diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java
index 499dbc807..27be69888 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContext.java
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  */
 public class ExecutionContext implements Serializable {
 
+	/**
+	 * Underlying {@link ConcurrentHashMap} does not accept <code>null</code>
+	 * values, so we convert it to a private constant under the covers.
+	 */
+	private static enum Constants {
+		NULL
+	};
+
 	private volatile boolean dirty = false;
 
 	private final Map<String, Object> map;
@@ -112,6 +120,9 @@ public class ExecutionContext implements Serializable {
 		if (value != null) {
 			Assert.isInstanceOf(Serializable.class, value, "Value: [ " + value + "must be serializable.");
 		}
+		else {
+			value = Constants.NULL;
+		}
 		dirty = true;
 		map.put(key, value);
 	}
@@ -233,6 +244,10 @@ public class ExecutionContext implements Serializable {
 
 		Object value = map.get(key);
 
+		if (value == Constants.NULL) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
 		if (!type.isInstance(value)) {
 			throw new ClassCastException("Value for key=[" + key + "] is not of type: [" + type + "], it is ["
 					+ (value == null ? null : "(" + value.getClass() + ")" + value) + "]");
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d8b34fd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/ExecutionContextTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2008 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.batch.item;
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+import org.apache.commons.lang.SerializationUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.EqualsBuilder;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.HashCodeBuilder;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * @author Lucas Ward
+ *
+ */
+public class ExecutionContextTests {
+
+	private ExecutionContext context;
+
+	@Before
+	public void setUp() throws Exception {
+		context = new ExecutionContext();
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testNormalUsage(){
+		
+		context.putString("1", "testString1");
+		context.putString("2", "testString2");
+		context.putLong("3", 3);
+		context.putDouble("4", 4.4);
+		
+		assertEquals("testString1", context.getString("1"));
+		assertEquals("testString2", context.getString("2"));
+		assertEquals("defaultString", context.getString("5", "defaultString"));
+		assertEquals(4.4, context.getDouble("4"), 0);
+		assertEquals(5.5, context.getDouble("5", 5.5), 0);
+		assertEquals(3, context.getLong("3"));
+		assertEquals(5, context.getLong("5", 5));
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testInvalidCast(){
+		
+		context.putLong("1", 1);
+		try{
+			context.getDouble("1");
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch(ClassCastException ex){
+			//expected
+		}
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testIsEmpty(){
+		assertTrue(context.isEmpty());
+		context.putString("1", "test");
+		assertFalse(context.isEmpty());
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testDirtyFlag(){
+		assertFalse(context.isDirty());
+		context.putString("1", "test");
+		assertTrue(context.isDirty());
+		context.clearDirtyFlag();
+		assertFalse(context.isDirty());
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testContains(){
+		context.putString("1", "testString");
+		assertTrue(context.containsKey("1"));
+		assertTrue(context.containsValue("testString"));
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testEquals(){
+		context.putString("1", "testString");
+		ExecutionContext tempContext = new ExecutionContext();
+		assertFalse(tempContext.equals(context));
+		tempContext.putString("1", "testString");
+		assertTrue(tempContext.equals(context));
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSerializationCheck(){
+		//adding a non serializable object should cause an error.
+		try{
+			context.put("1", new Object());
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch(IllegalArgumentException ex){
+			//expected
+		}
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testPutNull(){
+		//putting null should work
+		context.put("1", null);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testGetNull() {
+		assertNull(context.get("does not exist"));
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSerialization() {
+		
+		TestSerializable s = new TestSerializable();
+		s.value = 7;
+		
+		context.putString("1", "testString1");
+		context.putString("2", "testString2");
+		context.putLong("3", 3);
+		context.putDouble("4", 4.4);
+		context.put("5", s);
+		
+		byte[] serialized = SerializationUtils.serialize(context);
+		
+		ExecutionContext deserialized = (ExecutionContext) SerializationUtils.deserialize(serialized);
+		
+		assertEquals(context, deserialized);
+		assertEquals(7, ((TestSerializable)deserialized.get("5")).value);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testCopyConstructor() throws Exception {
+		ExecutionContext context = new ExecutionContext();
+		context.put("foo", "bar");
+		ExecutionContext copy = new ExecutionContext(context);
+		assertEquals(copy, context);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testCopyConstructorNullnNput() throws Exception {
+		ExecutionContext context = new ExecutionContext((ExecutionContext)null);
+		assertTrue(context.isEmpty());
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Value object for testing serialization
+	 */
+	private static class TestSerializable implements Serializable {
+
+		int value;
+
+		public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+			return EqualsBuilder.reflectionEquals(this, obj);
+		}
+
+		public int hashCode() {
+			return HashCodeBuilder.reflectionHashCode(this);
+		}
+		
+		
+		
+	}
+	
+}