diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtils.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtils.java
index e2703af89..240d934ff 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public class FileUtils {
 					new File(file.getParent()).mkdirs();
 				}
 				file.createNewFile();
+				Assert.state(file.exists(), "Output file must exist");
 			}
 		} catch (IOException ioe) {
 			throw new ItemStreamException(
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
index ad37a4d45..fedff633b 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
@@ -256,8 +256,6 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 		
 		Assert.notNull(resource, "The resource must be set");
 		
-		Assert.state(resource.exists(), "Output resource must exist");
-		
 		long startAtPosition = 0;
 
 		// if restart data is provided, restart from provided offset
@@ -274,6 +272,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 				write(iterator.next());
 			}
 		}
+		
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -287,6 +286,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 		try {
 			file = resource.getFile();
 			FileUtils.setUpOutputFile(file, restarted, overwriteOutput);
+			Assert.state(resource.exists(), "Output resource must exist");
 			os = new FileOutputStream(file, true);
 			channel = os.getChannel();
 			setPosition(position);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtilsTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtilsTests.java
index cd8651232..3b0d0e5c1 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtilsTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/util/FileUtilsTests.java
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileWriter;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
-import junit.framework.TestCase;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
+import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ItemStreamException;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
@@ -15,7 +18,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  *
  * @author Robert Kasanicky
  */
-public class FileUtilsTests extends TestCase {
+public class FileUtilsTests {
 
 	private File file = new File("FileUtilsTests.tmp");
 
@@ -23,6 +26,7 @@ public class FileUtilsTests extends TestCase {
 	 * No restart + file should not be overwritten => file is created if it does
 	 * not exist, exception is thrown if it already exists
 	 */
+	@Test
 	public void testNoRestart() throws Exception {
 		FileUtils.setUpOutputFile(file, false, false);
 		assertTrue(file.exists());
@@ -58,6 +62,7 @@ public class FileUtilsTests extends TestCase {
 	 * In case of restart, the file is supposed to exist and exception is thrown
 	 * if it does not.
 	 */
+	@Test
 	public void testRestart() throws Exception {
 		try {
 			FileUtils.setUpOutputFile(file, true, false);
@@ -86,6 +91,7 @@ public class FileUtilsTests extends TestCase {
 	/**
 	 * If the directories on the file path do not exist, they should be created
 	 */
+	@Test
 	public void testCreateDirectoryStructure() {
 		File file = new File("testDirectory/testDirectory2/testFile.tmp");
 		File dir1 = new File("testDirectory");
@@ -104,6 +110,7 @@ public class FileUtilsTests extends TestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
 	public void testBadFile(){
 
 		File file = new File("new file"){
@@ -120,12 +127,35 @@ public class FileUtilsTests extends TestCase {
 			file.delete();
 		}
 	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testCouldntCreateFile(){
 
-	protected void setUp() throws Exception {
+		File file = new File("new file"){
+
+			@Override
+			public boolean exists() {
+				return false;
+			}
+			
+		};
+		try{
+			FileUtils.setUpOutputFile(file, false, false);
+			fail();
+		}catch(IllegalStateException ex){
+			assertEquals("Output file must exist", ex.getMessage());
+		}finally{
+			file.delete();
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Before
+	public void setUp() throws Exception {
 		Assert.state(!file.exists());
 	}
 
-	protected void tearDown() throws Exception {
+	@After
+	public void tearDown() throws Exception {
 		file.delete();
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
index 53c223c47..61efbe6b4 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 package org.springframework.batch.item.xml;
 
+import static org.easymock.EasyMock.createMock;
+import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expect;
+import static org.easymock.EasyMock.replay;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -8,14 +17,11 @@ import javax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamException;
 import javax.xml.transform.Result;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
-
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.xml.oxm.MarshallingEventWriterSerializer;
-import org.springframework.core.io.DescriptiveResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.FileSystemResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.oxm.Marshaller;
@@ -239,13 +245,11 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 	
 	@Test
 	public void testNonExistantResource() throws Exception {
-		Resource doesntExist = new DescriptiveResource("") {
-
-			public boolean exists() {
-				return false;
-			}
-
-		};
+		Resource doesntExist = createMock(Resource.class);
+		expect(doesntExist.getFile()).andReturn(new File("does not exist"));
+		expect(doesntExist.exists()).andReturn(false);
+		replay(doesntExist);
+		
 		writer.setResource(doesntExist);
 
 		try {