diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemReader.java
index ccb54d2d5..036e1da3b 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemReader.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemReader<T> implements Ite
 		}
 
 		if (executionContext.containsKey(ecSupport.getKey(READ_COUNT))) {
-			int itemCount = new Long(executionContext.getLong(ecSupport.getKey(READ_COUNT))).intValue();
+			int itemCount = executionContext.getInt(ecSupport.getKey(READ_COUNT));
 
 			try {
 				jumpToItem(itemCount);
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemReader<T> implements Ite
 	public void update(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
 		if (saveState) {
 			Assert.notNull(executionContext, "ExecutionContext must not be null");
-			executionContext.putLong(ecSupport.getKey(READ_COUNT), currentItemCount);
+			executionContext.putInt(ecSupport.getKey(READ_COUNT), currentItemCount);
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
index 6d7e24079..97121c809 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 		reader.read();
 		reader.read();
 
-		assertEquals(2, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
+		assertEquals(2, executionContext.getInt(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
 		// close input
 		reader.close(executionContext);
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 		assertEquals("testLine4", reader.read().toString());
 
 		reader.update(executionContext);
-		assertEquals(4, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
+		assertEquals(4, executionContext.getInt(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java
index 50084f097..80f4af94c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemReaderTests.java
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemReaderTests {
 		source.read();
 		source.update(executionContext);
 
-		assertEquals(1, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(StaxEventItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
+		assertEquals(1, executionContext.getInt(ClassUtils.getShortName(StaxEventItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
 		List<XMLEvent> expectedAfterRestart = source.read();
 
 		source = createNewInputSouce();
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemReaderTests {
 		source.update(executionContext);
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_RECORDS; i++) {
-			long recordCount = extractRecordCount();
+			int recordCount = extractRecordCount();
 			assertEquals(i, recordCount);
 			source.read();
 			source.update(executionContext);
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ public class StaxEventItemReaderTests {
 		assertEquals(NUMBER_OF_RECORDS, extractRecordCount());
 	}
 
-	private long extractRecordCount() {
-		return executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(StaxEventItemReader.class) + ".read.count");
+	private int extractRecordCount() {
+		return executionContext.getInt(ClassUtils.getShortName(StaxEventItemReader.class) + ".read.count");
 	}
 
 	@Test