diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobExecutionDao.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobExecutionDao.java
index 8281d6e18..1242e224e 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobExecutionDao.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobExecutionDao.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class JdbcJobExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implements
 
 	private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(JdbcJobExecutionDao.class);
 
-	private static final int EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 250;
+	private static final int DEFAULT_EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 2500;
 
 	private static final String GET_JOB_EXECUTION_COUNT = "SELECT count(JOB_EXECUTION_ID) from %PREFIX%JOB_EXECUTION "
 			+ "where JOB_INSTANCE_ID = ?";
@@ -55,12 +55,23 @@ public class JdbcJobExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implements
 	private static final String GET_LAST_EXECUTION = "SELECT JOB_EXECUTION_ID, START_TIME, END_TIME, STATUS, CONTINUABLE, EXIT_CODE, EXIT_MESSAGE from %PREFIX%JOB_EXECUTION"
 			+ " where JOB_INSTANCE_ID = ? and START_TIME = (SELECT max(START_TIME) from %PREFIX%JOB_EXECUTION where JOB_INSTANCE_ID = ?)";
 
+	private int exitMessageLength = DEFAULT_EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH;
+
 	private DataFieldMaxValueIncrementer jobExecutionIncrementer;
 	
 	private LobHandler lobHandler = new DefaultLobHandler();
 	
 	private JdbcExecutionContextDao ecDao = new JdbcExecutionContextDao();
 
+	/**
+	 * Public setter for the exit message length in database. Do not set this if
+	 * you haven't modified the schema.
+	 * @param exitMessageLength the exitMessageLength to set
+	 */
+	public void setExitMessageLength(int exitMessageLength) {
+		this.exitMessageLength = exitMessageLength;
+	}
+
 	public List findJobExecutions(final JobInstance job) {
 
 		Assert.notNull(job, "Job cannot be null.");
@@ -140,8 +151,8 @@ public class JdbcJobExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implements
 		jobExecution.incrementVersion();
 
 		String exitDescription = jobExecution.getExitStatus().getExitDescription();
-		if (exitDescription != null && exitDescription.length() > EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH) {
-			exitDescription = exitDescription.substring(0, EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH);
+		if (exitDescription != null && exitDescription.length() > exitMessageLength) {
+			exitDescription = exitDescription.substring(0, exitMessageLength);
 			logger.debug("Truncating long message before update of JobExecution: " + jobExecution);
 		}
 		Object[] parameters = new Object[] { jobExecution.getStartTime(), jobExecution.getEndTime(),
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDao.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDao.java
index e39d439cb..e1c24dffa 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDao.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDao.java
@@ -58,14 +58,25 @@ public class JdbcStepExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implement
 
 	private static final String CURRENT_VERSION_STEP_EXECUTION = "SELECT VERSION FROM %PREFIX%STEP_EXECUTION WHERE STEP_EXECUTION_ID=?";
 
-	private static final int EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 250;
+	private static final int DEFAULT_EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 2500;
+
+	private int exitMessageLength = DEFAULT_EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH;
 
 	private LobHandler lobHandler = new DefaultLobHandler();
 
 	private DataFieldMaxValueIncrementer stepExecutionIncrementer;
-	
+
 	private JdbcExecutionContextDao ecDao = new JdbcExecutionContextDao();
 
+	/**
+	 * Public setter for the exit message length in database. Do not set this if
+	 * you haven't modified the schema.
+	 * @param exitMessageLength the exitMessageLength to set
+	 */
+	public void setExitMessageLength(int exitMessageLength) {
+		this.exitMessageLength = exitMessageLength;
+	}
+
 	public ExecutionContext findExecutionContext(final StepExecution stepExecution) {
 
 		return ecDao.getExecutionContext(stepExecution);
@@ -86,7 +97,7 @@ public class JdbcStepExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implement
 				"to-be-saved (not updated) StepExecution can't already have a version assigned");
 
 		validateStepExecution(stepExecution);
-		
+
 		String exitDescription = truncateExitDescription(stepExecution.getExitStatus().getExitDescription());
 
 		stepExecution.setId(new Long(stepExecutionIncrementer.nextLongValue()));
@@ -95,8 +106,8 @@ public class JdbcStepExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implement
 				stepExecution.getStepName(), stepExecution.getJobExecutionId(), stepExecution.getStartTime(),
 				stepExecution.getEndTime(), stepExecution.getStatus().toString(), stepExecution.getCommitCount(),
 				stepExecution.getItemCount(), stepExecution.getExitStatus().isContinuable() ? "Y" : "N",
-				stepExecution.getExitStatus().getExitCode(), exitDescription,
-				stepExecution.getReadSkipCount(), stepExecution.getWriteSkipCount(), stepExecution.getRollbackCount() };
+				stepExecution.getExitStatus().getExitCode(), exitDescription, stepExecution.getReadSkipCount(),
+				stepExecution.getWriteSkipCount(), stepExecution.getRollbackCount() };
 		getJdbcTemplate().update(
 				getQuery(SAVE_STEP_EXECUTION),
 				parameters,
@@ -131,8 +142,6 @@ public class JdbcStepExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implement
 		ecDao.saveOrUpdateExecutionContext(stepExecution);
 	}
 
-	
-
 	/*
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
 	 * @see org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao.StepExecutionDao#updateStepExecution(org.springframework.batch.core.domain.StepExecution)
@@ -187,9 +196,9 @@ public class JdbcStepExecutionDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implement
 	 * @return truncated description
 	 */
 	private String truncateExitDescription(String description) {
-		if (description != null && description.length() > EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH) {
+		if (description != null && description.length() > exitMessageLength) {
 			logger.debug("Truncating long message before update of StepExecution, original message is: " + description);
-			return description.substring(0, EXIT_MESSAGE_LENGTH);
+			return description.substring(0, exitMessageLength);
 		}
 		else {
 			return description;
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobDaoTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobDaoTests.java
index f332ea02e..7fe66a67e 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobDaoTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcJobDaoTests.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ public class JdbcJobDaoTests extends AbstractJobDaoTests {
 	public void testUpdateJobExecutionWithLongExitCode() {
 
 		assertTrue(LONG_STRING.length() > 250);
+		((JdbcJobExecutionDao) jobExecutionDao).setExitMessageLength(250);
 		jobExecution.setExitStatus(ExitStatus.FINISHED
 				.addExitDescription(LONG_STRING));
 		jobExecutionDao.updateJobExecution(jobExecution);
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDaoTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDaoTests.java
index c623ed296..c03897bdb 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDaoTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcStepExecutionDaoTests.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ public class JdbcStepExecutionDaoTests extends AbstractStepExecutionDaoTests {
 		
 		stepExecution.setExitStatus(exitStatus);
 
+		((JdbcStepExecutionDao) dao).setExitMessageLength(250);
 		dao.saveStepExecution(stepExecution);
 
 		StepExecution retrievedAfterSave = dao.getStepExecution(jobExecution, step);
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java
index bc5cb3285..731f5f53f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ public class AbstractStepTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals("listener2#beforeStep", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("open", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("doExecute", events.get(i++));
-		assertEquals("listener1#afterStep", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("listener2#afterStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener1#afterStep", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("close", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals(7, events.size());
 
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ public class AbstractStepTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals("listener2#beforeStep", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("open", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("doExecute", events.get(i++));
-		assertEquals("listener1#onErrorInStep", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("listener2#onErrorInStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener1#onErrorInStep", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals("close", events.get(i++));
 		assertEquals(7, events.size());