diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatus.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatus.java
index 4df8cdf0d..aea63978e 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatus.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatus.java
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ package org.springframework.batch.core.domain;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
-
 /**
  * Typesafe enumeration representing the status of an artifact within the
  * batch environment. See Effective Java Programming by Joshua Bloch for more
@@ -67,11 +65,13 @@ public class BatchStatus implements Serializable{
 	 * Given a string representation of a status, return the appropriate BatchStatus.
 	 * 
 	 * @param statusAsString: string representation of a status
-	 * @return Valid BatchStatus
+	 * @return a valid BatchStatus or null if the input is null
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if no status matches provided string.
 	 */
 	public static BatchStatus getStatus(String statusAsString) {
-		Assert.notNull(statusAsString, "Cannot match null to valid status.");
+		if (statusAsString==null) {
+			return null;
+		}
 		final String upperCaseStatusAsString = statusAsString.toUpperCase();
 		for (int i = 0; i < VALUES.length; i++) {
 			if (VALUES[i].toString().equals(upperCaseStatusAsString)) {
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatusTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatusTests.java
index 319280e0b..0041aa97d 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatusTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/domain/BatchStatusTests.java
@@ -24,62 +24,60 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
 /**
  * @author Dave Syer
- *
+ * 
  */
 public class BatchStatusTests extends TestCase {
 
 	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#toString()}.
+	 * Test method for
+	 * {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#toString()}.
 	 */
 	public void testToString() {
 		assertEquals("FAILED", BatchStatus.FAILED.toString());
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#getStatus(java.lang.String)}.
+	 * Test method for
+	 * {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#getStatus(java.lang.String)}.
 	 */
 	public void testGetStatus() {
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.FAILED, BatchStatus.getStatus(BatchStatus.FAILED.toString()));
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#getStatus(java.lang.String)}.
+	 * Test method for
+	 * {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#getStatus(java.lang.String)}.
 	 */
 	public void testGetStatusWrongCode() {
-		try{
+		try {
 			BatchStatus.getStatus("foo");
 			fail();
 		}
-		catch(IllegalArgumentException ex){
-			//expected
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+			// expected
 		}
 	}
-	
+
 	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#getStatus(java.lang.String)}.
+	 * Test method for
+	 * {@link org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus#getStatus(java.lang.String)}.
 	 */
 	public void testGetStatusNullCode() {
-		try{
-			BatchStatus.getStatus(null);
-			fail();
-		}
-		catch(IllegalArgumentException ex){
-			//expected
-		}
+		assertNull(BatchStatus.getStatus(null));
 	}
 
-	public void testSerialization() throws Exception{
-		
+	public void testSerialization() throws Exception {
+
 		ByteArrayOutputStream bout = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-	    ObjectOutputStream out = new ObjectOutputStream (bout);
+		ObjectOutputStream out = new ObjectOutputStream(bout);
 
-	    out.writeObject (BatchStatus.COMPLETED);
-	    out.flush ();
+		out.writeObject(BatchStatus.COMPLETED);
+		out.flush();
 
-	    ByteArrayInputStream bin = new ByteArrayInputStream (bout.toByteArray());
-	    ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(bin);
+		ByteArrayInputStream bin = new ByteArrayInputStream(bout.toByteArray());
+		ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(bin);
 
-	    BatchStatus status = (BatchStatus) in.readObject ();
-	    assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, status);
+		BatchStatus status = (BatchStatus) in.readObject();
+		assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, status);
 	}
 }