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 07eecb08d..6cae63441 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
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManager {
 		if (getCurrent().isEmpty()) {
 			return null;
 		}
-		return contexts.get(getCurrent().peek());
+		synchronized (contexts) {
+			return contexts.get(getCurrent().peek());
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -89,10 +91,13 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManager {
 			return null;
 		}
 		getCurrent().push(stepExecution);
-		StepContext context = contexts.get(stepExecution);
-		if (context == null) {
-			context = new StepContext(stepExecution);
-			contexts.put(stepExecution, context);
+		StepContext context;
+		synchronized (contexts) {
+			context = contexts.get(stepExecution);
+			if (context == null) {
+				context = new StepContext(stepExecution);
+				contexts.put(stepExecution, context);
+			}
 		}
 		increment();
 		return context;
@@ -119,7 +124,9 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManager {
 		if (current != null) {
 			int remaining = counts.get(current).decrementAndGet();
 			if (remaining <= 0) {
-				contexts.remove(current);
+				synchronized (contexts) {
+					contexts.remove(current);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -127,10 +134,13 @@ public class StepSynchronizationManager {
 	private static void increment() {
 		StepExecution current = getCurrent().peek();
 		if (current != null) {
-			AtomicInteger count = counts.get(current);
-			if (count == null) {
-				count = new AtomicInteger();
-				counts.put(current, count);
+			AtomicInteger count;
+			synchronized (counts) {
+				count = counts.get(current);
+				if (count == null) {
+					count = new AtomicInteger();
+					counts.put(current, count);
+				}
 			}
 			count.incrementAndGet();
 		}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests.java
index 40ea70560..ad2552cc2 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests.java
@@ -78,14 +78,14 @@ public class AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests implements BeanFactoryAware {
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
 			final String value = "foo" + i;
-			final Long id = 123L+i;
+			final Long id = 123L + i;
 			FutureTask<String> task = new FutureTask<String>(new Callable<String>() {
 				public String call() throws Exception {
 					StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(value, new JobExecution(0L), id);
 					ExecutionContext executionContext = stepExecution.getExecutionContext();
 					executionContext.put("foo", value);
 					StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
-					logger.debug("Registered: "+context.getStepExecutionContext());
+					logger.debug("Registered: " + context.getStepExecutionContext());
 					try {
 						return simple.getName();
 					}
@@ -117,13 +117,13 @@ public class AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests implements BeanFactoryAware {
 		assertEquals("foo", simple.getName());
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
-			final String value = "foo"+i; 
+			final String value = "foo" + i;
 			FutureTask<String> task = new FutureTask<String>(new Callable<String>() {
 				public String call() throws Exception {
 					ExecutionContext executionContext = stepExecution.getExecutionContext();
 					executionContext.put("foo", value);
 					StepContext context = StepSynchronizationManager.register(stepExecution);
-					logger.debug("Registered: "+context.getStepExecutionContext());
+					logger.debug("Registered: " + context.getStepExecutionContext());
 					try {
 						return simple.getName();
 					}
@@ -135,8 +135,6 @@ public class AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests implements BeanFactoryAware {
 			tasks.add(task);
 			taskExecutor.execute(task);
 		}
-		
-		StepSynchronizationManager.close();
 
 		int i = 0;
 		for (FutureTask<String> task : tasks) {
@@ -144,6 +142,10 @@ public class AsyncStepScopeIntegrationTests implements BeanFactoryAware {
 			i++;
 		}
 
+		// Don't close the outer scope until all tasks are finished. This should
+		// always be the case if using an AbstractStep
+		StepSynchronizationManager.close();
+
 	}
 
 }