diff --git a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java
index db9c57d2e..7e2a279a0 100644
--- a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java
+++ b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.springframework.batch.repeat.RepeatCallback;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.RepeatContext;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.RepeatOperations;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.exception.handler.ExceptionHandler;
+import org.springframework.batch.repeat.exception.handler.SimpleLimitExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.policy.SimpleCompletionPolicy;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.synch.BatchTransactionSynchronizationManager;
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ public class SimpleStepExecutor implements StepExecutor {
 		final StepInstance step = stepExecution.getStep();
 		boolean isRestart = step.getStepExecutionCount() > 0 ? true : false;
 		Assert.notNull(step);
-		
+
 		final Tasklet module = configuration.getTasklet();
 
 		ExitStatus status = ExitStatus.FAILED;
@@ -430,7 +431,9 @@ public class SimpleStepExecutor implements StepExecutor {
 	 * <li> If the configuration is a {@link SimpleStepConfiguration} then we
 	 * apply the commit interval at the chunk level and the exception handler at
 	 * the step level, provided the existing repeat operations are instances of
-	 * {@link RepeatTemplate}.</li>
+	 * {@link RepeatTemplate}. In addition if there is a non-zero skip limit
+	 * and no {@link ExceptionHandler} then we inject a
+	 * {@link SimpleLimitExceptionHandler} with that limit.</li>
 	 * </ul>
 	 * 
 	 * @param configuration
@@ -447,14 +450,13 @@ public class SimpleStepExecutor implements StepExecutor {
 					.state(chunkOperations != null,
 							"Chunk operations obtained from step configuration must be non-null.");
 
-
 			if (chunkOperations != null) {
 				setChunkOperations(chunkOperations);
 			}
 			if (stepOperations != null) {
 				setStepOperations(stepOperations);
 			}
-		
+
 		} else if (configuration instanceof SimpleStepConfiguration) {
 
 			SimpleStepConfiguration simpleConfiguation = (SimpleStepConfiguration) configuration;
@@ -463,9 +465,19 @@ public class SimpleStepExecutor implements StepExecutor {
 				template.setCompletionPolicy(new SimpleCompletionPolicy(
 						simpleConfiguation.getCommitInterval()));
 			}
+
 			ExceptionHandler exceptionHandler = simpleConfiguation
 					.getExceptionHandler();
-			if (this.stepOperations instanceof RepeatTemplate && exceptionHandler!=null) {
+
+			if (simpleConfiguation.getSkipLimit() > 0
+					&& exceptionHandler == null) {
+				SimpleLimitExceptionHandler handler = new SimpleLimitExceptionHandler();
+				handler.setLimit(simpleConfiguation.getSkipLimit());
+				exceptionHandler = handler;
+			}
+
+			if (this.stepOperations instanceof RepeatTemplate
+					&& exceptionHandler != null) {
 				RepeatTemplate template = (RepeatTemplate) this.stepOperations;
 				template.setExceptionHandler(exceptionHandler);
 			}
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java
index 9ae559c28..91681eb93 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.batch.execution.step.simple;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
 
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemProvider;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.provider.ListItemProvider;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.ExitStatus;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.RepeatContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.repeat.exception.handler.DefaultExceptionHandler;
+import org.springframework.batch.repeat.exception.handler.ExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.interceptor.RepeatInterceptorAdapter;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.policy.SimpleCompletionPolicy;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate;
@@ -381,6 +384,45 @@ public class DefaultStepExecutorTests extends TestCase {
 			fail();
 		}
 	}
+	
+	public void testApplyConfigurationWithExceptionHandler() throws Exception {
+		SimpleStepConfiguration stepConfiguration = new SimpleStepConfiguration("foo");
+		final List list = new ArrayList();
+		stepExecutor.setStepOperations(new RepeatTemplate() {
+			public void setExceptionHandler(ExceptionHandler exceptionHandler) {
+				list.add(exceptionHandler);
+			}
+		});
+		stepConfiguration.setExceptionHandler(new DefaultExceptionHandler());
+		stepExecutor.applyConfiguration(stepConfiguration);
+		assertEquals(1, list.size());
+	}
+
+	public void testApplyConfigurationWithZeroSkipLimit() throws Exception {
+		SimpleStepConfiguration stepConfiguration = new SimpleStepConfiguration("foo");
+		stepConfiguration.setSkipLimit(0);
+		final List list = new ArrayList();
+		stepExecutor.setStepOperations(new RepeatTemplate() {
+			public void setExceptionHandler(ExceptionHandler exceptionHandler) {
+				list.add(exceptionHandler);
+			}
+		});
+		stepExecutor.applyConfiguration(stepConfiguration);
+		assertEquals(0, list.size());
+	}
+
+	public void testApplyConfigurationWithNonZeroSkipLimit() throws Exception {
+		SimpleStepConfiguration stepConfiguration = new SimpleStepConfiguration("foo");
+		stepConfiguration.setSkipLimit(1);
+		final List list = new ArrayList();
+		stepExecutor.setStepOperations(new RepeatTemplate() {
+			public void setExceptionHandler(ExceptionHandler exceptionHandler) {
+				list.add(exceptionHandler);
+			}
+		});
+		stepExecutor.applyConfiguration(stepConfiguration);
+		assertEquals(1, list.size());
+	}
 
 	private class MockRestartableTasklet implements Tasklet, Restartable {
 
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java
index e1f867316..a96c8f556 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java
@@ -70,6 +70,15 @@ public class SimpleStepConfigurationTests extends TestCase {
 		assertNotNull(configuration.getExceptionHandler());
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.execution.step.AbstractStepConfiguration#getExceptionHandler()}.
+	 */
+	public void testSkipLimit() {
+		assertEquals(0, configuration.getSkipLimit());
+		configuration.setSkipLimit(2);
+		assertEquals(2, configuration.getSkipLimit());
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.execution.step.AbstractStepConfiguration#getSkipLimit()}.
 	 */