diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java
index 364d2a377..8a91688a7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReader.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * Restartable {@link ItemReader} that reads lines from input
@@ -178,14 +179,21 @@ public class FlatFileItemReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingItemStreamItemRea
 		}
 		String line = readLine();
 		String record = line;
-		if (line != null) {
-			while (line != null && !recordSeparatorPolicy.isEndOfRecord(record)) {
-				line = readLine();
-				if (line==null) {
+		while (line != null && !recordSeparatorPolicy.isEndOfRecord(record)) {
+			line = readLine();
+			if (line == null) {
+				if (StringUtils.hasText(record)) {
+					// A record was partially complete since it hasn't ended but
+					// the line is null
 					throw new FlatFileParseException("Unexpected end of file before record complete", record, lineCount);
 				}
-				record = recordSeparatorPolicy.preProcess(record) + line;
+				else {
+					// Record has no text but it might still be post processed
+					// to something (skipping preProcess since that was already done)
+					break;
+				}
 			}
+			record = recordSeparatorPolicy.preProcess(record) + line;
 		}
 		String logicalLine = recordSeparatorPolicy.postProcess(record);
 		if (logicalLine == null) {
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
index 5b264347d..e4153568a 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemReaderTests.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.AbstractResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ByteArrayResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * Tests for {@link FlatFileItemReader}.
@@ -98,11 +99,12 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 		reader.open(executionContext);
 
 		assertEquals("testLine1testLine2", reader.read());
-		
+
 		try {
 			reader.read();
 			fail("Expected Exception");
-		} catch (FlatFileParseException e) {
+		}
+		catch (FlatFileParseException e) {
 			// File ends in the middle of a record
 			assertEquals(3, e.getLineNumber());
 			assertEquals("testLine3", e.getInput());
@@ -110,6 +112,66 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCustomRecordSeparatorBlankLine() throws Exception {
+
+		reader.setRecordSeparatorPolicy(new RecordSeparatorPolicy() {
+
+			public boolean isEndOfRecord(String line) {
+				return StringUtils.hasText(line);
+			}
+
+			public String postProcess(String record) {
+				return StringUtils.hasText(record) ? record : null;
+			}
+
+			public String preProcess(String record) {
+				return record;
+			}
+		});
+
+		reader.setResource(getInputResource("testLine1\ntestLine2\ntestLine3\n\n"));
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+
+		assertEquals("testLine1", reader.read());
+		assertEquals("testLine2", reader.read());
+		assertEquals("testLine3", reader.read());
+		assertEquals(null, reader.read());
+
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCustomRecordSeparatorMultilineBlankLineAfterEnd() throws Exception {
+
+		reader.setRecordSeparatorPolicy(new RecordSeparatorPolicy() {
+
+			// 1 record = 2 lines
+			boolean pair = true;
+
+			public boolean isEndOfRecord(String line) {
+				if (StringUtils.hasText(line)) {
+					pair = !pair;
+				}
+				return pair;
+			}
+
+			public String postProcess(String record) {
+				return StringUtils.hasText(record) ? record : null;
+			}
+
+			public String preProcess(String record) {
+				return record;
+			}
+		});
+
+		reader.setResource(getInputResource("testLine1\ntestLine2\n\n"));
+		reader.open(executionContext);
+
+		assertEquals("testLine1testLine2", reader.read());
+		assertEquals(null, reader.read());
+
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testRestartWithSkippedLines() throws Exception {
 
@@ -184,7 +246,7 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 	public void testMaxItemCountFromContext() throws Exception {
 
 		reader.setMaxItemCount(2);
-		executionContext.putInt(reader.getClass().getSimpleName()+".read.count.max", Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+		executionContext.putInt(reader.getClass().getSimpleName() + ".read.count.max", Integer.MAX_VALUE);
 		reader.open(executionContext);
 		// read some records
 		reader.read();
@@ -199,7 +261,7 @@ public class FlatFileItemReaderTests {
 	public void testCurrentItemCountFromContext() throws Exception {
 
 		reader.setCurrentItemCount(2);
-		executionContext.putInt(reader.getClass().getSimpleName()+".read.count", 3);
+		executionContext.putInt(reader.getClass().getSimpleName() + ".read.count", 3);
 		reader.open(executionContext);
 		// read some records
 		assertEquals("testLine4", reader.read());