diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
index 4e8e351f3..fd3bb5c1c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ ResourceAwareItemWriterItemStream<T>, InitializingBean {
 
 	private boolean forceSync;
 
+	private boolean shouldDeleteIfEmpty = false;
+
 	public StaxEventItemWriter() {
 		setExecutionContextName(ClassUtils.getShortName(StaxEventItemWriter.class));
 	}
@@ -203,6 +205,16 @@ ResourceAwareItemWriterItemStream<T>, InitializingBean {
 		this.forceSync = forceSync;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Flag to indicate that the target file should be deleted if no items have
+	 * been written (other than header and footer) on close. Defaults to false.
+	 * 
+	 * @param shouldDeleteIfEmpty the flag value to set
+	 */
+	public void setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(boolean shouldDeleteIfEmpty) {
+		this.shouldDeleteIfEmpty = shouldDeleteIfEmpty;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get used encoding.
 	 * 
@@ -354,6 +366,7 @@ ResourceAwareItemWriterItemStream<T>, InitializingBean {
 		// otherwise start from beginning
 		if (executionContext.containsKey(getExecutionContextKey(RESTART_DATA_NAME))) {
 			startAtPosition = executionContext.getLong(getExecutionContextKey(RESTART_DATA_NAME));
+			currentRecordCount = executionContext.getLong(getExecutionContextKey(WRITE_STATISTICS_NAME));
 			restarted = true;
 		}
 
@@ -656,6 +669,14 @@ ResourceAwareItemWriterItemStream<T>, InitializingBean {
 					}
 				}
 			}
+			if (currentRecordCount == 0 && shouldDeleteIfEmpty) {
+				try {
+					resource.getFile().delete();
+				}
+				catch (IOException e) {
+					throw new ItemStreamException("Failed to delete empty file on close", e);
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
index 474935745..7a373ee92 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
@@ -352,6 +352,93 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 			assertEquals("Output resource must exist", e.getMessage());
 		}
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Resource is not deleted when items have been written and shouldDeleteIfEmpty flag is set.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testDeleteIfEmptyRecordsWritten() throws Exception {
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(items);
+		writer.close();
+		String content = getOutputFileContent();
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
+	}	
+
+	/**
+	 * Resource is not deleted when items have been written and shouldDeleteIfEmpty flag is set.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testDeleteIfEmptyNoRecordsWritten() throws Exception {
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.close();
+		assertFalse("file should be deleted" + resource, resource.getFile().exists());
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Resource is not deleted when items have been written and shouldDeleteIfEmpty flag is set.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testDeleteIfEmptyNoRecordsWrittenHeaderAndFooter() throws Exception {
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.setHeaderCallback(new StaxWriterCallback() {
+
+            @Override
+			public void write(XMLEventWriter writer) throws IOException {
+				XMLEventFactory factory = XMLEventFactory.newInstance();
+				try {
+					writer.add(factory.createStartElement("", "", "header"));
+					writer.add(factory.createEndElement("", "", "header"));
+				}
+				catch (XMLStreamException e) {
+					throw new RuntimeException(e);
+				}
+
+			}
+
+		});
+		writer.setFooterCallback(new StaxWriterCallback() {
+
+            @Override
+			public void write(XMLEventWriter writer) throws IOException {
+				XMLEventFactory factory = XMLEventFactory.newInstance();
+				try {
+					writer.add(factory.createStartElement("", "", "footer"));
+					writer.add(factory.createEndElement("", "", "footer"));
+				}
+				catch (XMLStreamException e) {
+					throw new RuntimeException(e);
+				}
+
+			}
+
+		});		
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.close();
+		assertFalse("file should be deleted" + resource, resource.getFile().exists());
+	}	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Resource is not deleted when items have been written and shouldDeleteIfEmpty flag is set.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testDeleteIfEmptyRecordsWrittenRestart() throws Exception {
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(items);
+		writer.update(executionContext);
+		writer.close();
+		
+		writer = createItemWriter();
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.close();
+		String content = getOutputFileContent();
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
+	}	
+	
 
 	/**
 	 * Item is written to the output file with namespace.