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 40d471471..e48d8b63d 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
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ public class ResourceLineReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemRea
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * skippedLinesCallback will be passed the header line before any items are read.
+	 * @param skippedLinesCallback will be called for each one of the initial skipped
+	 * lines before any items are read.
 	 */
 	public void setSkippedLinesCallback(LineCallbackHandler skippedLinesCallback) {
 		this.skippedLinesCallback = skippedLinesCallback;
@@ -214,7 +215,9 @@ 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);
+			if (skippedLinesCallback != null) {
+				skippedLinesCallback.handleLine(line);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
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/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f076bd215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/ResourceLineReaderTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.item.file;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.mapping.PassThroughLineMapper;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.separator.RecordSeparatorPolicy;
+import org.springframework.core.io.ByteArrayResource;
+import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
+
+/**
+ * Tests for {@link ResourceLineReader}.
+ */
+public class ResourceLineReaderTests {
+
+	private ResourceLineReader<String> reader = new ResourceLineReader<String>();
+
+	private ExecutionContext executionContext = new ExecutionContext();
+
+	@Before
+	public void setUp() {
+
+		reader.setResource(getInputResource("testLine1\ntestLine2\ntestLine3\ntestLine4\ntestLine5\ntestLine6"));
+		reader.setLineMapper(new PassThroughLineMapper());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testRestartWithCustomRecordSeparatorPolicy() throws Exception {
+
+		reader.setRecordSeparatorPolicy(new RecordSeparatorPolicy() {
+			// 1 record = 2 lines
+			boolean pair = true;
+
+			public boolean isEndOfRecord(String line) {
+				pair = !pair;
+				return pair;
+			}
+
+			public String postProcess(String record) {
+				return record;
+			}
+
+			public String preProcess(String record) {
+				return record;
+			}
+		});
+
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+
+		assertEquals("testLine1testLine2", reader.read().toString());
+		assertEquals("testLine3testLine4", reader.read().toString());
+
+		reader.update(executionContext);
+
+		reader.close(executionContext);
+
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+
+		assertEquals("testLine5testLine6", reader.read().toString());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testRestartWithSkippedLines() throws Exception {
+
+		reader.setLinesToSkip(2);
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+
+		// read some records
+		reader.read();
+		reader.read();
+		// get restart data
+		reader.update(executionContext);
+		// read next two records
+		reader.read();
+		reader.read();
+
+		assertEquals(2, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
+		// close input
+		reader.close(executionContext);
+
+		reader
+				.setResource(getInputResource("header\nignoreme\ntestLine1\ntestLine2\ntestLine3\ntestLine4\ntestLine5\ntestLine6"));
+
+		// init for restart
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+
+		// read remaining records
+		assertEquals("testLine3", reader.read().toString());
+		assertEquals("testLine4", reader.read().toString());
+
+		reader.update(executionContext);
+		assertEquals(4, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemReader.class) + ".read.count"));
+	}
+
+	private Resource getInputResource(String input) {
+		return new ByteArrayResource(input.getBytes());
+	}
+}