diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManager.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManager.java
index 6cae63441..50c556a89 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManager.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManager.java
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManager {
 			if (remaining <= 0) {
 				synchronized (contexts) {
 					contexts.remove(current);
+					counts.remove(current);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManagerTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManagerTests.java
index fb55942dd..e06bf5fae 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManagerTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/context/StepSynchronizationManagerTests.java
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
@@ -17,10 +19,12 @@ import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
+import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
 
 public class StepSynchronizationManagerTests {
 
-	private StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution("step", new JobExecution(0L));
+	private StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution("step",
+			new JobExecution(0L));
 
 	@Before
 	@After
@@ -38,9 +42,10 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManagerTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testClose() {
+	public void testClose() throws Exception {
 		final List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
-		StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
+		StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager
+				.register(stepExecution);
 		context.registerDestructionCallback("foo", new Runnable() {
 			public void run() {
 				list.add("foo");
@@ -49,35 +54,51 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManagerTests {
 		StepSynchronizationManager.close();
 		assertNull(StepSynchronizationManager.getContext());
 		assertEquals(0, list.size());
+		// check for possible memory leak 
+		assertEquals(0, extractStaticMap("counts").size());
+		assertEquals(0, extractStaticMap("contexts").size());
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private Map extractStaticMap(String name) throws IllegalAccessException {
+		Field field = ReflectionUtils.findField(
+				StepSynchronizationManager.class, name);
+		ReflectionUtils.makeAccessible(field);
+		Map map = (Map) field.get(StepSynchronizationManager.class);
+		return map;
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testMultithreaded() throws Exception {
-		StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
+		StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager
+				.register(stepExecution);
 		ExecutorService executorService = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(2);
-		FutureTask<StepContext> task = new FutureTask<StepContext>(new Callable<StepContext>() {
-			public StepContext call() throws Exception {
-				try {
-					StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
-					StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager.getContext();
-					context.setAttribute("foo", "bar");
-					return context;
-				}
-				finally {
-					StepSynchronizationManager.close();
-				}
-			}
-		});
+		FutureTask<StepContext> task = new FutureTask<StepContext>(
+				new Callable<StepContext>() {
+					public StepContext call() throws Exception {
+						try {
+							StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
+							StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager
+									.getContext();
+							context.setAttribute("foo", "bar");
+							return context;
+						} finally {
+							StepSynchronizationManager.close();
+						}
+					}
+				});
 		executorService.execute(task);
 		executorService.awaitTermination(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-		assertEquals(context.attributeNames().length, task.get().attributeNames().length);
+		assertEquals(context.attributeNames().length, task.get()
+				.attributeNames().length);
 		StepSynchronizationManager.close();
 		assertNull(StepSynchronizationManager.getContext());
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testRelease() {
-		StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
+		StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager
+				.register(stepExecution);
 		final List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
 		context.registerDestructionCallback("foo", new Runnable() {
 			public void run() {