diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java
index 10e51c0b4..f2edf0900 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java
@@ -146,7 +146,16 @@ public class CoreNamespaceUtils {
 	 * @return TRUE if the element is abstract or has a parent
 	 */
 	public static boolean isUnderspecified(Element element) {
-		return Boolean.valueOf(element.getAttribute("abstract")) || StringUtils.hasText(element.getAttribute("parent"));
+		return isAbstract(element) || StringUtils.hasText(element.getAttribute("parent"));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param element
+	 * @return TRUE if the element is abstract
+	 */
+	public static boolean isAbstract(Element element) {
+		String abstractAttr = element.getAttribute("abstract");
+		return StringUtils.hasText(abstractAttr) && Boolean.valueOf(abstractAttr);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java
index ceca94da5..41055719a 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class FlowParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (!stepExists && !CoreNamespaceUtils.isUnderspecified(element)) {
+		if (!stepExists && !StringUtils.hasText(element.getAttribute("parent"))) {
 			parserContext.getReaderContext().error("The flow [" + flowName + "] must contain at least one step",
 					element);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java
index 317aceeb7..11ef858d3 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.batch.core.configuration.xml;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
@@ -62,10 +63,8 @@ public class JobParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 		String jobName = element.getAttribute("id");
 		builder.addConstructorArgValue(jobName);
 
-		String isAbstract = element.getAttribute("abstract");
-		if (StringUtils.hasText(isAbstract)) {
-			builder.setAbstract(Boolean.valueOf(isAbstract));
-		}
+		boolean isAbstract = CoreNamespaceUtils.isAbstract(element);
+		builder.setAbstract(isAbstract);
 
 		String parentRef = element.getAttribute("parent");
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(parentRef)) {
@@ -87,9 +86,20 @@ public class JobParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 			builder.addPropertyReference("jobParametersIncrementer", incrementer);
 		}
 
-		FlowParser flowParser = new FlowParser(jobName, jobName);
-		BeanDefinition flowDef = flowParser.parse(element, parserContext);
-		builder.addPropertyValue("flow", flowDef);
+		if (isAbstract) {
+			for (String tagName : Arrays.asList("step", "decision", "split")) {
+				if (!DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(element, tagName).isEmpty()) {
+					parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
+							"The <" + tagName + "/> element may not appear on a <job/> with abstract=\"true\" ["
+									+ jobName + "]", element);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			FlowParser flowParser = new FlowParser(jobName, jobName);
+			BeanDefinition flowDef = flowParser.parse(element, parserContext);
+			builder.addPropertyValue("flow", flowDef);
+		}
 
 		List<Element> listenersElements = DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(element, "listeners");
 		if (listenersElements.size() == 1) {