diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBean.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBean.java
index b0529abc9..e8ef63dfd 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBean.java
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import org.springframework.batch.core.job.flow.FlowStep;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.PartitionHandler;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.PartitionStep;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.Partitioner;
-import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.SimplePartitioner;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.SimpleStepExecutionSplitter;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.TaskExecutorPartitionHandler;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.repository.JobRepository;
@@ -248,8 +247,7 @@ class StepParserStepFactoryBean<I, O> implements FactoryBean, BeanNameAware {
 			partitionHandler.setTaskExecutor(taskExecutor);
 			ts.setPartitionHandler(partitionHandler);
 		}
-		SimpleStepExecutionSplitter splitter = new SimpleStepExecutionSplitter(jobRepository, step,
-				new SimplePartitioner());
+		SimpleStepExecutionSplitter splitter = new SimpleStepExecutionSplitter(jobRepository, step, partitioner);
 		ts.setStepExecutionSplitter(splitter);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBeanTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBeanTests.java
index 76e6cb210..87233b6fc 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBeanTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StepParserStepFactoryBeanTests.java
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.StepListener;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.listener.StepExecutionListenerSupport;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.PartitionStep;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.SimplePartitioner;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.partition.support.TaskExecutorPartitionHandler;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.step.JobRepositorySupport;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.step.StepSupport;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.step.item.ChunkOrientedTasklet;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.TaskletStep;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStream;
@@ -215,4 +219,24 @@ public class StepParserStepFactoryBeanTests {
 		assertTrue(tasklet instanceof ChunkOrientedTasklet<?>);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testPartitionStep() throws Exception {
+		StepParserStepFactoryBean<Object, Object> fb = new StepParserStepFactoryBean<Object, Object>();
+		fb.setBeanName("step1");
+		fb.setAllowStartIfComplete(true);
+		fb.setJobRepository(new JobRepositorySupport());
+		fb.setStartLimit(5);
+		fb.setListeners(new StepListener[] { new StepExecutionListenerSupport() });
+		fb.setTaskExecutor(new SyncTaskExecutor());
+
+		SimplePartitioner partitioner = new SimplePartitioner();
+		fb.setPartitioner(partitioner);
+		fb.setStep(new StepSupport("foo"));
+
+		Object step = fb.getObject();
+		assertTrue(step instanceof PartitionStep);
+		Object handler = ReflectionTestUtils.getField(step, "partitionHandler");
+		assertTrue(handler instanceof TaskExecutorPartitionHandler);
+	}
+
 }