diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java
index aab7aba96..5773950aa 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java
@@ -260,6 +260,15 @@ public class FlatFileItemReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemRea
 			return;
 		}
 
+		if (!resource.isReadable()) {
+			if (strict) {
+				throw new IllegalStateException("Input resource must be readable (reader is in 'strict' mode): " + resource);
+			}
+			noInput = true;
+			logger.warn("Input resource is not readable " + resource.getDescription());
+			return;
+		}
+
 		reader = bufferedReaderFactory.create(resource, encoding);
 		for (int i = 0; i < linesToSkip; i++) {
 			String line = readLine();
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReader.java
index 93925747d..23cef8cdd 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReader.java
@@ -182,6 +182,14 @@ public class StaxEventItemReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemRe
 			logger.warn("Input resource does not exist " + resource.getDescription());
 			return;
 		}
+		if (!resource.isReadable()) {
+			if (strict) {
+				throw new IllegalStateException("Input resource must be readable (reader is in 'strict' mode)");
+			}
+			noInput = true;
+			logger.warn("Input resource is not readable " + resource.getDescription());
+			return;
+		}
 
 		inputStream = resource.getInputStream();
 		eventReader = XMLInputFactory.newInstance().createXMLEventReader(inputStream);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
index e4153568a..22fc47e07 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.springframework.batch.item.file;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ import org.springframework.batch.item.file.mapping.PassThroughLineMapper;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.file.separator.RecordSeparatorPolicy;
 import org.springframework.core.io.AbstractResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ByteArrayResource;
+import org.springframework.core.io.FileSystemResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
@@ -300,6 +302,21 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 		reader.close();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testDirectoryResource() throws Exception {
+
+		FileSystemResource resource = new FileSystemResource("target/data");
+		resource.getFile().mkdirs();
+		assertTrue(resource.getFile().isDirectory());
+		reader.setResource(resource);
+		reader.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		reader.setStrict(false);
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+		assertNull(reader.read());
+
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testRuntimeFileCreation() throws Exception {
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java
index 7c4857ad6..a4d855133 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.springframework.batch.item.file;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -269,6 +270,23 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests {
 		tested.close();
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Directory resource behaves as if it was empty.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testDirectoryResources() throws Exception {
+		FileSystemResource resource = new FileSystemResource("target/data");
+		resource.getFile().mkdirs();
+		assertTrue(resource.getFile().isDirectory());
+		tested.setResources(new Resource[] {resource});
+		itemReader.setStrict(false);
+		tested.open(new ExecutionContext());
+
+		assertNull(tested.read());
+		
+		tested.close();
+	}
+	
 	@Test
 	public void testMiddleResourceThrowsException() throws Exception{
 		
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java
index 269521b95..0a69df2ce 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStreamException;
 import org.springframework.core.io.AbstractResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ByteArrayResource;
+import org.springframework.core.io.FileSystemResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.oxm.Unmarshaller;
 import org.springframework.oxm.XmlMappingException;
@@ -237,6 +238,21 @@ public class StaxEventItemReaderTests {
 
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testDirectoryResource() throws Exception {
+
+		FileSystemResource resource = new FileSystemResource("target/data");
+		resource.getFile().mkdirs();
+		assertTrue(resource.getFile().isDirectory());
+		source.setResource(resource);
+		source.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		source.setStrict(false);
+		source.open(executionContext);
+		assertNull(source.read());
+
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testRuntimeFileCreation() throws Exception {