diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans b/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans
index 610e49707..af76377a4 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/.springBeans
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 		<config>src/main/resources/jobs/taskletJob.xml</config>
 		<config>src/main/resources/jobs/compositeItemWriterSampleJob.xml</config>
 		<config>src/main/resources/jobs/multiResourceJob.xml</config>
+		<config>src/main/resources/jobs/jobExecutionContextSample.xml</config>
 	</configs>
 	<configSets>
 		<configSet>
@@ -305,5 +306,16 @@
 				<config>src/main/resources/simple-job-launcher-context.xml</config>
 			</configs>
 		</configSet>
+		<configSet>
+			<name><![CDATA[jobExecutionContextSample]]></name>
+			<allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>true</allowBeanDefinitionOverriding>
+			<incomplete>false</incomplete>
+			<configs>
+				<config>src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/data-source-context-init.xml</config>
+				<config>src/main/resources/jobs/jobExecutionContextSample.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/tasklet/DummyMessageReceivingTasklet.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/DummyMessageReceivingTasklet.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..73b42464c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/DummyMessageReceivingTasklet.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.sample.tasklet;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.listener.StepExecutionListenerSupport;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.Tasklet;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.repeat.ExitStatus;
+
+/**
+ * Dummy tasklet that retrieves message from the job execution context.
+ */
+public class DummyMessageReceivingTasklet extends StepExecutionListenerSupport implements Tasklet {
+
+	private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(DummyMessageReceivingTasklet.class);
+
+	private String receivedMessage = null;
+
+	public void beforeStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
+		ExecutionContext ctx = stepExecution.getJobExecution().getExecutionContext();
+		receivedMessage = ctx.getString(DummyMessageSendingTasklet.MESSAGE_KEY);
+		logger.info("Got message from context: " + receivedMessage);
+	}
+
+	public ExitStatus execute() throws Exception {
+		return ExitStatus.FINISHED;
+	}
+
+	public String getReceivedMessage() {
+		return receivedMessage;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/DummyMessageSendingTasklet.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/DummyMessageSendingTasklet.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdd13a710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/DummyMessageSendingTasklet.java
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.sample.tasklet;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.listener.StepExecutionListenerSupport;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.Tasklet;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.repeat.ExitStatus;
+
+/**
+ * Dummy tasklet that stores a message in the job execution context.
+ */
+public class DummyMessageSendingTasklet extends StepExecutionListenerSupport implements Tasklet {
+
+	private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(DummyMessageSendingTasklet.class);
+
+	public static final String MESSAGE_KEY = "DummyMessageSendingTasklet.MESSAGE";
+
+	private String message = "Hello!";
+
+	public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
+		ExecutionContext ctx = stepExecution.getJobExecution().getExecutionContext();
+		ctx.putString(MESSAGE_KEY, message);
+		logger.info("Put message into context: " + message);
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	public ExitStatus execute() throws Exception {
+		return ExitStatus.FINISHED;
+	}
+
+	public String getMessage() {
+		return message;
+	}
+
+	public void setMessage(String message) {
+		this.message = message;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/jobExecutionContextSample.xml b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/jobExecutionContextSample.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b47a82eee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/jobExecutionContextSample.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<?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.xsd">
+
+	<description>
+		Simple example of inter-step communication using persistent job
+		execution context.
+	</description>
+
+	<bean id="jobExecutionContextSample" parent="simpleJob">
+		<property name="steps">
+			<list>
+				<bean id="step1" parent="taskletStep">
+					<property name="tasklet" ref="sender" />
+				</bean>
+				<bean id="step2" parent="taskletStep">
+					<property name="tasklet" ref="receiver" />
+				</bean>
+			</list>
+		</property>
+	</bean>
+
+	<bean id="sender"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.sample.tasklet.DummyMessageSendingTasklet">
+		<property name="message" value="Hey!" />
+	</bean>
+
+	<bean id="receiver"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.sample.tasklet.DummyMessageReceivingTasklet" />
+
+</beans>
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d81cb835b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.sample;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.sample.tasklet.DummyMessageReceivingTasklet;
+import org.springframework.batch.sample.tasklet.DummyMessageSendingTasklet;
+
+public class JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests extends AbstractValidatingBatchLauncherTests {
+
+	private DummyMessageSendingTasklet sender;
+
+	private DummyMessageReceivingTasklet receiver;
+
+	protected void validatePostConditions() throws Exception {
+		assertEquals(sender.getMessage(), receiver.getReceivedMessage());
+	}
+
+	// auto-injection setter
+	public void setSender(DummyMessageSendingTasklet sender) {
+		this.sender = sender;
+	}
+
+	// auto-injection setter
+	public void setReceiver(DummyMessageReceivingTasklet receiver) {
+		this.receiver = receiver;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d04503b41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/sample/JobExecutionContextSampleFunctionalTests-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/jobExecutionContextSample.xml" />
+
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file