax.Driver)
+
+AC_OUTPUT(Makefile)
+
+]
+
+divert(0)
+
+
+dnl @synopsis AX_CHECK_JUNIT
+dnl
+dnl AX_CHECK_JUNIT tests the availability of the Junit testing
+dnl framework, and set some variables for conditional compilation
+dnl of the test suite by automake.
+dnl
+dnl If available, JUNIT is set to a command launching the text
+dnl based user interface of Junit, @JAVA_JUNIT@ is set to $JAVA_JUNIT
+dnl and @TESTS_JUNIT@ is set to $TESTS_JUNIT, otherwise they are set
+dnl to empty values.
+dnl
+dnl You can use these variables in your Makefile.am file like this :
+dnl
+dnl  # Some of the following classes are built only if junit is available
+dnl  JAVA_JUNIT  = Class1Test.java Class2Test.java AllJunitTests.java
+dnl
+dnl  noinst_JAVA = Example1.java Example2.java @JAVA_JUNIT@
+dnl
+dnl  EXTRA_JAVA  = $(JAVA_JUNIT)
+dnl
+dnl  TESTS_JUNIT = AllJunitTests
+dnl
+dnl  TESTS       = StandaloneTest1 StandaloneTest2 @TESTS_JUNIT@
+dnl
+dnl  EXTRA_TESTS = $(TESTS_JUNIT)
+dnl
+dnl  AllJunitTests :
+dnl     echo "#! /bin/sh" > $@
+dnl     echo "exec @JUNIT@ my.package.name.AllJunitTests" >> $@
+dnl     chmod +x $@
+dnl
+dnl @author Luc Maisonobe
+dnl @version $Id: ac_check_junit.ac,v 12.0 2004/11/17 03:43:38 bostic Exp $
+dnl
+AC_DEFUN([AX_CHECK_JUNIT],[
+AC_CACHE_VAL(ax_cv_prog_JUNIT,[
+AX_CHECK_CLASS(junit.textui.TestRunner)
+if test x"`eval 'echo $ac_cv_class_junit_textui_TestRunner'`" != xno ; then
+  ax_cv_prog_JUNIT='$(CLASSPATH_ENV) $(JAVA) $(JAVAFLAGS) junit.textui.TestRunner'
+fi])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for junit])
+if test x"`eval 'echo $ax_cv_prog_JUNIT'`" != x ; then
+  JUNIT="$ax_cv_prog_JUNIT"
+  JAVA_JUNIT='$(JAVA_JUNIT)'
+  TESTS_JUNIT='$(TESTS_JUNIT)'
+else
+  JUNIT=
+  JAVA_JUNIT=
+  TESTS_JUNIT=
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT($JAVA_JUNIT)
+AC_SUBST(JUNIT)
+AC_SUBST(JAVA_JUNIT)
+AC_SUBST(TESTS_JUNIT)])
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a1b059f..d8a7b00 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO, mono >= 1.2.6, have_mono=yes, have_mono=no)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MONO, [test "$have_mono" = "yes"])
 
+AC_PATH_PROG([ANT], [ant])
+AX_PROG_JAVAC
+AX_PROG_JAVA
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_JAVA],
+               [test -n "$ANT" -a -n "$JAVA" -a -n "$JAVAC"])
 
 AC_C_CONST
 AC_C_INLINE
@@ -119,6 +124,7 @@
   lib/cpp/thrift-nb.pc
   lib/cpp/thrift-z.pc
   lib/csharp/Makefile
+  lib/java/Makefile
   lib/py/Makefile
   if/Makefile
   test/Makefile
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 45d741b..36191f6 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@
 SUBDIRS += csharp
 endif
 
+if ENABLE_JAVA
+SUBDIRS += java
+endif
+
 EXTRA_DIST = \
   cocoa \
   erl   \
   hs    \
-  java  \
   ocaml \
   perl  \
   php   \
diff --git a/lib/java/Makefile.am b/lib/java/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddbf2f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/java/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+all:
+	$(ANT)
+
+install-exec-hook:
+	$(ANT) install
+
+clean-generic:
+	$(ANT) clean
+