diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/separator/ResourceLineReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/separator/ResourceLineReader.java
index 689882b31..d8490119b 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/separator/ResourceLineReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/separator/ResourceLineReader.java
@@ -139,8 +139,7 @@ public class ResourceLineReader extends ItemStreamAdapter implements LineReader,
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * @return
-	 * @throws IOException
+	 * @return the next non-comment line
 	 */
 	private String readLine() {
 		return getState().readLine();
@@ -209,7 +208,7 @@ public class ResourceLineReader extends ItemStreamAdapter implements LineReader,
 
 	/**
 	 * Mark the state for return later with reset. Uses the read-ahead limit
-	 * from the underlying {@link BufferedReader}, which means that there is a
+	 * from an underlying {@link BufferedReader}, which means that there is a
 	 * limit to how much data can be recovered if the mark needs to be reset.
 	 * 
 	 * @see #reset()
@@ -250,9 +249,6 @@ public class ResourceLineReader extends ItemStreamAdapter implements LineReader,
 		private int markedLineCount = -1;
 
 		public String readLine() {
-			if (reader == null) {
-				open();
-			}
 			String line = null;
 
 			try {
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/MarkFailedException.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/MarkFailedException.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e96d6b398
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/MarkFailedException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2007 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.batch.item.exception;
+
+
+/**
+ * @author Dave Syer
+ *
+ */
+public class MarkFailedException extends StreamException {
+
+	/**
+	 * @param message
+	 */
+	public MarkFailedException(String message) {
+		super(message);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param msg
+	 * @param nested
+	 */
+	public MarkFailedException(String msg, Throwable nested) {
+		super(msg, nested);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param msg
+	 * @param nested
+	 */
+	public MarkFailedException(Throwable nested) {
+		super(nested);
+	}	
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/ResetFailedException.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/ResetFailedException.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..16e83b697
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/ResetFailedException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2007 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.batch.item.exception;
+
+
+/**
+ * @author Dave Syer
+ *
+ */
+public class ResetFailedException extends StreamException {
+
+	/**
+	 * @param message
+	 */
+	public ResetFailedException(String message) {
+		super(message);
+		// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param msg
+	 * @param nested
+	 */
+	public ResetFailedException(String msg, Throwable nested) {
+		super(msg, nested);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param msg
+	 * @param nested
+	 */
+	public ResetFailedException(Throwable nested) {
+		super(nested);
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
index 279242d70..fa3f51525 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/io/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
@@ -177,6 +177,14 @@ public class ResourceLineReaderTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals("1", line);		
 	}
 
+	public void testMarkAfterClose() throws Exception {
+		Resource resource = new ByteArrayResource("1\n# 2\n3".getBytes());
+		ResourceLineReader reader = new ResourceLineReader(resource);
+		reader.read();
+		reader.close();
+		reader.mark();		
+	}
+
 	public void testNonDefaultRecordSeparatorPolicy() throws Exception {
 		Resource resource = new ByteArrayResource("1\n\"4\n5\"; \n6".getBytes());
 		ResourceLineReader reader = new ResourceLineReader(resource);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/MarkFailedExceptionTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/MarkFailedExceptionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3bcac0eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/MarkFailedExceptionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2007 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.batch.item.exception;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.io.exception.AbstractExceptionTests;
+
+
+public class MarkFailedExceptionTests extends AbstractExceptionTests {
+
+	public Exception getException(String msg) throws Exception {
+		return new MarkFailedException(msg);
+	}
+
+	public Exception getException(Throwable t) throws Exception {
+		return new MarkFailedException(t);
+	}
+
+	public Exception getException(String msg, Throwable t) throws Exception {
+		return new MarkFailedException(msg, t);
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/ResetFailedExceptionTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/ResetFailedExceptionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..209ac7a3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/ResetFailedExceptionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2007 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.batch.item.exception;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.io.exception.AbstractExceptionTests;
+
+
+public class ResetFailedExceptionTests extends AbstractExceptionTests {
+
+	public Exception getException(String msg) throws Exception {
+		return new ResetFailedException(msg);
+	}
+
+	public Exception getException(Throwable t) throws Exception {
+		return new ResetFailedException(t);
+	}
+
+	public Exception getException(String msg, Throwable t) throws Exception {
+		return new ResetFailedException(msg, t);
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/StreamExceptionTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/StreamExceptionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b35fa2136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/exception/StreamExceptionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2007 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.batch.item.exception;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.io.exception.AbstractExceptionTests;
+
+
+public class StreamExceptionTests extends AbstractExceptionTests {
+
+	public Exception getException(String msg) throws Exception {
+		return new StreamException(msg);
+	}
+
+	public Exception getException(Throwable t) throws Exception {
+		return new StreamException(t);
+	}
+
+	public Exception getException(String msg, Throwable t) throws Exception {
+		return new StreamException(msg, t);
+	}
+
+}