diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
index edc118171..5da3cceac 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
@@ -48,6 +48,35 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 
 	private StepListenerParser stepListenerParser = new StepListenerParser();
 
+	/**
+	 * @param element
+	 * @param parserContext
+	 * @return a BeanDefinition if possible
+	 */
+	protected AbstractBeanDefinition parseTasklet(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
+
+		String jobRepositoryRef = element.getAttribute("job-repository");
+		String taskletRef = element.getAttribute("tasklet");
+		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+		List<Element> taskletElements = (List<Element>) DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(element, "tasklet");
+		AbstractBeanDefinition bd = null;
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(taskletRef)) {
+			if (taskletElements.size() > 0) {
+				parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
+						"The <" + taskletElements.get(0).getNodeName()
+								+ "> element can't be combined with the 'tasklet=\"" + taskletRef
+								+ "\"' attribute specification for <" + element.getNodeName() + ">", element);
+			}
+			bd = parseTaskletRef(element, taskletRef, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
+		}
+		else if (taskletElements.size() > 0) {
+			Element taskElement = taskletElements.get(0);
+			bd = parseTaskletElement(element, taskElement, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
+		}
+		return bd;
+	
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @param stepElement
 	 * @param taskletRef
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java
index a5bc77afd..ddf961a0c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java
@@ -15,13 +15,9 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.batch.core.configuration.xml;
 
-import java.util.List;
-
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.GenericBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
-import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
-import org.springframework.util.xml.DomUtils;
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 
 /**
@@ -42,28 +38,14 @@ public class StandaloneStepParser extends AbstractStepParser {
 	 * @param parserContext the parser context for the bean factory
 	 */
 	public AbstractBeanDefinition parse(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
-
-		String taskletRef = element.getAttribute("tasklet");
-		String jobRepositoryRef = element.getAttribute("job-repository");
-
-		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-		List<Element> processTaskElements = (List<Element>) DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(element, "tasklet");
-		AbstractBeanDefinition bd = null;
-		if (StringUtils.hasText(taskletRef)) {
-			bd = parseTaskletRef(element, taskletRef, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
-		}
-		else if (processTaskElements.size() > 0) {
-			Element taskElement = processTaskElements.get(0);
-			bd = parseTaskletElement(element, taskElement, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
-		}
-		else {
+		AbstractBeanDefinition bd = parseTasklet(element, parserContext);
+		if (bd == null) {
 			bd = new GenericBeanDefinition();
-			setUpBeanDefinition(element, bd, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
+			setUpBeanDefinition(element, bd, parserContext, element.getAttribute("job-repository"));
 		}
 		bd.setAbstract(Boolean.valueOf(element.getAttribute("abstract")));
 
 		return bd;
-
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserParentAttributeTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserParentAttributeTests-context.xml
index 071b53b8f..7268ee0af 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserParentAttributeTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserParentAttributeTests-context.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 			<tasklet reader="reader" writer="writer" commit-interval="5"/>
 		</step>
 		<step id="s2" ref="standalone2" next="s3"/>
-		<step id="s3" parent="baseStep" tasklet="dummyTasklet" next="s4"/>
+		<step id="s3" tasklet="dummyTasklet" parent="baseStep" next="s4"/>
 		<step id="s4" ref="standalone4"/>
 	</job>
 
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
 		<tasklet reader="reader" writer="writer" commit-interval="5"/>
 	</step>
 	
-	<step id="standalone4" tasklet="dummyTasklet" parent="baseStep">
-		<tasklet reader="reader" writer="writer" commit-interval="5"/>
-	</step>
+	<step id="standalone4" tasklet="dummyTasklet" parent="baseStep"/>
 
 	<step id="baseStep" abstract="true">
 		<listeners>