diff --git a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleExitCodeExceptionClassifier.java b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleExitCodeExceptionClassifier.java
index 13a3c2ed4..d2b3f954c 100644
--- a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleExitCodeExceptionClassifier.java
+++ b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleExitCodeExceptionClassifier.java
@@ -20,47 +20,61 @@ import org.springframework.batch.core.executor.StepInterruptedException;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.ExitStatus;
 
 /**
- * <p>Simple implementation of {@link ExitCodeExceptionClassifier} that returns basic 
- * String exit codes, and defaults to the class name of the throwable
- * for the message.  Most users will want to write their own implementation
- * that creates more specific exit codes for different exception types.</p>
+ * <p>
+ * Simple implementation of {@link ExitCodeExceptionClassifier} that returns
+ * basic String exit codes, and defaults to the class name of the throwable for
+ * the message. Most users will want to write their own implementation that
+ * creates more specific exit codes for different exception types.
+ * </p>
  * 
  * @author Lucas Ward
- *
+ * 
  */
 public class SimpleExitCodeExceptionClassifier implements
 		ExitCodeExceptionClassifier {
 
-	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	/*
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * 
 	 * @see org.springframework.batch.core.executor.ExitCodeExceptionClassifier#classifyForExitCode(java.lang.Throwable)
 	 */
 	public ExitStatus classifyForExitCode(Throwable throwable) {
-		return (ExitStatus)classify(throwable);
+		return (ExitStatus) classify(throwable);
 	}
 
-	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	/*
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * 
 	 * @see org.springframework.batch.common.ExceptionClassifier#classify(java.lang.Throwable)
 	 */
 	public Object classify(Throwable throwable) {
-		
+
 		ExitStatus exitStatus = ExitStatus.FAILED;
-		
-		if(throwable instanceof StepInterruptedException){
-			exitStatus = new ExitStatus(false, STEP_INTERRUPTED, StepInterruptedException.class.getName());
+
+		if (throwable instanceof StepInterruptedException) {
+			exitStatus = new ExitStatus(false, STEP_INTERRUPTED,
+					StepInterruptedException.class.getName());
+		} else {
+			String message = "";
+			if (throwable!=null) {
+				message = throwable.getClass().getName();
+				if (throwable.getMessage()!=null) {
+					message += ": " + throwable.getMessage();
+				}
+			}
+			exitStatus = new ExitStatus(false, FATAL_EXCEPTION, message);
 		}
-		else{
-			exitStatus = new ExitStatus(false, 
-					FATAL_EXCEPTION, throwable == null ? "" : throwable.getClass().getName());
-		}
-		
+
 		return exitStatus;
 	}
 
-	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	/*
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * 
 	 * @see org.springframework.batch.common.ExceptionClassifier#getDefault()
 	 */
 	public Object getDefault() {
-		//return without message since we don't know what the exception is
+		// return without message since we don't know what the exception is
 		return new ExitStatus(false, FATAL_EXCEPTION);
 	}
 
diff --git a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java
index 86d97913e..f4ee38938 100644
--- a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java
+++ b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepExecutor.java
@@ -254,7 +254,6 @@ public class SimpleStepExecutor implements StepExecutor {
 
 			//classify exception so an exit code can be stored.
 			status = exceptionClassifier.classifyForExitCode(e);
-			stepExecution.setException(e);
 			if (e.getCause() instanceof StepInterruptedException) {
 				updateStatus(stepExecution, BatchStatus.STOPPED);
 				throw (StepInterruptedException) e.getCause();
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java
index c6a561e72..9c8e95185 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/DefaultStepExecutorTests.java
@@ -238,10 +238,10 @@ public class DefaultStepExecutorTests extends TestCase {
 		try {
 			stepExecutor.process(stepConfiguration, stepExecution);
 		} catch (Exception ex) {
-			assertEquals(step.getStepExecution().getExitStatus(),
-					new ExitStatus(false,
-							ExitCodeExceptionClassifier.FATAL_EXCEPTION,
-							"java.lang.RuntimeException"));
+			assertEquals(new ExitStatus(false,
+					ExitCodeExceptionClassifier.FATAL_EXCEPTION,
+					"java.lang.RuntimeException"), step.getStepExecution()
+					.getExitStatus());
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -385,8 +385,7 @@ public class DefaultStepExecutorTests extends TestCase {
 	 * StepInterruptionPolicy interruptionPolicy = new StepInterruptionPolicy(){
 	 * 
 	 * public void checkInterrupted(RepeatContext context) throws
-	 * StepInterruptedException { throw new StepInterruptedException(""); }
-	 *  };
+	 * StepInterruptedException { throw new StepInterruptedException(""); } };
 	 * 
 	 * stepExecutor.setInterruptionPolicy(interruptionPolicy);
 	 * 
@@ -397,8 +396,7 @@ public class DefaultStepExecutorTests extends TestCase {
 	 * 
 	 * if(counter == 1){ throw new StepInterruptedException(""); }
 	 * 
-	 * return ExitStatus.CONTINUABLE; }
-	 *  };
+	 * return ExitStatus.CONTINUABLE; } };
 	 * 
 	 * StepInstance step = new StepInstance(new Long(1));
 	 * stepConfiguration.setTasklet(tasklet); JobExecutionContext