diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJob.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJob.java
index 41b8193a9..739cfa65f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJob.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJob.java
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ public class SimpleJob extends AbstractJob {
 		int startedCount = 0;
 		List steps = getSteps();
 
+		// holder for potential job failure to be passed to onError listener
+		Throwable jobFailure = null;
+
 		try {
 
 			// The job was already stopped before we even got this far. Deal
@@ -109,17 +112,14 @@ public class SimpleJob extends AbstractJob {
 
 			updateStatus(execution, BatchStatus.COMPLETED);
 
-			getCompositeListener().afterJob(execution);
-
 		}
 		catch (JobInterruptedException e) {
 			execution.setStatus(BatchStatus.STOPPED);
-			getCompositeListener().onInterrupt(execution);
 			rethrow(e);
 		}
 		catch (Throwable t) {
 			execution.setStatus(BatchStatus.FAILED);
-			getCompositeListener().onError(execution, t);
+			jobFailure = t;
 			rethrow(t);
 		}
 		finally {
@@ -136,9 +136,20 @@ public class SimpleJob extends AbstractJob {
 			else if (currentStepExecution != null) {
 				status = currentStepExecution.getExitStatus();
 			}
+			execution.setExitStatus(status);
+
+			BatchStatus jobStatus = execution.getStatus();
+			if (jobStatus == BatchStatus.COMPLETED) {
+				getCompositeListener().afterJob(execution);
+			}
+			else if (jobStatus == BatchStatus.FAILED) {
+				getCompositeListener().onError(execution, jobFailure);
+			}
+			else if (jobStatus == BatchStatus.STOPPED) {
+				getCompositeListener().onInterrupt(execution);
+			}
 
 			execution.setEndTime(new Date());
-			execution.setExitStatus(status);
 			getJobRepository().saveOrUpdate(execution);
 		}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJobTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJobTests.java
index 569fce8c1..e1f075e32 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJobTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/job/SimpleJobTests.java
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ public class SimpleJobTests extends TestCase {
 
 	private SimpleJob job;
 
+	private static final ExitStatus customExitStatus = ExitStatus.UNKNOWN.addExitDescription("tweaked");
+
 	protected void setUp() throws Exception {
 		super.setUp();
 
@@ -178,10 +180,13 @@ public class SimpleJobTests extends TestCase {
 
 			public void afterJob(JobExecution jobExecution) {
 				list.add("after");
+				jobExecution.setExitStatus(customExitStatus);
 			}
 		} });
 		job.execute(jobExecution);
 		assertEquals(4, list.size());
+		assertEquals(customExitStatus, jobExecution.getExitStatus());
+		checkRepository(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, customExitStatus);
 	}
 
 	public void testRunWithSimpleStepExecutor() throws Exception {
@@ -240,6 +245,8 @@ public class SimpleJobTests extends TestCase {
 		job.setJobExecutionListeners(new JobExecutionListenerSupport[] { new JobExecutionListenerSupport() {
 			public void onError(JobExecution jobExecution, Throwable t) {
 				list.add(t);
+				assertEquals(ExitStatus.FAILED, jobExecution.getExitStatus());
+				jobExecution.setExitStatus(customExitStatus);
 			}
 		} });
 		final RuntimeException exception = new RuntimeException("Foo!");
@@ -254,7 +261,7 @@ public class SimpleJobTests extends TestCase {
 		}
 		assertEquals(1, list.size());
 		assertSame(exception, list.get(0));
-		checkRepository(BatchStatus.FAILED, ExitStatus.FAILED);
+		checkRepository(BatchStatus.FAILED, customExitStatus);
 	}
 
 	public void testFailedWithError() throws Exception {
@@ -489,7 +496,9 @@ public class SimpleJobTests extends TestCase {
 
 		/*
 		 * (non-Javadoc)
-		 * @see org.springframework.batch.core.step.StepSupport#execute(org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution)
+		 * 
+		 * @seeorg.springframework.batch.core.step.StepSupport#execute(org.
+		 * springframework.batch.core.StepExecution)
 		 */
 		public void execute(StepExecution stepExecution) throws JobInterruptedException,
 				UnexpectedJobExecutionException {