diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScope.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScope.java
index 0defafd86..0b4cf7c55 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScope.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScope.java
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ public class StepScope implements Scope, BeanFactoryPostProcessor, Ordered {
 
 	private boolean proxyTargetClass = false;
 
+	private static boolean springThreeDetected;
+
+	private static boolean cachedSpringThreeResult;
+
 	/**
 	 * Flag to indicate that proxies should use dynamic subclassing. This allows
 	 * classes with no interface to be proxied. Defaults to false.
@@ -229,7 +233,12 @@ public class StepScope implements Scope, BeanFactoryPostProcessor, Ordered {
 	}
 
 	private static boolean isSpringThree() {
-		return ReflectionUtils.findMethod(Scope.class, "resolveContextualObject", new Class<?>[] { String.class }) != null;
+		if (!cachedSpringThreeResult) {
+			springThreeDetected = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(Scope.class, "resolveContextualObject",
+					new Class<?>[] { String.class }) != null;
+			cachedSpringThreeResult = true;
+		}
+		return springThreeDetected;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -326,7 +335,9 @@ public class StepScope implements Scope, BeanFactoryPostProcessor, Ordered {
 			if (definition != null) {
 				boolean nestedScoped = scope.equals(definition.getScope());
 				boolean scopeChangeRequiresProxy = !scoped && nestedScoped;
-				new ExpressionHider(scope, nestedScoped).visitBeanDefinition(definition);
+				if (!isSpringThree()) {
+					new ExpressionHider(scope, nestedScoped).visitBeanDefinition(definition);
+				}
 				if (scopeChangeRequiresProxy) {
 					// Exit here so that nested inner bean definitions are not
 					// analysed
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests.java
index 0f60ebd44..b710b869e 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests.java
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ public class StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests implements BeanFactoryAware {
 	@Qualifier("bar")
 	private Collaborator bar;
 
+	@Autowired
+	@Qualifier("nested")
+	private Collaborator nested;
+
 	private StepExecution stepExecution;
 
 	private ListableBeanFactory beanFactory;
@@ -128,4 +132,9 @@ public class StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests implements BeanFactoryAware {
 		assertEquals("[bar]", list.getList().toString());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testNested() throws Exception {
+		assertEquals("bar", nested.getParent().getName());
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests-context.xml
index bfa813628..d7e7d6b8c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/scope/StepScopePlaceholderIntegrationTests-context.xml
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@
 		<property name="parent" value="#{stepExecutionContext[parent]}" />
 	</bean>
 
+	<bean id="nested" class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.TestCollaborator">
+		<property name="name" value="foo" />
+		<property name="parent">
+			<bean class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.TestCollaborator" scope="step">
+				<property name="name" value="#{stepExecutionContext[foo]}" />
+			</bean>
+		</property>
+	</bean>
+
 	<bean id="list" class="org.springframework.batch.core.scope.TestCollaborator" scope="step">
 		<property name="name" value="foo" />
 		<property name="list">