diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
index 49d1c5625..573e5d9bb 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(jobFactoryRef)) {
 			bd.setAttribute("jobParserJobFactoryBeanRef", jobFactoryRef);
 		}
+		
+		Element description = DomUtils.getChildElementByTagName(stepElement, "description");
+		if (description!=null) {
+			bd.setDescription(description.getTextContent());
+		}
 
 		return bd;
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java
index 54602b3ea..565a62376 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobParser.java
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ public class JobParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 			builder.addPropertyValue("flow", flowDef);
 		}
 
+		Element description = DomUtils.getChildElementByTagName(element, "description");
+		if (description!=null) {
+			builder.getBeanDefinition().setDescription(description.getTextContent());
+		}
+
 		List<Element> listenersElements = DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(element, "listeners");
 		if (listenersElements.size() == 1) {
 			Element listenersElement = listenersElements.get(0);
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.1.xsd b/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.1.xsd
index 552d373d5..de722f3b1 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.1.xsd
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.1.xsd
@@ -26,23 +26,26 @@
 			</xsd:documentation>
 		</xsd:annotation>
 		<xsd:complexType>
-			<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
-				<xsd:group ref="flowGroup" />
-				<xsd:element name="listeners">
-					<xsd:annotation>
-						<xsd:documentation><![CDATA[
-						List of all listeners for the job
-						]]>
-						</xsd:documentation>
-					</xsd:annotation>
-					<xsd:complexType>
-						<xsd:sequence>
-							<xsd:element name="listener" type="jobExecutionListenerType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
-						</xsd:sequence>
-						<xsd:attributeGroup ref="mergeAttribute" />
-					</xsd:complexType>
-				</xsd:element>
-			</xsd:choice>
+			<xsd:sequence>
+				<xsd:element ref="description" minOccurs="0"/>
+				<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
+					<xsd:group ref="flowGroup" />
+					<xsd:element name="listeners">
+						<xsd:annotation>
+							<xsd:documentation><![CDATA[
+							List of all listeners for the job
+							]]>
+							</xsd:documentation>
+						</xsd:annotation>
+						<xsd:complexType>
+							<xsd:sequence>
+								<xsd:element name="listener" type="jobExecutionListenerType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
+							</xsd:sequence>
+							<xsd:attributeGroup ref="mergeAttribute" />
+						</xsd:complexType>
+					</xsd:element>
+				</xsd:choice>
+			</xsd:sequence>
 			<xsd:attribute name="id" type="xsd:ID" use="required" />
 			<xsd:attributeGroup ref="jobRepositoryAttribute" />
 			<xsd:attribute name="incrementer" type="xsd:string" use="optional">
@@ -82,17 +85,20 @@
 			</xsd:documentation>
 		</xsd:annotation>
 		<xsd:complexType>
-			<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
-				<xsd:element name="tasklet">
-					<xsd:complexType>
-						<xsd:complexContent>
-							<xsd:extension base="taskletType">
-								<xsd:attributeGroup ref="jobRepositoryAttribute"/>
-							</xsd:extension>
-						</xsd:complexContent>
-					</xsd:complexType>
-				</xsd:element>
-			</xsd:choice>
+			<xsd:sequence>
+				<xsd:element ref="description" minOccurs="0"/>
+				<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
+					<xsd:element name="tasklet">
+						<xsd:complexType>
+							<xsd:complexContent>
+								<xsd:extension base="taskletType">
+									<xsd:attributeGroup ref="jobRepositoryAttribute"/>
+								</xsd:extension>
+							</xsd:complexContent>
+						</xsd:complexType>
+					</xsd:element>
+				</xsd:choice>
+			</xsd:sequence>
 			<xsd:attribute name="id" type="xsd:ID" use="required" />
 			<xsd:attributeGroup ref="parentAttribute"/>
 			<xsd:attributeGroup ref="abstractAttribute" />
@@ -231,10 +237,13 @@
 					</xsd:documentation>
 				</xsd:annotation>
 				<xsd:complexType>
-					<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
-						<xsd:element name="tasklet" type="taskletType"/>
-						<xsd:group ref="transitions" />
-					</xsd:choice>
+					<xsd:sequence>
+						<xsd:element ref="description" minOccurs="0"/>
+						<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
+							<xsd:element name="tasklet" type="taskletType"/>
+							<xsd:group ref="transitions" />
+						</xsd:choice>
+					</xsd:sequence>
 					<xsd:attribute name="id" type="xsd:ID" use="required" />
 					<xsd:attributeGroup ref="parentAttribute"/>
 					<xsd:attributeGroup ref="nextAttribute" />
@@ -916,5 +925,17 @@
 			</xsd:annotation>
 		</xsd:attribute>
 	</xsd:attributeGroup>
+	
+	<xsd:element name="description">
+		<xsd:annotation>
+			<xsd:documentation><![CDATA[
+	Contains informative text describing the purpose of the enclosing element.
+	Used primarily for user documentation of XML bean definition documents.
+			]]></xsd:documentation>
+		</xsd:annotation>
+		<xsd:complexType mixed="true">
+			<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
+		</xsd:complexType>
+	</xsd:element>
 
 </xsd:schema>
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobExecutionListenerParserTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobExecutionListenerParserTests-context.xml
index 98c33a5ea..fd7829bdc 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobExecutionListenerParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/JobExecutionListenerParserTests-context.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@
 	<beans:import resource="common-context.xml" />
 	
 	<job id="job" incrementer="testIncrementer" job-repository="jobRepository">
-		<step id="s1" parent="step1"/>
+		<description>A job that executes step1</description>
+		<step id="s1" parent="step1">
+			<description>A step that does some stuff</description>
+		</step>
 		<listeners>
 			<listener after-job-method="afterJob" ref="testListener"/>
 			<listener after-job-method="afterJob">