diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml b/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml
index 8e4ae80..8773bc7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@
             <version>1.9.5</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-test</artifactId>
+            <version>4.0.5.RELEASE</version>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
     <build>
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiItemReader.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiItemReader.java
index a979e65..d51aac7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiItemReader.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.batch.item.excel.poi;
 
+import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Row;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Workbook;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.WorkbookFactory;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.excel.AbstractExcelItemReader;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ public class PoiItemReader<T> extends AbstractExcelItemReader<T> {
     @Override
     protected void openExcelFile(final Resource resource) throws Exception {
         this.workbook = WorkbookFactory.create(resource.getInputStream());
+        this.workbook.setMissingCellPolicy(Row.CREATE_NULL_AS_BLANK);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiSheet.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiSheet.java
index f612c3b..423f3e0 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiSheet.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/poi/PoiSheet.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ public class PoiSheet implements Sheet {
 
     private final org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Sheet delegate;
 
+    private int numberOfColumns = -1;
+
     /**
      * Constructor which takes the delegate sheet.
      * 
@@ -71,7 +73,8 @@ public class PoiSheet implements Sheet {
         final Row row = this.delegate.getRow(rowNumber);
         final List<String> cells = new LinkedList<String>();
 
-        for (Cell cell : row) {
+        for (int i =0; i< getNumberOfColumns(); i++) {
+            Cell cell = row.getCell(i);
             switch (cell.getCellType()) {
             case Cell.CELL_TYPE_NUMERIC:
                 cells.add(String.valueOf(cell.getNumericCellValue()));
@@ -107,10 +110,9 @@ public class PoiSheet implements Sheet {
      */
     @Override
     public int getNumberOfColumns() {
-        final String[] columns = this.getHeader();
-        if (columns != null) {
-            return columns.length;
+        if (numberOfColumns < 0) {
+            numberOfColumns = this.delegate.getRow(0).getLastCellNum();
         }
-        return 0;
+        return numberOfColumns;
     }
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/AbstractExcelItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/AbstractExcelItemReaderTests.java
index 3786727..21628f5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/AbstractExcelItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/AbstractExcelItemReaderTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.excel.mapping.PassThroughRowMapper;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ClassPathResource;
+import org.springframework.test.util.ReflectionTestUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
@@ -38,6 +39,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractExcelItemReaderTests  {
 
     protected AbstractExcelItemReader itemReader;
 
+    private ExecutionContext executionContext;
+
     @Before
     public void setup() throws Exception {
         this.itemReader = createExcelItemReader();
@@ -52,7 +55,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractExcelItemReaderTests  {
         });
         configureItemReader(this.itemReader);
         this.itemReader.afterPropertiesSet();
-        this.itemReader.open(new ExecutionContext());
+        executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
+        this.itemReader.open(executionContext);
     }
 
     protected void configureItemReader(AbstractExcelItemReader itemReader) {
@@ -69,8 +73,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractExcelItemReaderTests  {
         String[] row = null;
         do {
             row = (String[]) this.itemReader.read();
-            this.logger.debug("Read: "+ StringUtils.arrayToCommaDelimitedString(row));
+            this.logger.debug("Read: " + StringUtils.arrayToCommaDelimitedString(row));
+            if (row != null) {
+                assertEquals(6, row.length);
+            }
         } while (row != null);
+        int readCount = (Integer) ReflectionTestUtils.getField(this.itemReader, "currentItemCount" );
+        assertEquals(4320, readCount); // File contains 4321 lines, first is header 4321-1=4320 records read.
     }
 
     @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/player.xls b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/player.xls
index 6d5b08d..2a89397 100644
Binary files a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/player.xls and b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/item/excel/player.xls differ