diff --git a/spring-batch-execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepository.java b/spring-batch-execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepository.java
index 7b5df7f23..719281fc3 100644
--- a/spring-batch-execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepository.java
+++ b/spring-batch-execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepository.java
@@ -238,13 +238,9 @@ public class SimpleJobRepository implements JobRepository {
 
 		Assert.notNull(stepExecution, "StepExecution cannot be null.");
 		Assert.notNull(stepExecution.getStepName(), "StepExecution's step name cannot be null.");
-
+		Assert.notNull(stepExecution.getJobExecutionId(), "StepExecution must belong to persisted JobExecution");
+		
 		if (stepExecution.getId() == null) {
-			// new execution, obtain id and insert
-			JobExecution jobExecution = stepExecution.getJobExecution();
-			if (jobExecution.getId() == null) {
-				jobExecutionDao.saveJobExecution(jobExecution);
-			}
 			stepExecutionDao.saveStepExecution(stepExecution);
 		}
 		else {
diff --git a/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepositoryTests.java b/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepositoryTests.java
index 065b86981..53854c7da 100644
--- a/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepositoryTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/SimpleJobRepositoryTests.java
@@ -318,50 +318,6 @@ public class SimpleJobRepositoryTests extends TestCase {
 		jobRepository.saveOrUpdate(jobExecution);
 	}
 
-	public void testUpdateStepExecution() {
-		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(new StepSupport("stepName"), null, new Long(1));
-		stepExecution.setId(new Long(11));
-		ExecutionContext executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
-		stepExecution.setExecutionContext(executionContext);
-		stepExecutionDao.updateStepExecution(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.replay();
-		jobRepository.saveOrUpdate(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.verify();
-	}
-
-	public void testUpdateExecutionContext() {
-		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(new StepSupport("stepName"), null, new Long(1));
-		stepExecution.setId(new Long(11));
-		ExecutionContext executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
-		stepExecution.setExecutionContext(executionContext);
-		stepExecutionDao.updateStepExecution(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDao.saveOrUpdateExecutionContext(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.replay();
-		jobRepository.saveOrUpdateExecutionContext(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.verify();
-	}
-
-	public void testSaveExistingStepExecution() {
-		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(new StepSupport("stepName"), new JobExecution(null), null);
-		ExecutionContext executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
-		stepExecution.setExecutionContext(executionContext);
-		stepExecutionDao.saveStepExecution(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.replay();
-		jobRepository.saveOrUpdate(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.verify();
-	}
-
-	public void testSaveExistingExecutionContext() {
-		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(new StepSupport("stepName"), new JobExecution(null), null);
-		ExecutionContext executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
-		stepExecution.setExecutionContext(executionContext);
-		stepExecutionDao.saveStepExecution(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDao.saveOrUpdateExecutionContext(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.replay();
-		jobRepository.saveOrUpdateExecutionContext(stepExecution);
-		stepExecutionDaoControl.verify();
-	}
-
 	public void testSaveOrUpdateStepExecutionException() {
 
 		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(new StepSupport("stepName"), null, null);
diff --git a/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/ItemOrientedStepTests.java b/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/ItemOrientedStepTests.java
index 1dbc8d5f1..97febd172 100644
--- a/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/ItemOrientedStepTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/ItemOrientedStepTests.java
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ public class ItemOrientedStepTests extends TestCase {
 		SimpleJobRepository repository = new SimpleJobRepository(new MapJobInstanceDao(), new MapJobExecutionDao(), new MapStepExecutionDao());
 		itemOrientedStep.setJobRepository(repository);
 
-		JobExecution jobExecutionContext = new JobExecution(jobInstance);
-		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(itemOrientedStep, jobExecutionContext);
+		JobExecution jobExecution = repository.createJobExecution(jobInstance.getJob(), jobInstance.getJobParameters());
+		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(itemOrientedStep, jobExecution);
 
 		itemOrientedStep.execute(stepExecution);
 		assertEquals(1, processed.size());
diff --git a/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/support/StepExecutorInterruptionTests.java b/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/support/StepExecutorInterruptionTests.java
index 72f1451ba..c43928799 100644
--- a/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/support/StepExecutorInterruptionTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/support/StepExecutorInterruptionTests.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.JobExecution;
-import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.JobInstance;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.JobInterruptedException;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.JobParameters;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.StepExecution;
@@ -52,6 +51,8 @@ public class StepExecutorInterruptionTests extends TestCase {
 	private StepExecutionDao stepExecutionDao = new MapStepExecutionDao();
 
 	private ItemOrientedStep step;
+	
+	private JobExecution jobExecution;
 
 	public void setUp() throws Exception {
 		MapJobInstanceDao.clear();
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ public class StepExecutorInterruptionTests extends TestCase {
 		step = new ItemOrientedStep("interruptedStep");
 		jobConfiguration.addStep(step);
 		jobConfiguration.setBeanName("testJob");
-		jobRepository.createJobExecution(jobConfiguration, new JobParameters());
+		jobExecution = jobRepository.createJobExecution(jobConfiguration, new JobParameters());
 		step.setJobRepository(jobRepository);
 		step.setTransactionManager(new ResourcelessTransactionManager());
 		step.setItemReader(new ItemReaderAdapter());
@@ -76,8 +77,7 @@ public class StepExecutorInterruptionTests extends TestCase {
 
 	public void testInterruptChunk() throws Exception {
 
-		JobExecution jobExecutionContext = new JobExecution(new JobInstance(new Long(0L), new JobParameters(), new JobSupport("testJob")));
-		final StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(step, jobExecutionContext);
+		final StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution(step, jobExecution);
 		step.setItemReader(new AbstractItemReader() {
 			public Object read() throws Exception {
 				// do something non-trivial (and not Thread.sleep())