diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReader.java
index 482593333..40d471471 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReader.java
@@ -50,14 +50,37 @@ public class ResourceLineReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemRea
 
 	private LineMapper<T> lineMapper;
 
+	private int linesToSkip = 0;
+
+	private LineCallbackHandler skippedLinesCallback;
+
 	public ResourceLineReader() {
 		setName(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * skippedLinesCallback will be passed the header line before any items are read.
+	 */
+	public void setSkippedLinesCallback(LineCallbackHandler skippedLinesCallback) {
+		this.skippedLinesCallback = skippedLinesCallback;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Public setter for the number of lines to skip at the start of a file. Can
+	 * be used if the file contains a header without useful (column name)
+	 * information, and without a comment delimiter at the beginning of the
+	 * lines.
+	 * 
+	 * @param linesToSkip the number of lines to skip
+	 */
+	public void setLinesToSkip(int linesToSkip) {
+		this.linesToSkip = linesToSkip;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Setter for line mapper. This property is required to be set.
 	 * @param lineMapper maps line to item
- 	 */
+	 */
 	public void setLineMapper(LineMapper<T> lineMapper) {
 		this.lineMapper = lineMapper;
 	}
@@ -189,7 +212,10 @@ public class ResourceLineReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemRea
 		}
 
 		reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(resource.getInputStream(), encoding));
-
+		for (int i = 0; i < linesToSkip; i++) {
+			String line = readLine();
+			skippedLinesCallback.handleLine(line);
+		}
 	}
 
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderCommonTests.java
similarity index 91%
rename from spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
rename to spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderCommonTests.java
index 6c25d5f25..cee877aaf 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderCommonTests.java
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 /**
  * Tests for {@link ResourceLineReader}.
  */
-public class ResourceLineReaderTests extends CommonItemStreamItemReaderTests{
+public class ResourceLineReaderCommonTests extends CommonItemStreamItemReaderTests{
 
 	private static final String FOOS = "1 \n 2 \n 3 \n 4 \n 5 \n";