diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java
index d3741e913..31a153147 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 	private static Map<Class<?>, Map<String, String>> propertiesMatched = new HashMap<Class<?>, Map<String, String>>();
 
 	private static int distanceLimit = 5;
+	
+	private boolean strict = true;
 
 	/*
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 	 */
 	protected DataBinder createBinder(Object target) {
 		DataBinder binder = new DataBinder(target);
-		binder.setIgnoreUnknownFields(false);
+		binder.setIgnoreUnknownFields(!this.strict);
 		initBinder(binder);
 		registerCustomEditors(binder);
 		return binder;
@@ -320,4 +322,14 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 		properties.setProperty(newName, value);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Public setter for the 'strict' property. If true, then
+	 * {@link #mapFieldSet(FieldSet)} will fail of the FieldSet contains fields
+	 * that cannot be mapped to the bean.
+	 * 
+	 * @param strict
+	 */
+	public void setStrict(boolean strict) {
+		this.strict = strict;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java
index d3b7e0388..84a023d94 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java
@@ -403,4 +403,34 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests extends TestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public void testStrict() throws Exception {
+		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
+		mapper.setStrict(true);
+		mapper.setTargetType(TestObject.class);
+		mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		FieldSet fieldSet = new DefaultFieldSet(new String[] { "This is some dummy string", "This won't be mapped",
+				"true", "C" }, new String[] { "varString", "illegalPropertyName", "varBoolean", "varChar" });
+		try {
+			mapper.mapFieldSet(fieldSet);
+			fail("expected error");
+		}
+		catch(NotWritablePropertyException e) {
+			assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("'illegalPropertyName'"));
+		}
+	}
+
+	public void testNotStrict() throws Exception {
+		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
+		mapper.setStrict(false);
+		mapper.setTargetType(TestObject.class);
+		mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		FieldSet fieldSet = new DefaultFieldSet(new String[] { "This is some dummy string", "This won't be mapped",
+				"true", "C" }, new String[] { "varString", "illegalPropertyName", "varBoolean", "varChar" });
+		TestObject result = mapper.mapFieldSet(fieldSet);
+		assertEquals("This is some dummy string", result.getVarString());
+		assertEquals(true, result.isVarBoolean());
+		assertEquals('C', result.getVarChar());
+	}
 }