diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java
index b1850c69e..b17c40f29 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java
@@ -58,6 +58,20 @@ public class ExecutionContext implements Serializable {
 		this.map = map;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @param executionContext
+	 */
+	public ExecutionContext(ExecutionContext executionContext) {
+		this();
+		if (executionContext==null) {
+			return;
+		}
+		for (Iterator iterator = executionContext.entrySet().iterator(); iterator.hasNext();) {
+			Entry entry = (Entry) iterator.next();
+			this.map.put(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Adds a String value to the context.
 	 * 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java
index 0f7db3f86..a09e17270 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java
@@ -128,6 +128,18 @@ public class ExecutionContextTests extends TestCase{
 		assertEquals(7, ((TestSerializable)deserialized.get("5")).value);
 	}
 	
+	public void testCopyConstructor() throws Exception {
+		ExecutionContext context = new ExecutionContext();
+		context.put("foo", "bar");
+		ExecutionContext copy = new ExecutionContext(context);
+		assertEquals(copy, context);
+	}
+	
+	public void testCopyConstructorNullnNput() throws Exception {
+		ExecutionContext context = new ExecutionContext((ExecutionContext)null);
+		assertTrue(context.isEmpty());
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Value object for testing serialization
 	 */