diff --git a/infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatus.java b/infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatus.java
index c30f89511..5aa312ba4 100644
--- a/infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatus.java
+++ b/infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatus.java
@@ -149,4 +149,13 @@ public class ExitStatus implements Serializable {
 		return new ExitStatus(continuable, code, exitDescription);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Check if this status represents a running process.
+	 * 
+	 * @return tru eif the exit code is "RUNNING" or "UNKNOWN"
+	 */
+	public boolean isRunning() {
+		return "RUNNING".equals(this.exitCode) || "UNKNOWN".equals(this.exitCode);
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatusTests.java b/infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatusTests.java
index d2819db50..127e73925 100644
--- a/infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatusTests.java
+++ b/infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/repeat/ExitStatusTests.java
@@ -104,6 +104,15 @@ public class ExitStatusTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals("Bar", status.getExitDescription());
 	}
 	
+	public void testRunningIsRunning() throws Exception {
+		assertTrue(ExitStatus.RUNNING.isRunning());
+		assertTrue(new ExitStatus(true, "RUNNING").isRunning());
+	}
+	
+	public void testUnkownIsRunning() throws Exception {
+		assertTrue(ExitStatus.UNKNOWN.isRunning());
+	}
+
 	public void testSerializable() throws Exception {
 		ExitStatus status = ExitStatus.CONTINUABLE.addExitCode("FOO");
 		byte[] bytes = SerializationUtils.serialize(status);