diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriter.java
index a8bc61fdf..f511b63e7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriter.java
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ package org.springframework.batch.item.support;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStream;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStreamException;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStreamWriter;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemWriter;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
@@ -31,10 +35,16 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  * @author Robert Kasanicky
  * @author Dave Syer
  */
-public class CompositeItemWriter<T> implements ItemWriter<T>, InitializingBean {
+public class CompositeItemWriter<T> implements ItemStreamWriter<T>, InitializingBean {
 
 	private List<ItemWriter<? super T>> delegates;
 
+	private boolean ignoreItemStream = false;
+
+	public void setIgnoreItemStream(boolean ignoreItemStream) {
+		this.ignoreItemStream = ignoreItemStream;
+	}
+
 	public void write(List<? extends T> item) throws Exception {
 		for (ItemWriter<? super T> writer : delegates) {
 			writer.write(item);
@@ -50,4 +60,28 @@ public class CompositeItemWriter<T> implements ItemWriter<T>, InitializingBean {
 		this.delegates = delegates;
 	}
 
+	public void close() throws ItemStreamException {
+		for (ItemWriter<? super T> writer : delegates) {
+			if (!ignoreItemStream && (writer instanceof ItemStream)) {
+				((ItemStream) writer).close();
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	public void open(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
+		for (ItemWriter<? super T> writer : delegates) {
+			if (!ignoreItemStream && (writer instanceof ItemStream)) {
+				((ItemStream) writer).open(executionContext);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	public void update(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
+		for (ItemWriter<? super T> writer : delegates) {
+			if (!ignoreItemStream && (writer instanceof ItemStream)) {
+				((ItemStream) writer).update(executionContext);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriterTests.java
index 461b6475b..ea0b9c618 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/CompositeItemWriterTests.java
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import junit.framework.TestCase;
-
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStreamWriter;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemWriter;
 
 /**
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemWriter;
  * 
  * @author Robert Kasanicky
  */
-public class CompositeItemWriterTests extends TestCase {
+public class CompositeItemWriterTests {
 
 	// object under test
 	private CompositeItemWriter<Object> itemWriter = new CompositeItemWriter<Object>();
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ public class CompositeItemWriterTests extends TestCase {
 	/**
 	 * Regular usage scenario. All injected processors should be called.
 	 */
-
+	@Test
 	public void testProcess() throws Exception {
 
 		final int NUMBER_OF_WRITERS = 10;
@@ -53,4 +54,39 @@ public class CompositeItemWriterTests extends TestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testItemStreamCalled() throws Exception {
+		doTestItemStream(true);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testItemStreamNotCalled() throws Exception {
+		doTestItemStream(false);
+	}
+
+	private void doTestItemStream(boolean expectOpen) throws Exception {
+		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+		ItemStreamWriter<? super Object> writer = createStrictMock(ItemStreamWriter.class);
+		List<Object> data = Collections.singletonList(new Object());
+		ExecutionContext executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
+		if (expectOpen) {
+			writer.open(executionContext);
+			expectLastCall().once();
+		}
+		writer.write(data);
+		expectLastCall().once();
+		replay(writer);
+
+		List<ItemWriter<? super Object>> writers = new ArrayList<ItemWriter<? super Object>>();
+		writers.add(writer);
+
+		itemWriter.setDelegates(writers);
+		if (expectOpen) {
+			itemWriter.open(executionContext);
+		}
+		itemWriter.write(data);
+
+		verify(writer);
+	}
+
 }