diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/AbstractToolsMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/AbstractToolsMojo.java
index 0d4f1d8c..d3a572b9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/AbstractToolsMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/AbstractToolsMojo.java
@@ -136,24 +136,7 @@ protected void initializeProperties() {
         if (projectHelper != null && !properties.containsKey("projectHelper")) {
             properties.put("projectHelper", projectHelper);
         }
-        if (!properties.containsKey("ant")) {
-            Object antBuilder = null;
-            try {
-                antBuilder = invokeConstructor(findConstructor(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.ant.AntBuilder")));
-            } catch (ClassNotFoundException e1) {
-                getLog().debug("groovy.ant.AntBuilder not available, trying groovy.util.AntBuilder.");
-                try {
-                    antBuilder = invokeConstructor(findConstructor(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.util.AntBuilder")));
-                } catch (ClassNotFoundException | IllegalAccessException | InstantiationException | InvocationTargetException e2) {
-                    logUnableToInitializeAntBuilder(e2);
-                }
-            } catch (IllegalAccessException | InstantiationException | InvocationTargetException e) {
-                logUnableToInitializeAntBuilder(e);
-            }
-            if (antBuilder != null) {
-                properties.put("ant", antBuilder);
-            }
-        }
+        initializeAnt();
         if (bindSessionUserOverrideProperties && !bindAllProjectProperties) {
             getLog().warn("bindSessionUserOverrideProperties set without bindAllProjectProperties, ignoring.");
         }
@@ -176,6 +159,40 @@ protected void initializeProperties() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Initializes the 'ant' property.
+     */
+    protected void initializeAnt() {
+        if (!properties.containsKey("ant")) {
+            Object antBuilder = createAntBuilder();
+            if (antBuilder != null) {
+                properties.put("ant", antBuilder);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new AntBuilder object.
+     *
+     * @return a new AntBuilder object, or null if it couldn't be created
+     */
+    protected Object createAntBuilder() {
+        Object antBuilder = null;
+        try {
+            antBuilder = invokeConstructor(findConstructor(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.ant.AntBuilder")));
+        } catch (ClassNotFoundException e1) {
+            getLog().debug("groovy.ant.AntBuilder not available, trying groovy.util.AntBuilder.");
+            try {
+                antBuilder = invokeConstructor(findConstructor(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.util.AntBuilder")));
+            } catch (ClassNotFoundException | IllegalAccessException | InstantiationException | InvocationTargetException e2) {
+                logUnableToInitializeAntBuilder(e2);
+            }
+        } catch (IllegalAccessException | InstantiationException | InvocationTargetException e) {
+            logUnableToInitializeAntBuilder(e);
+        }
+        return antBuilder;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Logs errors that caused the 'ant' object to not be populated.
      *
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojo.java
index 50a32b30..d02d3535 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojo.java
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
             // run the console
             invokeMethod(findMethod(consoleClass, "run"), console);
 
-            // TODO: for some reason instantiating AntBuilder before calling run() causes its stdout and stderr streams to not be captured by the Console
             bindAntBuilder(consoleClass, bindingClass, console);
 
             // open script file
@@ -194,19 +193,7 @@ protected void bindAntBuilder(Class<?> consoleClass, Class<?> bindingClass, Obje
             Class<?> groovyShellClass = classWrangler.getClass("groovy.lang.GroovyShell");
             Object shell = getField(findField(consoleClass, "shell", groovyShellClass), console);
             Object binding = invokeMethod(findMethod(groovyShellClass, "getContext"), shell);
-            Object antBuilder = null;
-            try {
-                antBuilder = invokeConstructor(findConstructor(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.ant.AntBuilder")));
-            } catch (ClassNotFoundException e1) {
-                getLog().debug("groovy.ant.AntBuilder not available, trying groovy.util.AntBuilder.");
-                try {
-                    antBuilder = invokeConstructor(findConstructor(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.util.AntBuilder")));
-                } catch (ClassNotFoundException | IllegalAccessException | InvocationTargetException | InstantiationException e2) {
-                    logUnableToInitializeAntBuilder(e2);
-                }
-            } catch (IllegalAccessException | InstantiationException | InvocationTargetException e) {
-                logUnableToInitializeAntBuilder(e);
-            }
+            Object antBuilder = createAntBuilder();
             if (antBuilder != null) {
                 if (bindPropertiesToSeparateVariables) {
                     invokeMethod(findMethod(bindingClass, "setVariable", String.class, Object.class), binding, "ant", antBuilder);
@@ -217,6 +204,16 @@ protected void bindAntBuilder(Class<?> consoleClass, Class<?> bindingClass, Obje
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Initializes the 'ant' property with a placeholder.
+     */
+    @Override
+    protected void initializeAnt() {
+        if (!properties.containsKey("ant")) {
+            properties.put("ant", Boolean.TRUE);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Waits for the console in use to be closed.
      *
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojoTest.java b/src/test/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojoTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6dc7f40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/codehaus/gmavenplus/mojo/ConsoleMojoTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package org.codehaus.gmavenplus.mojo;
+
+import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
+import org.codehaus.gmavenplus.util.ClassWrangler;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.mockito.Mock;
+import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
+
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for the ConsoleMojo class.
+ */
+public class ConsoleMojoTest {
+
+    private ConsoleMojo consoleMojo;
+
+    @Mock
+    private ClassWrangler classWrangler;
+
+    @Mock
+    private MavenProject project;
+
+    @Before
+    public void setup() throws Exception {
+        MockitoAnnotations.openMocks(this);
+        consoleMojo = new ConsoleMojo();
+        consoleMojo.classWrangler = classWrangler;
+        consoleMojo.project = project;
+        when(project.getProperties()).thenReturn(new Properties());
+
+        Class<?> antBuilderClass;
+        try {
+            antBuilderClass = Class.forName("groovy.ant.AntBuilder");
+        } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
+            antBuilderClass = Class.forName("groovy.util.AntBuilder");
+        }
+        when(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.ant.AntBuilder")).thenReturn((Class) antBuilderClass);
+        when(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.util.AntBuilder")).thenReturn((Class) antBuilderClass);
+        when(classWrangler.getClass("groovy.lang.GroovyShell")).thenReturn((Class) TestShell.class);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testInitializeAnt() {
+        consoleMojo.initializeAnt();
+        assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, consoleMojo.properties.get("ant"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testBindAntBuilder() throws Exception {
+        consoleMojo.initializeAnt();
+        assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, consoleMojo.properties.get("ant"));
+
+        Class<?> consoleClass = TestConsole.class;
+        Class<?> bindingClass = TestBinding.class;
+        TestConsole console = new TestConsole();
+
+        consoleMojo.bindAntBuilder(consoleClass, bindingClass, console);
+
+        Object ant = consoleMojo.properties.get("ant");
+        assertNotNull(ant);
+        assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, ant);
+        assertTrue(ant.getClass().getName().contains("AntBuilder"));
+    }
+
+    public static class TestConsole {
+        public TestShell shell = new TestShell();
+    }
+
+    public static class TestShell {
+        public TestBinding getContext() {
+            return new TestBinding();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static class TestBinding {
+        public void setVariable(String name, Object value) {
+        }
+    }
+}