diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallback.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallback.java
index a4fb00e51..c63f7db8c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallback.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallback.java
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ import org.springframework.batch.retry.policy.ItemWriterRetryPolicy;
  */
 public class ItemWriterRetryCallback implements RetryCallback {
 
-	public static final String ITEM = ItemWriterRetryCallback.class.getName() + ".ITEM";
-
 	private Object item;
 
 	private ItemWriter writer;
@@ -107,26 +105,20 @@ public class ItemWriterRetryCallback implements RetryCallback {
 	public Object doWithRetry(RetryContext context) throws Throwable {
 		// This requires a collaboration with the RetryPolicy...
 		if (!context.isExhaustedOnly()) {
-			return process(context);
+			process(context);
+			return null;
 		}
 		throw new RetryException("Recovery path requested in retry callback.");
 	}
 
-	public Object next(RetryContext context) {
-		Object item = context.getAttribute(ITEM);
-		if (item == null) {
-			item = this.item;
-			context.setAttribute(ITEM, item);
-		}
+	public Object getItem() {
 		return item;
 	}
 
 	private Object process(RetryContext context) throws Exception {
-		Object item = next(context);
 		if (item != null) {
 			writer.write(item);
 		}
-		context.removeAttribute(ITEM); // if successful
 		return item;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/ItemWriterRetryPolicy.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/ItemWriterRetryPolicy.java
index 03c564718..a8ac02046 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/ItemWriterRetryPolicy.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/ItemWriterRetryPolicy.java
@@ -134,20 +134,20 @@ public class ItemWriterRetryPolicy extends AbstractStatefulRetryPolicy {
 
 	private class ItemWriterRetryContext extends RetryContextSupport implements RetryPolicy {
 
-		private Object item;
+		final private Object item;
 
 		// The delegate context...
 		private RetryContext delegateContext;
 
-		private ItemRecoverer recoverer;
+		final private ItemRecoverer recoverer;
 
-		private ItemKeyGenerator keyGenerator;
+		final private ItemKeyGenerator keyGenerator;
 
-		private FailedItemIdentifier failedItemIdentifier;
+		final private FailedItemIdentifier failedItemIdentifier;
 
 		public ItemWriterRetryContext(ItemWriterRetryCallback callback, RetryContext parent) {
 			super(parent);
-			item = callback.next(this);
+			this.item = callback.getItem();
 			this.recoverer = callback.getRecoverer();
 			this.keyGenerator = callback.getKeyGenerator();
 			this.failedItemIdentifier = callback.getFailedItemIdentifier();
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests.java
index c42abe27f..9d4c2bb30 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/callback/ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public class ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests extends TestCase {
 		template.setRetryPolicy(new NeverRetryPolicy() {
 			public boolean canRetry(RetryContext context) {
 				// ...register the failed item
-				calls.add("item(" + count + ")=" + context.getAttribute(ItemWriterRetryCallback.ITEM));
+				calls.add("item(" + count + ")=" + callback.getItem());
 				// Do not call the base class method - the attempt counts as
 				// successful now
 				if (count < 2) // only retry once
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests extends TestCase {
 		template.setRetryPolicy(new NeverRetryPolicy() {
 			public void registerThrowable(RetryContext context, Throwable throwable) throws TerminatedRetryException {
 				// ...register the failed item
-				calls.add("item=" + context.getAttribute(ItemWriterRetryCallback.ITEM));
+				calls.add("item=" + callback.getItem());
 				// Call the base class method so that the next attempt is a
 				// failure.
 				super.registerThrowable(context, throwable);
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ public class ItemWriterRetryCallbackTests extends TestCase {
 		catch (IllegalStateException e) {
 			// expected
 		}
-		// One call from the callback itslef and one from the retry policy
+		// One call from the callback itself and one from the retry policy
 		assertEquals(1, count);
 		assertEquals(1, calls.size());
 		assertEquals("item=bar", calls.get(0));