diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReader.java
index 6217a05e2..3be899b20 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReader.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class DrivingQueryItemReader<T> implements ItemReader<T>, InitializingBea
 	 * 
 	 * @return the current key.
 	 */
-	protected Object getCurrentKey() {
+	protected T getCurrentKey() {
 		if (initialized && currentIndex > 0) {
 			return keys.get(currentIndex - 1);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/ItemPreparedStatementSetter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/ItemPreparedStatementSetter.java
index 4312b71eb..19730f4eb 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/ItemPreparedStatementSetter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/ItemPreparedStatementSetter.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import org.springframework.jdbc.core.RowMapper;
  * @author Dave Syer
  * 
  */
-public interface ItemPreparedStatementSetter {
+public interface ItemPreparedStatementSetter<T> {
 	/**
 	 * Set parameter values on the given PreparedStatement as determined from
 	 * the provided item.
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ public interface ItemPreparedStatementSetter {
 	 * @throws SQLException if a SQLException is encountered (i.e. there is no
 	 * need to catch SQLException)
 	 */
-	void setValues(Object item, PreparedStatement ps) throws SQLException;
+	void setValues(T item, PreparedStatement ps) throws SQLException;
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/KeyCollector.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/KeyCollector.java
index bcc1a4d98..bb5f3cc16 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/KeyCollector.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/KeyCollector.java
@@ -42,5 +42,5 @@ public interface KeyCollector<T> {
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if key is null.
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if key is an incompatible type.
 	 */
-	void updateContext(Object key, ExecutionContext executionContext);
+	void updateContext(T key, ExecutionContext executionContext);
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/ColumnMapItemPreparedStatementSetter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/ColumnMapItemPreparedStatementSetter.java
index 22bfb81a3..fc7f740e3 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/ColumnMapItemPreparedStatementSetter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/ColumnMapItemPreparedStatementSetter.java
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  */
 public class ColumnMapItemPreparedStatementSetter implements ItemPreparedStatementSetter {
 
-	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	public void setValues(Object item, PreparedStatement ps) throws SQLException {
 		Assert.isInstanceOf(Map.class, item, "Input to map PreparedStatement parameters must be of type Map.");
 		Set keySet = ((Map)item).entrySet();
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/IbatisKeyCollector.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/IbatisKeyCollector.java
index 4f7052a8b..394636a29 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/IbatisKeyCollector.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/IbatisKeyCollector.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class IbatisKeyCollector<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implement
 	 * 
 	 * @see KeyCollector#saveState(Object, ExecutionContext)
 	 */
-	public void updateContext(Object key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
+	public void updateContext(T key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
 		Assert.notNull(key, "Key must not be null");
 		Assert.notNull(executionContext, "ExecutionContext must be null");
 		executionContext.put(getKey(RESTART_KEY), key);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/MultipleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/MultipleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java
index d267dda7f..683cb6f03 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/MultipleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/MultipleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class MultipleColumnJdbcKeyCollector<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSuppo
 	 * org.springframework.batch.io.driving.KeyGenerator#getKeyAsExecutionContext
 	 * (java.lang.Object)
 	 */
-	public void updateContext(Object key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
+	public void updateContext(T key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
 		Assert.notNull(key, "The key must not be null");
 		Assert.notNull(executionContext, "The ExecutionContext must not be null");
 		executionContext.put(getKey(CURRENT_KEY), key);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/SingleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/SingleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java
index fc54e22e4..2ea52dbee 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/SingleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/support/SingleColumnJdbcKeyCollector.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class SingleColumnJdbcKeyCollector<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport
 	 * 
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if key is null.
 	 */
-	public void updateContext(Object key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
+	public void updateContext(T key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
 		Assert.notNull(key, "The key must not be null.");
 		Assert.notNull(executionContext, "The ExecutionContext must not be null");
 		executionContext.put(getKey(RESTART_KEY), key);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReaderTests.java
index fe497cdbb..7b5c8211a 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/DrivingQueryItemReaderTests.java
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public class DrivingQueryItemReaderTests extends TestCase {
 				return new ArrayList<Foo>();
 			}
 
-			public void updateContext(Object key,
+			public void updateContext(Foo key,
 					ExecutionContext executionContext) {
 			}
 		});
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public class DrivingQueryItemReaderTests extends TestCase {
 			}
 		}
 
-		public void updateContext(Object key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
+		public void updateContext(Foo key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
 			executionContext.put(RESTART_KEY, restartKeys);
 		}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter.java
index 2b9b6e2cf..56152b32c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter.java
@@ -26,15 +26,14 @@ import org.springframework.batch.sample.domain.CustomerCredit;
  * @author Dave Syer
  *
  */
-public class CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter implements ItemPreparedStatementSetter {
+public class CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter implements ItemPreparedStatementSetter<CustomerCredit> {
 
 	public static final BigDecimal FIXED_AMOUNT = new BigDecimal(1000);
 
 	/* (non-Javadoc)
 	 * @see org.springframework.batch.io.support.ItemPreparedStatementSetter#setValues(java.lang.Object, java.sql.PreparedStatement)
 	 */
-	public void setValues(Object item, PreparedStatement ps) throws SQLException {
-		CustomerCredit customerCredit = (CustomerCredit) item;
+	public void setValues(CustomerCredit customerCredit, PreparedStatement ps) throws SQLException {
 		ps.setBigDecimal(1, customerCredit.getCredit().add(FIXED_AMOUNT));
 		ps.setLong(2, customerCredit.getId());
 	}
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetterTests.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetterTests.java
index 8f98bf7a1..448e76538 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/writer/CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetterTests.java
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ public class CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetterTests {
 		credit.setCredit(new BigDecimal(12000));
 		credit.setName("foo");
 	}
+	
 	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.sample.item.writer.CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter#setValues(java.lang.Object, java.sql.PreparedStatement)}.
+	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.sample.item.writer.CustomerCreditUpdatePreparedStatementSetter#setValues(CustomerCredit, PreparedStatement) }
 	 * @throws SQLException 
 	 */
 	@Test