diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/SimpleJobLauncher.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/SimpleJobLauncher.java
index c8f4646c4..191b3f6f8 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/SimpleJobLauncher.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/SimpleJobLauncher.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support;
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.BatchStatus;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.Job;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobInstance;
@@ -81,17 +82,29 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncher implements JobLauncher, InitializingBean {
 		Assert.notNull(job, "The Job must not be null.");
 		Assert.notNull(jobParameters, "The JobParameters must not be null.");
 
-		boolean exists = jobRepository.isJobInstanceExists(job.getName(), jobParameters);
-		if (exists && !job.isRestartable()) {
-			throw new JobRestartException("JobInstance already exists and is not restartable");
+		final JobExecution jobExecution;
+		JobExecution lastExecution = jobRepository.getLastJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters);
+		if (lastExecution != null) {
+			if (lastExecution.getStatus() == BatchStatus.PAUSED) {
+				jobExecution = lastExecution;
+			}
+			else if (!job.isRestartable()) {
+				throw new JobRestartException("JobInstance already exists and is not restartable");
+			}
+			else {
+				/*
+				 * There is a very small probability that a non-restartable job
+				 * can be restarted, but only if another process or thread
+				 * manages to launch <i>and</i> fail a job execution for this
+				 * instance between the last assertion and the next method
+				 * returning successfully.
+				 */
+				jobExecution = jobRepository.createJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters);
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			jobExecution = jobRepository.createJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters);
 		}
-		/**
-		 * There is a very small probability that a non-restartable job can be
-		 * restarted, but only if another process or thread manages to launch
-		 * <i>and</i> fail a job execution for this instance between the last assertion
-		 * and the next method returning successfully.
-		 */
-		final JobExecution jobExecution = jobRepository.createJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters);
 
 		taskExecutor.execute(new Runnable() {
 
@@ -99,8 +112,8 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncher implements JobLauncher, InitializingBean {
 				try {
 					logger.info("Job: [" + job + "] launched with the following parameters: [" + jobParameters + "]");
 					job.execute(jobExecution);
-					logger.info("Job: [" + job + "] completed with the following parameters: ["
-							+ jobParameters + "] and the following status: [" + jobExecution.getStatus() + "]");
+					logger.info("Job: [" + job + "] completed with the following parameters: [" + jobParameters
+							+ "] and the following status: [" + jobExecution.getStatus() + "]");
 				}
 				catch (Throwable t) {
 					logger.info("Job: [" + job + "] failed with the following parameters: [" + jobParameters + "]", t);
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/JobRepository.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/JobRepository.java
index 57a5a26c1..76ca5e21f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/JobRepository.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/JobRepository.java
@@ -124,4 +124,11 @@ public interface JobRepository {
 	 */
 	int getStepExecutionCount(JobInstance jobInstance, String stepName);
 
+	/**
+	 * @param jobName the name of the job that might have run 
+	 * @param jobParameters parameters identifying the {@link JobInstance}
+	 * @return the last execution of job if exists, null otherwise
+	 */
+	JobExecution getLastJobExecution(String jobName, JobParameters jobParameters);
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/support/SimpleJobRepository.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/support/SimpleJobRepository.java
index b14fef106..1955aef9f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/support/SimpleJobRepository.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/support/SimpleJobRepository.java
@@ -326,4 +326,9 @@ public class SimpleJobRepository implements JobRepository {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public JobExecution getLastJobExecution(String jobName, JobParameters jobParameters) {
+		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
+		return null;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/SimpleJobLauncherTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/SimpleJobLauncherTests.java
index cccfcb23d..fe31d7ae6 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/SimpleJobLauncherTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/SimpleJobLauncherTests.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.Job;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.JobInstance;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.JobParameters;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.job.JobSupport;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support.SimpleJobLauncher;
@@ -74,7 +75,9 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncherTests {
 
 		JobExecution jobExecution = new JobExecution(null, null);
 
-		expect(jobRepository.isJobInstanceExists(job.getName(), jobParameters)).andReturn(false);
+		// expect(jobRepository.isJobInstanceExists(job.getName(),
+		// jobParameters)).andReturn(false);
+		expect(jobRepository.getLastJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters)).andReturn(null);
 		expect(jobRepository.createJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters)).andReturn(jobExecution);
 		replay(jobRepository);
 
@@ -96,6 +99,7 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncherTests {
 			public boolean isRestartable() {
 				return false;
 			}
+
 			@Override
 			public void execute(JobExecution execution) {
 				execution.setExitStatus(ExitStatus.FINISHED);
@@ -106,7 +110,9 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncherTests {
 		testRun();
 		try {
 			reset(jobRepository);
-			expect(jobRepository.isJobInstanceExists(job.getName(), jobParameters)).andReturn(true);
+//			expect(jobRepository.isJobInstanceExists(job.getName(), jobParameters)).andReturn(true);
+			expect(jobRepository.getLastJobExecution(job.getName(), jobParameters)).andReturn(
+					new JobExecution(new JobInstance(1L, jobParameters, job.getName())));
 			replay(jobRepository);
 			jobLauncher.run(job, jobParameters);
 			fail("Expected JobRestartException");
@@ -141,7 +147,8 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncherTests {
 		try {
 			testRun();
 			fail("Expected RuntimeException");
-		} catch (RuntimeException e) {
+		}
+		catch (RuntimeException e) {
 			assertEquals("foo", e.getMessage());
 		}
 	}
@@ -157,7 +164,8 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncherTests {
 		try {
 			testRun();
 			fail("Expected Error");
-		} catch (RuntimeException e) {
+		}
+		catch (RuntimeException e) {
 			assertEquals("foo", e.getCause().getMessage());
 		}
 	}
@@ -167,10 +175,11 @@ public class SimpleJobLauncherTests {
 		try {
 			new SimpleJobLauncher().afterPropertiesSet();
 			fail("Expected IllegalArgumentException");
-		} catch (IllegalStateException e) {
+		}
+		catch (IllegalStateException e) {
 			// expected
 			assertTrue("Message did not contain repository: " + e.getMessage(), contains(e.getMessage().toLowerCase(),
-			        "repository"));
+					"repository"));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/JobRepositorySupport.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/JobRepositorySupport.java
index 78a3ec790..202ed7477 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/JobRepositorySupport.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/JobRepositorySupport.java
@@ -75,8 +75,11 @@ public class JobRepositorySupport implements JobRepository {
 	 * @see org.springframework.batch.core.repository.JobRepository#isJobInstanceExists(java.lang.String, org.springframework.batch.core.JobParameters)
 	 */
 	public boolean isJobInstanceExists(String jobName, JobParameters jobParameters) {
-		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	public JobExecution getLastJobExecution(String jobName, JobParameters jobParameters) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/TaskletStepExceptionTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/TaskletStepExceptionTests.java
index c1c68e7c1..583694acd 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/TaskletStepExceptionTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/TaskletStepExceptionTests.java
@@ -265,6 +265,11 @@ public class TaskletStepExceptionTests {
 		public int getUpdateCount() {
 			return updateCount;
 		}
+
+		public JobExecution getLastJobExecution(String jobName, JobParameters jobParameters) {
+			// TODO Auto-generated method stub
+			return null;
+		}
 	}
 
 }