diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.spec.ts b/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.spec.ts
index fe36d2e35b8..d86415edad3 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.spec.ts
@@ -626,6 +626,138 @@ describe('modules/manager/ant/extract', () => {
       ]);
     });
 
+    it('follows import file references', async () => {
+      fs.readLocalFile.mockImplementation((fileName: string) => {
+        const files: Record<string, string> = {
+          'build.xml': codeBlock`
+            <project>
+              <import file="deps.xml" />
+            </project>
+          `,
+          'deps.xml': codeBlock`
+            <project>
+              <artifact:dependencies>
+                <dependency groupId="junit" artifactId="junit" version="4.13.2" />
+              </artifact:dependencies>
+            </project>
+          `,
+        };
+        return Promise.resolve(files[fileName] ?? null);
+      });
+
+      const result = await extractAllPackageFiles({}, ['build.xml']);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual([
+        {
+          packageFile: 'deps.xml',
+          deps: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              depName: 'junit:junit',
+              currentValue: '4.13.2',
+            }),
+          ],
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('skips missing import files', async () => {
+      fs.readLocalFile.mockImplementation((fileName: string) => {
+        const files: Record<string, string> = {
+          'build.xml': codeBlock`
+            <project>
+              <import file="missing.xml" />
+              <artifact:dependencies>
+                <dependency groupId="junit" artifactId="junit" version="4.13.2" />
+              </artifact:dependencies>
+            </project>
+          `,
+        };
+        return Promise.resolve(files[fileName] ?? null);
+      });
+
+      const result = await extractAllPackageFiles({}, ['build.xml']);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual([
+        {
+          packageFile: 'build.xml',
+          deps: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              depName: 'junit:junit',
+              currentValue: '4.13.2',
+            }),
+          ],
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('does not loop on self-importing files', async () => {
+      fs.readLocalFile.mockImplementation((fileName: string) => {
+        const files: Record<string, string> = {
+          'build.xml': codeBlock`
+            <project>
+              <import file="build.xml" />
+              <artifact:dependencies>
+                <dependency groupId="junit" artifactId="junit" version="4.13.2" />
+              </artifact:dependencies>
+            </project>
+          `,
+        };
+        return Promise.resolve(files[fileName] ?? null);
+      });
+
+      const result = await extractAllPackageFiles({}, ['build.xml']);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual([
+        {
+          packageFile: 'build.xml',
+          deps: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              depName: 'junit:junit',
+              currentValue: '4.13.2',
+            }),
+          ],
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('shares properties across imported files', async () => {
+      fs.readLocalFile.mockImplementation((fileName: string) => {
+        const files: Record<string, string> = {
+          'build.xml': codeBlock`
+            <project>
+              <property name="junit.version" value="4.13.2" />
+              <import file="deps.xml" />
+            </project>
+          `,
+          'deps.xml': codeBlock`
+            <project>
+              <artifact:dependencies>
+                <dependency groupId="junit" artifactId="junit" version="\${junit.version}" />
+              </artifact:dependencies>
+            </project>
+          `,
+        };
+        return Promise.resolve(files[fileName] ?? null);
+      });
+
+      const result = await extractAllPackageFiles({}, ['build.xml']);
+
+      expect(fs.readLocalFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith('deps.xml', 'utf8');
+      expect(result).toEqual([
+        {
+          packageFile: 'build.xml',
+          deps: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              depName: 'junit:junit',
+              currentValue: '4.13.2',
+              sharedVariableName: 'junit.version',
+              editFile: 'build.xml',
+            }),
+          ],
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
     it('handles chain referencing undefined property', async () => {
       fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValue(codeBlock`
         <project>
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.ts b/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.ts
index 529f4636699..6a0cb4a9f85 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/ant/extract.ts
@@ -158,6 +158,11 @@ async function walkNodeInOrder(
           }
         }
       }
+    } else if (child.name === 'import' && child.attr.file) {
+      const importedFile = upath.normalize(
+        upath.join(baseDir, child.attr.file),
+      );
+      await walkXmlFile(importedFile, visitedFiles, allProps, allRawDeps);
     } else if (child.name === 'dependency') {
       const rawDep = collectDependency(child, packageFile, content);
       if (rawDep) {
@@ -182,6 +187,9 @@ async function walkXmlFile(
   allProps: Record<string, AntProp>,
   allRawDeps: RawDep[],
 ): Promise<void> {
+  if (visitedFiles.has(packageFile)) {
+    return;
+  }
   visitedFiles.add(packageFile);
 
   const content = await readLocalFile(packageFile, 'utf8');