diff --git a/CHANGES.current b/CHANGES.current
index 7a38f22b4..6dda7ff7a 100644
--- a/CHANGES.current
+++ b/CHANGES.current
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 Version 1.3.37 (in progress)
 ============================
 
+2008-12-23: wsfulton
+	    [Java] Fix #2153773 - %nojavaexception was clearing the exception feature
+            instead of disabling it. Clearing checked Java exceptions also didn't work. 
+	    The new %clearjavaexception can be used for clearing the exception feature.
+
 2008-12-22: wsfulton
 	    Fix #2432801 - Make SwigValueWrapper exception safe for when copy constructors
 	    throw exceptions.
diff --git a/Doc/Manual/Customization.html b/Doc/Manual/Customization.html
index e9d70e39a..ec73e5460 100644
--- a/Doc/Manual/Customization.html
+++ b/Doc/Manual/Customization.html
@@ -1019,6 +1019,20 @@ but this will:
 </pre>
 </div>
 
+<p>
+SWIG provides macros for disabling and clearing features. Many of these can be found in the <tt>swig.swg</tt> library file.
+The typical pattern is to define three macros; one to define the feature itself, one to disable the feature and one to clear the feature.
+The three macros below show this for the "except" feature:
+</p>
+
+<div class="code">
+<pre>
+#define %exception      %feature("except")
+#define %noexception    %feature("except","0")
+#define %clearexception %feature("except","")
+</pre>
+</div>
+
 <H3><a name="Customization_features_default_args"></a>11.3.4 Features and default arguments</H3>
 
 
diff --git a/Doc/Manual/Java.html b/Doc/Manual/Java.html
index cbdcb5a9e..c5ff1f906 100644
--- a/Doc/Manual/Java.html
+++ b/Doc/Manual/Java.html
@@ -3820,7 +3820,9 @@ public:
 In the example above, <tt>java.lang.Exception</tt> is a checked exception class and so ought to be declared in the throws clause of <tt>getitem</tt>.
 Classes can be specified for adding to the throws clause using <tt>%javaexception(classes)</tt> instead of <tt>%exception</tt>,
 where <tt>classes</tt> is a string containing one or more comma separated Java classes.
-The <tt>%nojavaexception</tt> feature is the equivalent to <tt>%noexception</tt> and clears previously declared exception handlers.
+The <tt>%clearjavaexception</tt> feature is the equivalent to <tt>%clearexception</tt> and clears previously declared exception handlers. 
+The <tt>%nojavaexception</tt> feature is the equivalent to <tt>%noexception</tt> and disables the exception handler.
+See <a href="Customization.html#Customization_clearing_features">Clearing features</a> for the difference on disabling and clearing features.
 </p>
 
 <div class="code">
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/java/java_throws_runme.java b/Examples/test-suite/java/java_throws_runme.java
index 3538aa6d4..6a73ea563 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/java/java_throws_runme.java
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/java/java_throws_runme.java
@@ -94,5 +94,20 @@ public class java_throws_runme {
 
       if (!pass)
         throw new RuntimeException("Test 7 failed");
+
+      // Test %nojavaexception
+      NoExceptTest net = new NoExceptTest();
+
+      pass = false;
+      try {
+        net.exceptionPlease();
+	pass = true;
+      }
+      catch (MyException e) {}
+
+      if (!pass)
+        throw new RuntimeException("Test 8 failed");
+
+      net.noExceptionPlease();
   }
 }
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/java_throws.i b/Examples/test-suite/java_throws.i
index 3aa11defb..efa7da571 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/java_throws.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/java_throws.i
@@ -143,3 +143,41 @@ try {
     }
 %}
 
+// Test %nojavaexception
+%javaexception("MyException") %{
+/* global exception handler */
+try {
+    $action
+} catch (MyException) {
+    jclass excep = jenv->FindClass("java_throws/MyException");
+    if (excep)
+        jenv->ThrowNew(excep, "exception message");
+    return $null;
+}
+%}
+
+%nojavaexception *::noExceptionPlease();
+%nojavaexception NoExceptTest::NoExceptTest();
+
+// Need to handle the checked exception in NoExceptTest.delete()
+%typemap(javafinalize) SWIGTYPE %{
+  protected void finalize() {
+    try {
+      delete();
+    } catch (MyException e) {
+      throw new RuntimeException(e);
+    }
+  }
+%}
+
+%inline %{
+struct NoExceptTest {
+  unsigned int noExceptionPlease() { return 123; }
+  unsigned int exceptionPlease() { return 456; }
+  ~NoExceptTest() {}
+};
+%}
+
+// Turn global exceptions off (for the implicit destructors)
+%nojavaexception;
+
diff --git a/Lib/java/java.swg b/Lib/java/java.swg
index 7d1808632..f70d3f9cd 100644
--- a/Lib/java/java.swg
+++ b/Lib/java/java.swg
@@ -1191,7 +1191,8 @@ SWIG_PROXY_CONSTRUCTOR(true, true, SWIGTYPE)
 #define %javaenum(wrapapproach)     %feature("java:enum","wrapapproach")
 #define %javamethodmodifiers        %feature("java:methodmodifiers")
 #define %javaexception(exceptionclasses) %feature("except",throws=exceptionclasses)
-#define %nojavaexception                 %feature("except","",throws="")
+#define %nojavaexception            %feature("except","0",throws="")
+#define %clearjavaexception         %feature("except","",throws="")
 
 %pragma(java) jniclassclassmodifiers="class"
 %pragma(java) moduleclassmodifiers="public class"
diff --git a/Source/Modules/java.cxx b/Source/Modules/java.cxx
index 37ce22377..742756f63 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/java.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/java.cxx
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ class JAVA:public Language {
   String *imclass_cppcasts_code;	//C++ casts up inheritance hierarchies intermediary class code
   String *imclass_directors;	// Intermediate class director code
   String *destructor_call;	//C++ destructor call if any
+  String *destructor_throws_clause;	//C++ destructor throws clause if any
 
   // Director method stuff:
   List *dmethods_seq;
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ public:
       imclass_cppcasts_code(NULL),
       imclass_directors(NULL),
       destructor_call(NULL),
+      destructor_throws_clause(NULL),
       dmethods_seq(NULL),
       dmethods_table(NULL),
       n_dmethods(0),
@@ -1654,7 +1656,7 @@ public:
       else
 	Replaceall(destruct, "$jnicall", "throw new UnsupportedOperationException(\"C++ destructor does not have public access\")");
       if (*Char(destruct))
-	Printv(proxy_class_def, "\n  ", destruct_methodmodifiers, " void ", destruct_methodname, "() ", destruct, "\n", NIL);
+	Printv(proxy_class_def, "\n  ", destruct_methodmodifiers, " void ", destruct_methodname, "()", destructor_throws_clause, " ", destruct, "\n", NIL);
     }
 
     /* Insert directordisconnect typemap, if this class has directors enabled */
@@ -1761,6 +1763,7 @@ public:
       Clear(proxy_class_code);
 
       destructor_call = NewString("");
+      destructor_throws_clause = NewString("");
       proxy_class_constants_code = NewString("");
     }
 
@@ -1819,6 +1822,8 @@ public:
       proxy_class_name = NULL;
       Delete(destructor_call);
       destructor_call = NULL;
+      Delete(destructor_throws_clause);
+      destructor_throws_clause = NULL;
       Delete(proxy_class_constants_code);
       proxy_class_constants_code = NULL;
     }
@@ -2336,6 +2341,7 @@ public:
 
     if (proxy_flag) {
       Printv(destructor_call, imclass_name, ".", Swig_name_destroy(symname), "(swigCPtr)", NIL);
+      generateThrowsClause(n, destructor_throws_clause);
     }
     return SWIG_OK;
   }
@@ -2870,7 +2876,7 @@ public:
     String *throws_attribute = NewStringf("%s:throws", attribute);
     String *throws = Getattr(parameter, throws_attribute);
 
-    if (throws) {
+    if (throws && Len(throws) > 0) {
       String *throws_list = Getattr(n, "java:throwslist");
       if (!throws_list) {
 	throws_list = NewList();