diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperator.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperator.java
index bd41c04e8..214e83f51 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperator.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperator.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  * @since 3.0
  */
 public class JsrJobOperator implements JobOperator {
-    private static final String BATCH_PROPERTY_CONTEXT_BEAN_NAME = "batchPropertyContext";
+	private static final String BATCH_PROPERTY_CONTEXT_BEAN_NAME = "batchPropertyContext";
 
 	private org.springframework.batch.core.launch.JobOperator batchJobOperator;
 	private JobExplorer jobExplorer;
@@ -273,7 +273,13 @@ public class JsrJobOperator implements JobOperator {
 	public int getJobInstanceCount(String jobName) throws NoSuchJobException,
 	JobSecurityException {
 		try {
-			return jobExplorer.getJobInstanceCount(jobName);
+			int count = jobExplorer.getJobInstanceCount(jobName);
+
+			if(count <= 0) {
+				throw new NoSuchJobException("No job instances were found for job name " + jobName);
+			} else {
+				return count;
+			}
 		} catch (org.springframework.batch.core.launch.NoSuchJobException e) {
 			throw new NoSuchJobException("No job instances were found for job name " + jobName);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperatorTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperatorTests.java
index 4312c574e..ccff1fa68 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperatorTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/jsr/launch/JsrJobOperatorTests.java
@@ -197,6 +197,13 @@ public class JsrJobOperatorTests {
 		jsrJobOperator.getJobInstanceCount("myJob");
 	}
 
+	@Test(expected=NoSuchJobException.class)
+	public void testGetJobInstanceCountZeroInstancesReturned() throws Exception {
+		when(jobExplorer.getJobInstanceCount("myJob")).thenReturn(0);
+
+		jsrJobOperator.getJobInstanceCount("myJob");
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testGetJobInstancesRoseyScenario() {
 		List<JobInstance> instances = new ArrayList<JobInstance>();
@@ -313,9 +320,16 @@ public class JsrJobOperatorTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testStartMultipleTimesSameParameters() {
+	public void testStartMultipleTimesSameParameters() throws Exception {
 		jsrJobOperator = BatchRuntime.getJobOperator();
 
+		int jobInstanceCountBefore = 0;
+
+		try {
+			jobInstanceCountBefore = jsrJobOperator.getJobInstanceCount("myJob3");
+		} catch (NoSuchJobException ignore) {
+		}
+
 		long run1 = jsrJobOperator.start("jsrJobOperatorTestJob", null);
 		long run2 = jsrJobOperator.start("jsrJobOperatorTestJob", null);
 		long run3 = jsrJobOperator.start("jsrJobOperatorTestJob", null);
@@ -324,7 +338,9 @@ public class JsrJobOperatorTests {
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, jsrJobOperator.getJobExecution(run2).getBatchStatus());
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, jsrJobOperator.getJobExecution(run3).getBatchStatus());
 
-		assertTrue(3 >= jsrJobOperator.getJobInstanceCount("jsrJobOperatorTestJob"));
+		int jobInstanceCountAfter = jsrJobOperator.getJobInstanceCount("myJob3");
+
+		assertTrue((jobInstanceCountAfter - jobInstanceCountBefore) == 3);
 	}
 
 	@Test