diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredProcedureItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredProcedureItemReader.java
index c8eb7844f..8488585dd 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredProcedureItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredProcedureItemReader.java
@@ -151,8 +151,11 @@ public class StoredProcedureItemReader<T> extends AbstractCursorItemReader<T> {
 	protected void openCursor(Connection con) {	
 
 		Assert.state(procedureName != null, "Procedure Name must not be null.");
-		Assert.state(refCursorPosition == 0 || refCursorPosition > parameters.length, 
-				"refCursorPosition specified as " + refCursorPosition + " but there are only " + 
+		Assert.state(refCursorPosition >= 0, 
+				"invalid refCursorPosition specified as " + refCursorPosition + "; it can't be " +
+				"specified as a negative number.");
+		Assert.state(refCursorPosition == 0 || refCursorPosition > 0, 
+				"invalid refCursorPosition specified as " + refCursorPosition + "; there are " + 
 				parameters.length + " parameters defined.");
 
 		CallMetaDataContext callContext = new CallMetaDataContext();
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredprocedureItemReaderConfigTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredprocedureItemReaderConfigTests.java
index 30991a77b..3432a0bdd 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredprocedureItemReaderConfigTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/database/StoredprocedureItemReaderConfigTests.java
@@ -9,14 +9,19 @@ import static org.easymock.EasyMock.verify;
 import java.sql.CallableStatement;
 import java.sql.Connection;
 import java.sql.DatabaseMetaData;
+import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
 import java.sql.ResultSet;
+import java.sql.SQLException;
 
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
+import org.hsqldb.Types;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.jdbc.core.PreparedStatementSetter;
+import org.springframework.jdbc.core.SqlParameter;
 import org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceTransactionManager;
 import org.springframework.transaction.PlatformTransactionManager;
 import org.springframework.transaction.TransactionStatus;
@@ -99,4 +104,49 @@ public class StoredprocedureItemReaderConfigTests {
 		verify(ds);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Should fail if trying to call getConnection() twice
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testHandlesRefCursorPosition() throws Exception {
+		
+		DataSource ds = createMock(DataSource.class);
+		DatabaseMetaData dmd = createNiceMock(DatabaseMetaData.class);
+		expect(dmd.getDatabaseProductName()).andReturn("Oracle").times(2);
+		Connection con = createMock(Connection.class);
+		expect(con.getMetaData()).andReturn(dmd);
+		expect(con.getMetaData()).andReturn(dmd);
+		expect(con.getAutoCommit()).andReturn(false);
+		CallableStatement cs = createNiceMock(CallableStatement.class);
+		expect(con.prepareCall("{call foo_bar(?, ?)}", ResultSet.TYPE_FORWARD_ONLY, ResultSet.CONCUR_READ_ONLY)).andReturn(cs);
+		expect(ds.getConnection()).andReturn(con);
+		expect(ds.getConnection()).andReturn(con);
+		con.commit();
+		replay(con,dmd, ds, cs);
+		PlatformTransactionManager tm = new DataSourceTransactionManager(ds);
+		TransactionTemplate tt = new TransactionTemplate(tm);
+		final StoredProcedureItemReader<String> reader = new StoredProcedureItemReader<String>();
+		reader.setDataSource(ds);
+		reader.setProcedureName("foo_bar");
+		reader.setParameters(new SqlParameter[] {
+				new SqlParameter("foo", Types.VARCHAR),
+				new SqlParameter("bar", Types.OTHER)});
+		reader.setPreparedStatementSetter(
+				new PreparedStatementSetter() {
+					public void setValues(PreparedStatement ps)
+							throws SQLException {
+					}
+				});
+		reader.setRefCursorPosition(3);
+		final ExecutionContext ec = new ExecutionContext();
+		tt.execute(
+				new TransactionCallback() {
+					public Object doInTransaction(TransactionStatus status) {
+						reader.open(ec);
+						reader.close();
+						return null;
+					}
+				});
+		verify(ds);
+	}
 }