diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java
index 299fc040b..347cbe712 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java
@@ -24,16 +24,6 @@ import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implements ItemReader, ItemStream,
 		InitializingBean {
 
-	/**
-	 * Key for the index of the current resource
-	 */
-	private static final String RESOURCE_INDEX = "resourceIndex";
-
-	/**
-	 * Key for item count within current resource
-	 */
-	private static final String ITEM_COUNT = "itemIndex";
-
 	/**
 	 * Unique object instance that marks resource boundaries in the item buffer
 	 */
@@ -43,13 +33,7 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 
 	private Resource[] resources;
 
-	private int currentResourceIndex = 0;
-
-	private int lastMarkedResourceIndex = 0;
-
-	private long currentItemIndex = 0;
-
-	private long lastMarkedItemIndex = 0;
+	private MultiResourceIndex index = new MultiResourceIndex();
 
 	private List itemBuffer = new ArrayList();
 
@@ -70,20 +54,14 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 
 		Object item;
 		if (shouldReadBuffer) {
-			if (itemBufferIterator.hasNext()) {
-				item = readBufferedItem();
-			}
-			else {
-				// buffer is exhausted, continue reading from file
-				shouldReadBuffer = false;
-				itemBufferIterator = null;
-				item = readNextItem();
-			}
+			item = readBufferedItem();
 		}
 		else {
 			item = readNextItem();
 		}
 
+		index.incrementItemCount();
+
 		return item;
 	}
 
@@ -98,15 +76,15 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 
 		while (item == null) {
 
-			incrementResourceIndex();
+			index.incrementResourceCount();
 
-			if (currentResourceIndex >= resources.length) {
+			if (index.currentResource >= resources.length) {
 				return null;
 			}
 			itemBuffer.add(END_OF_RESOURCE_MARKER);
 
 			delegate.close(new ExecutionContext());
-			delegate.setResource(resources[currentResourceIndex]);
+			delegate.setResource(resources[index.currentResource]);
 			delegate.open(new ExecutionContext());
 
 			item = delegate.read();
@@ -114,8 +92,6 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 
 		itemBuffer.add(item);
 
-		currentItemIndex++;
-
 		return item;
 	}
 
@@ -125,33 +101,25 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	 * @return next item from buffer
 	 */
 	private Object readBufferedItem() {
+
 		Object buffered = itemBufferIterator.next();
 		while (buffered == END_OF_RESOURCE_MARKER) {
-			incrementResourceIndex();
+			index.incrementResourceCount();
 			buffered = itemBufferIterator.next();
 		}
-		currentItemIndex++;
+
+		if (!itemBufferIterator.hasNext()) {
+			// buffer is exhausted, continue reading from file
+			shouldReadBuffer = false;
+			itemBufferIterator = null;
+		}
 		return buffered;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Adjust indexes for next resource.
-	 */
-	private void incrementResourceIndex() {
-		currentResourceIndex++;
-		currentItemIndex = 0;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Clears the item buffer and cancels reading from buffer if it applies.
-	 * 
-	 * @see ItemReader#mark()
-	 */
 	public void mark() throws MarkFailedException {
 		emptyBuffer();
 
-		lastMarkedResourceIndex = currentResourceIndex;
-		lastMarkedItemIndex = currentItemIndex;
+		index.mark();
 
 		delegate.mark();
 	}
@@ -176,10 +144,11 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	 * @see ItemReader#reset()
 	 */
 	public void reset() throws ResetFailedException {
-		shouldReadBuffer = true;
-		itemBufferIterator = itemBuffer.listIterator();
-		currentResourceIndex = lastMarkedResourceIndex;
-		currentItemIndex = lastMarkedItemIndex;
+		if (!itemBuffer.isEmpty()) {
+			shouldReadBuffer = true;
+			itemBufferIterator = itemBuffer.listIterator();
+		}
+		index.reset();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -188,13 +157,10 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	 */
 	public void close(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
 		shouldReadBuffer = false;
-		lastMarkedResourceIndex = 0;
-		currentResourceIndex = 0;
-		currentItemIndex = 0;
-		lastMarkedItemIndex = 0;
 		itemBufferIterator = null;
+		index = new MultiResourceIndex();
 		itemBuffer.clear();
-		delegate.close(executionContext);
+		delegate.close(new ExecutionContext());
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -203,22 +169,14 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	 */
 	public void open(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
 
-		if (executionContext.containsKey(getKey(RESOURCE_INDEX))) {
-			currentResourceIndex = Long.valueOf(executionContext.getLong(getKey(RESOURCE_INDEX))).intValue();
-			lastMarkedResourceIndex = currentResourceIndex;
-		}
+		index.open(executionContext);
 
-		if (executionContext.containsKey(getKey(ITEM_COUNT))) {
-			currentItemIndex = executionContext.getLong(getKey(ITEM_COUNT));
-			lastMarkedItemIndex = currentItemIndex;
-		}
-
-		delegate.setResource(resources[currentResourceIndex]);
+		delegate.setResource(resources[index.currentResource]);
 
 		delegate.open(new ExecutionContext());
 
 		try {
-			for (int i = 0; i < currentItemIndex; i++) {
+			for (int i = 0; i < index.currentItem; i++) {
 				delegate.read();
 				delegate.mark();
 			}
@@ -233,8 +191,7 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	 */
 	public void update(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
 		if (saveState) {
-			executionContext.putLong(getKey(RESOURCE_INDEX), currentResourceIndex);
-			executionContext.putLong(getKey(ITEM_COUNT), currentItemIndex);
+			index.update(executionContext);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -267,4 +224,56 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 		this.saveState = saveState;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Facilitates keeping track of the position within multi-resource input.
+	 */
+	private class MultiResourceIndex {
+
+		private static final String RESOURCE_KEY = "resourceIndex";
+
+		private static final String ITEM_KEY = "itemIndex";
+
+		private int currentResource = 0;
+
+		private int markedResource = 0;
+
+		private long currentItem = 0;
+
+		private long markedItem = 0;
+
+		public void incrementItemCount() {
+			currentItem++;
+		}
+
+		public void incrementResourceCount() {
+			currentResource++;
+			currentItem = 0;
+		}
+
+		public void mark() {
+			markedResource = currentResource;
+			markedItem = currentItem;
+		}
+
+		public void reset() {
+			currentResource = markedResource;
+			currentItem = markedItem;
+		}
+
+		public void open(ExecutionContext ctx) {
+			if (ctx.containsKey(getKey(RESOURCE_KEY))) {
+				currentResource = Long.valueOf(ctx.getLong(getKey(RESOURCE_KEY))).intValue();
+			}
+
+			if (ctx.containsKey(getKey(ITEM_KEY))) {
+				currentItem = ctx.getLong(getKey(ITEM_KEY));
+			}
+		}
+
+		public void update(ExecutionContext ctx) {
+			ctx.putLong(getKey(RESOURCE_KEY), index.currentResource);
+			ctx.putLong(getKey(ITEM_KEY), index.currentItem);
+		}
+	}
+
 }