diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java
index d74b7da7b..3636a1b9f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java
@@ -247,8 +247,8 @@ public class FlatFileItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implement
 		if (outputState.lastMarkedByteOffsetPosition == 0) {
 			if (headerCallback != null) {
 				try {
-					headerCallback.write(state.outputBufferedWriter);
-					state.write("\n");
+					headerCallback.write(outputState.outputBufferedWriter);
+					outputState.write("\n");
 				}
 				catch (IOException e) {
 					throw new FlushFailedException("Could not write headers.  The file may be corrupt.", e);
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ public class FlatFileItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implement
 
 			outputBufferedWriter = getBufferedWriter(fileChannel, encoding);
 
+			Assert.state(outputBufferedWriter != null);
 			// in case of restarting reset position to last committed point
 			if (restarted) {
 				checkFileSize();
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/.settings/org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.prefs b/spring-batch-samples/.settings/org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.prefs
index 1058cc07e..dfc176ba0 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/.settings/org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.prefs
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/.settings/org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.prefs
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-#Mon Aug 11 02:58:58 EDT 2008
+#Thu Sep 11 14:26:57 CEST 2008
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.builders.enable.aopreferencemodelbuilder=true
-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.builders.enable.beanmetadatabuilder=true
+org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.builders.enable.beanmetadatabuilder=false
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.builders.enable.osgibundleupdater=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.enable.project.preferences=false
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.com.springsource.platform.ide.manifest.core.manifestvalidator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.com.springsource.sts.ap.quickfix.manifestvalidator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.com.springsource.sts.bestpractices.beansvalidator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beansvalidator=true
-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.springvalidator=true
+org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.springvalidator=false
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.com.springsource.platform.ide.manifest.core.applicationSymbolicNameRule-com.springsource.platform.ide.manifest.core.manifestvalidator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.com.springsource.platform.ide.manifest.core.applicationVersionRule-com.springsource.platform.ide.manifest.core.manifestvalidator=true
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.i
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beanReference-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beansvalidator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.methodOverride-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beansvalidator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.parsingProblems-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beansvalidator=true
-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.requiredProperty-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beansvalidator=true
-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.springClasspath-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.springvalidator=true
+org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.requiredProperty-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.beansvalidator=false
+org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.springClasspath-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.springvalidator=false
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validation.action-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validation.actionstate-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validator=true
 org.springframework.ide.eclipse.core.validator.rule.enable.org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validation.attribute-org.springframework.ide.eclipse.webflow.core.validator=true
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans b/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans
index c57300f79..7c73069e8 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <beansProjectDescription>
 	<version>1</version>
-	<pluginVersion><![CDATA[2.1.0.v200806081427]]></pluginVersion>
+	<pluginVersion><![CDATA[2.0.6.v200806241357]]></pluginVersion>
 	<configSuffixes>
 		<configSuffix><![CDATA[xml]]></configSuffix>
 	</configSuffixes>
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 		<config>src/main/resources/staging-test-context.xml</config>
 		<config>src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/config/common-context.xml</config>
 		<config>src/main/resources/jobs/taskletJob.xml</config>
+		<config>src/main/resources/jobs/headerFooterSample.xml</config>
 	</configs>
 	<configSets>
 		<configSet>
@@ -215,17 +216,6 @@
 				<config>src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/config/common-context.xml</config>
 			</configs>
 		</configSet>
-		<configSet>
-			<name><![CDATA[jmxLauncher]]></name>
-			<allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>true</allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>
-			<incomplete>false</incomplete>
-			<configs>
-				<config>src/main/resources/adhoc-job-launcher-context.xml</config>
-				<config>src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml</config>
-				<config>src/main/resources/simple-job-launcher-context.xml</config>
-				<config>src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/config/common-context.xml</config>
-			</configs>
-		</configSet>
 		<configSet>
 			<name><![CDATA[skipSample]]></name>
 			<allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>true</allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>
@@ -345,5 +335,27 @@
 				<config>src/main/resources/jobs/taskletJob.xml</config>
 			</configs>
 		</configSet>
+		<configSet>
+			<name><![CDATA[jmxLauncher]]></name>
+			<allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>true</allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>
+			<incomplete>false</incomplete>
+			<configs>
+				<config>src/main/resources/adhoc-job-launcher-context.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/simple-job-launcher-context.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/config/common-context.xml</config>
+			</configs>
+		</configSet>
+		<configSet>
+			<name><![CDATA[headerFooter]]></name>
+			<allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>true</allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>
+			<incomplete>false</incomplete>
+			<configs>
+				<config>src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/jobs/headerFooterSample.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/config/common-context.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/simple-job-launcher-context.xml</config>
+			</configs>
+		</configSet>
 	</configSets>
 </beansProjectDescription>
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/support/HeaderCopyCallback.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/support/HeaderCopyCallback.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..23340ac68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/support/HeaderCopyCallback.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.sample.support;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.Writer;
+
+
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.FileWriterCallback;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.FlatFileItemReader;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.FlatFileItemWriter;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.LineCallbackHandler;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+
+/**
+ * Designed to be registered with both {@link FlatFileItemReader} and
+ * {@link FlatFileItemWriter} and copy header line from input file to output
+ * file.
+ */
+public class HeaderCopyCallback implements LineCallbackHandler, FileWriterCallback {
+
+	private String header = "";
+	
+	public void handleLine(String line) {
+		Assert.notNull(line);
+		this.header = line;
+	}
+
+	public void write(Writer writer) throws IOException {
+		writer.write("header from input: " + header);
+		
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/support/SummaryFooterCallback.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/support/SummaryFooterCallback.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc0f89596
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/support/SummaryFooterCallback.java
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.sample.support;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.Writer;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.listener.StepExecutionListenerSupport;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.FileWriterCallback;
+
+/**
+ * Writes summary info in the footer of a file.
+ */
+public class SummaryFooterCallback extends StepExecutionListenerSupport implements FileWriterCallback{
+
+	private StepExecution stepExecution;
+	
+	public void write(Writer writer) throws IOException {
+		writer.write("footer - number of items written: " + stepExecution.getWriteCount());
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void beforeStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
+		this.stepExecution = stepExecution;
+	}
+
+	
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/data/headerFooterSample/input.txt b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/data/headerFooterSample/input.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da7709d50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/data/headerFooterSample/input.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# next line is a header and should be copied to to output file
+names
+john
+joe
+jane
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/headerFooterSample.xml b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/headerFooterSample.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fff0cf5ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/headerFooterSample.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
+	xmlns:aop="http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop" xmlns:tx="http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx"
+	xmlns:p="http://www.springframework.org/schema/p" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+	xsi:schemaLocation="
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.0.xsd
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-2.0.xsd
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-2.0.xsd">
+	<description>
+		Showcases reading and writing of headers and footers. Copies header from input to output and adds a footer.
+	</description>
+	<bean id="headerFooterSample" parent="simpleJob">
+		<property name="steps">
+			<bean id="step1" parent="simpleStep" p:commitInterval="3">
+				<property name="streams">
+					<list>
+						<!--
+							explicit registration to enforce ordering (header needs to be
+							read before it can be written)
+						-->
+						<ref bean="reader" />
+						<ref bean="writer" />
+					</list>
+				</property>
+				<property name="listeners" ref="footerCallback" />
+				<property name="itemReader" ref="reader" />
+				<property name="itemWriter" ref="writer" />
+			</bean>
+		</property>
+	</bean>
+	<bean id="reader" class="org.springframework.batch.item.file.FlatFileItemReader">
+		<property name="resource" ref="inputResource" />
+		<property name="lineTokenizer">
+			<bean
+				class="org.springframework.batch.item.file.transform.DelimitedLineTokenizer">
+				<property name="delimiter" value="," />
+			</bean>
+		</property>
+		<property name="fieldSetMapper">
+			<bean
+				class="org.springframework.batch.item.file.mapping.PassThroughFieldSetMapper" />
+		</property>
+		<property name="headerCallback" ref="headerCopier" />
+		<property name="firstLineIsHeader" value="true" />
+	</bean>
+	<bean id="writer" class="org.springframework.batch.item.file.FlatFileItemWriter">
+		<property name="resource" ref="outputResource" />
+		<property name="lineAggregator">
+			<bean
+				class="org.springframework.batch.item.file.transform.PassThroughLineAggregator" />
+		</property>
+		<property name="headerCallback" ref="headerCopier" />
+		<property name="footerCallback" ref="footerCallback" />
+	</bean>
+	<bean id="footerCallback" class="org.springframework.batch.sample.support.SummaryFooterCallback" />
+	<bean id="headerCopier"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.sample.support.HeaderCopyCallback" />
+	<bean id="inputResource" class="org.springframework.core.io.ClassPathResource">
+		<constructor-arg type="java.lang.String"
+			value="data/headerFooterSample/input.txt" />
+	</bean>
+	<bean id="outputResource" class="org.springframework.core.io.FileSystemResource">
+		<constructor-arg type="java.lang.String"
+			value="target/test-outputs/headerFooterOutput.txt" />
+	</bean>
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..abd9ad7f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.sample;
+
+import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.FileReader;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
+import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
+
+@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@ContextConfiguration
+public class HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests extends AbstractValidatingBatchLauncherTests {
+
+	@Override
+	protected void validatePostConditions() throws Exception {
+		Resource input = (Resource) applicationContext.getBean("inputResource", Resource.class);
+		Resource output = (Resource) applicationContext.getBean("outputResource", Resource.class);
+
+		BufferedReader inputReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(input.getFile()));
+		BufferedReader outputReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(output.getFile()));
+
+		// skip initial comment from input file
+		inputReader.readLine();
+
+		String line;
+
+		int lineCount = 0;
+		while ((line = inputReader.readLine()) != null) {
+			lineCount++;
+			assertTrue("input line should correspond to output line", outputReader.readLine().contains(line));
+		}
+
+		// footer contains the item count
+		int itemCount = lineCount - 1; // minus 1 due to header line
+		assertTrue(outputReader.readLine().contains(String.valueOf(itemCount)));
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ac797e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/HeaderFooterSampleFunctionalTests-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
+	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+	xsi:schemaLocation="
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.0.xsd">
+
+	<import resource="classpath:/simple-job-launcher-context.xml" />
+	<import resource="classpath:/jobs/headerFooterSample.xml" />
+
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file