diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicy.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicy.java
index 1a2fe5192..b74384e97 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicy.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicy.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.batch.retry.policy;
 
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.springframework.batch.classify.BinaryExceptionClassifier;
@@ -42,10 +43,23 @@ import org.springframework.batch.retry.context.RetryContextSupport;
  */
 public class SimpleRetryPolicy implements RetryPolicy {
 
+	/**
+	 * The default limit to the number of attempts for a new policy.
+	 */
+	public final static int DEFAULT_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
+
 	private volatile int maxAttempts;
 
 	private BinaryExceptionClassifier retryableClassifier = new BinaryExceptionClassifier(false);
 
+	/**
+	 * Create a {@link SimpleRetryPolicy} with the default number of retry
+	 * attempts.
+	 */
+	public SimpleRetryPolicy() {
+		this(DEFAULT_MAX_ATTEMPTS, Collections.<Class<? extends Throwable>, Boolean>singletonMap(Exception.class, true));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Create a {@link SimpleRetryPolicy} with the specified number of retry
 	 * attempts.
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicyTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicyTests.java
index 4ecdf82e4..3e8bb3db4 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicyTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/retry/policy/SimpleRetryPolicyTests.java
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ public class SimpleRetryPolicyTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testCanRetryIfNoException() throws Exception {
-		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy(3, Collections
-				.<Class<? extends Throwable>, Boolean> singletonMap(Exception.class, true));
+		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy();
 		RetryContext context = policy.open(null);
 		assertTrue(policy.canRetry(context));
 	}
@@ -55,8 +54,7 @@ public class SimpleRetryPolicyTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testRetryLimitInitialState() throws Exception {
-		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy(3, Collections
-				.<Class<? extends Throwable>, Boolean> singletonMap(Exception.class, true));
+		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy();
 		RetryContext context = policy.open(null);
 		assertTrue(policy.canRetry(context));
 		policy.setMaxAttempts(0);
@@ -66,8 +64,7 @@ public class SimpleRetryPolicyTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testRetryLimitSubsequentState() throws Exception {
-		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy(3, Collections
-				.<Class<? extends Throwable>, Boolean> singletonMap(Exception.class, true));
+		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy();
 		RetryContext context = policy.open(null);
 		policy.setMaxAttempts(2);
 		assertTrue(policy.canRetry(context));
@@ -79,8 +76,7 @@ public class SimpleRetryPolicyTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testRetryCount() throws Exception {
-		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy(3, Collections
-				.<Class<? extends Throwable>, Boolean> singletonMap(Exception.class, true));
+		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy();
 		RetryContext context = policy.open(null);
 		assertNotNull(context);
 		policy.registerThrowable(context, null);
@@ -104,8 +100,7 @@ public class SimpleRetryPolicyTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testParent() throws Exception {
-		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy(3, Collections
-				.<Class<? extends Throwable>, Boolean> singletonMap(Exception.class, true));
+		SimpleRetryPolicy policy = new SimpleRetryPolicy();
 		RetryContext context = policy.open(null);
 		RetryContext child = policy.open(context);
 		assertNotSame(child, context);