diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSource.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSource.java
index 033d1438e..d4a750196 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSource.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSource.java
@@ -170,15 +170,6 @@ public class PlaceholderTargetSource extends SimpleBeanTargetSource implements I
 					if (!strVal.contains(PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX)) {
 						return strVal;
 					}
-					if (strVal.startsWith(PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX) && strVal.endsWith(PLACEHOLDER_SUFFIX)) {
-						// If the whole value is a placeholder it might
-						// be possible to replace it all in one go as a
-						// String (e.g. if it's a ref=#{})
-						StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder(strVal);
-						String key = extractKey(strVal);
-						replaceIfTypeMatches(result, 0, strVal.length() - 1, key, String.class, typeConverter);
-						return result.toString();
-					}
 					return replacePlaceholders(strVal, contextTypeConverter);
 				}
 			}) {
@@ -327,7 +318,7 @@ public class PlaceholderTargetSource extends SimpleBeanTargetSource implements I
 			replaced |= replaceIfTypeMatches(result, first, next, key, Integer.class, typeConverter);
 			replaced |= replaceIfTypeMatches(result, first, next, key, Date.class, typeConverter);
 			if (!replaced) {
-				throw new IllegalStateException("Cannot bind to placeholder: "+key);
+				logger.debug("Cannot bind to placeholder: " + key);
 			}
 			first = result.indexOf(PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX, first + 1);
 			next = result.indexOf(PLACEHOLDER_SUFFIX, first + 1);
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests.java
index d86179d12..19a36b71f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests.java
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.BatchStatus;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
-import org.springframework.batch.core.JobParameters;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobParametersBuilder;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.job.AbstractJob;
@@ -113,9 +112,10 @@ public class ListPreparedStatementSetterTests {
 			this.simpleJdbcTemplate.update("insert into FOO values (?,?,?)", 0, "zero", 0);
 			this.simpleJdbcTemplate.update("insert into FOO values (?,?,?)", 1, "one", 1);
 			this.simpleJdbcTemplate.update("insert into FOO values (?,?,?)", 2, "two", 2);
+			this.simpleJdbcTemplate.update("insert into FOO values (?,?,?)", 3, "three", 3);
 
-			JobParameters params = new JobParametersBuilder().addLong("start.id", 1L).toJobParameters();
-			JobExecution jobExecution = this.jobLauncher.run(this.job, params);
+			JobParametersBuilder builder = new JobParametersBuilder().addLong("min.id", 1L).addLong("max.id", 2L);
+			JobExecution jobExecution = this.jobLauncher.run(this.job, builder.toJobParameters());
 			assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, jobExecution.getStatus());
 
 			List<Foo> foos = fooStoringItemWriter.getFoos();
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceErrorTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceErrorTests.java
index f0c1abb11..316bab2db 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceErrorTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceErrorTests.java
@@ -74,15 +74,8 @@ public class PlaceholderTargetSourceErrorTests extends ContextFactorySupport {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testPartialReplaceMissingProperty() throws Exception {
-		try {
-			Node target = (Node) createValue("name", "#{garbage}-bar").getTarget();
-			assertEquals("bar", target.getName());
-			fail("Expected IllegalStateException");
-		}
-		catch (Exception e) {
-			String message = e.getMessage();
-			assertTrue("Wrong message: " + message, message.toLowerCase().contains("cannot bind"));
-		}
+		Node target = (Node) createValue("name", "#{garbage}-bar").getTarget();
+		assertEquals("#{garbage}-bar", target.getName());
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests.java
index 05825d20b..bc3d595bb 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests.java
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ public class PlaceholderTargetSourceTests extends ContextFactorySupport {
 	@Qualifier("withMultiple")
 	private PlaceholderTargetSource withMultiple;
 
+	@Autowired
+	@Qualifier("withMultipleStartAndEnd")
+	private PlaceholderTargetSource withMultipleStartAndEnd;
+
 	@Autowired
 	@Qualifier("withEmbeddedDate")
 	private PlaceholderTargetSource withEmbeddedDate;
@@ -155,6 +159,12 @@ public class PlaceholderTargetSourceTests extends ContextFactorySupport {
 		assertEquals("bar-4321-4321", target.getName());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testGetMultipleStartAndEnd() {
+		Node target = (Node) withMultipleStartAndEnd.getTarget();
+		assertEquals("4321-4321", target.getName());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testGetEmbeddedDate() {
 		Node target = (Node) withEmbeddedDate.getTarget();
@@ -165,7 +175,9 @@ public class PlaceholderTargetSourceTests extends ContextFactorySupport {
 	@Test
 	public void testGetDate() {
 		Node target = (Node) withDate.getTarget();
-		assertEquals(1L, target.getDate().getTime());
+		SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/MM/dd");
+		String date = sdf.format(new Date(1L));
+		assertEquals(date, sdf.format(target.getDate()));
 	}
 
 	public static interface Node {
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests-context.xml
index 473c5c090..d1fd2b646 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/resource/ListPreparedStatementSetterTests-context.xml
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 	</beans:bean>
 
 	<beans:bean id="reader" class="org.springframework.batch.item.database.JdbcCursorItemReader">
-		<beans:property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource"/>
-		<beans:property name="sql" value="select ID, NAME, VALUE from FOO where ID >= ?"/>
+		<beans:property name="sql" value="select ID, NAME, VALUE from FOO where ID &gt;= ? and ID &lt;= ?"/>
 		<beans:property name="preparedStatementSetter" ref="pss"/>
+		<beans:property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource"/>
 		<beans:property name="rowMapper">
 			<beans:bean class="org.springframework.batch.core.resource.FooRowMapper"/>
 		</beans:property>
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@
 
 	<beans:bean id="pss" class="org.springframework.batch.core.resource.ListPreparedStatementSetter" scope="step">
 		<beans:property name="parameters">
-			<beans:value>#{jobParameters[start.id]}</beans:value>
+			<beans:list>
+				<beans:value>#{jobParameters[min.id]}</beans:value>
+				<beans:value>#{jobParameters[max.id]}</beans:value>
+			</beans:list>
 		</beans:property>
 	</beans:bean>
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests-context.xml
index c50e4bbd3..a2e6dd458 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/util/PlaceholderTargetSourceTests-context.xml
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@
 		<property name="targetBeanName" value="withMultipleTarget" />
 	</bean>
 
+	<bean id="withMultipleStartAndEnd"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.util.PlaceholderTargetSource">
+		<property name="contextFactory" ref="context" />
+		<property name="targetBeanName" value="withMultipleStartAndEndTarget" />
+	</bean>
+
 	<bean id="withDate"
 		class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.util.PlaceholderTargetSource">
 		<property name="contextFactory" ref="context" />
@@ -117,6 +123,12 @@
 		<property name="name" value="bar-#{integer}-#{integer}" />
 	</bean>
 
+	<bean id="withMultipleStartAndEndTarget"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.util.PlaceholderTargetSourceTests$Foo"
+		lazy-init="true">
+		<property name="name" value="#{integer}-#{integer}" />
+	</bean>
+
 	<bean id="withEmbeddedDateTarget"
 		class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.util.PlaceholderTargetSourceTests$Foo"
 		lazy-init="true">