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 65345b6d4..e9b3b84d2 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
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 		List<Element> taskletElements = (List<Element>) DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(stepElement, "tasklet");
 		boolean taskletElementExists = taskletElements.size() > 0;
-		boolean stepUnderspecified = stepUnderspecified(stepElement);
+		boolean stepUnderspecified = CoreNamespaceUtils.isUnderspecified(stepElement);
 		AbstractBeanDefinition bd = null;
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(taskletRef)) {
 			if (taskletElementExists) {
@@ -89,18 +89,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Should this step should be treated as incomplete? If it has a parent or
-	 * is abstract, then it may not have all properties.
-	 * 
-	 * @param stepElement
-	 * @return TRUE if
-	 */
-	private boolean stepUnderspecified(Element stepElement) {
-		return Boolean.valueOf(stepElement.getAttribute("abstract"))
-				|| StringUtils.hasText(stepElement.getAttribute("parent"));
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * @param stepElement
 	 * @param taskletRef
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java
index 30e9967a1..d8cd6f48a 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/CoreNamespaceUtils.java
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
+import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 
 /**
  * utility methods used in parsing of the batch core namespace
@@ -55,4 +57,15 @@ public class CoreNamespaceUtils {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Should this element be treated as incomplete? If it has a parent or is
+	 * abstract, then it may not have all properties.
+	 * 
+	 * @param element
+	 * @return TRUE if the element is abstract or has a parent
+	 */
+	public static boolean isUnderspecified(Element element) {
+		return Boolean.valueOf(element.getAttribute("abstract")) || StringUtils.hasText(element.getAttribute("parent"));
+	}
+	
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java
index 0e927b58a..78f9688cb 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/FlowParser.java
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public class FlowParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 				parserContext.extractSource(element));
 		parserContext.pushContainingComponent(compositeDef);
 
+		boolean stepExists = false;
 		NodeList children = element.getChildNodes();
 		for (int i = 0; i < children.getLength(); i++) {
 			Node node = children.item(i);
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ public class FlowParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 				String nodeName = node.getLocalName();
 				if (nodeName.equals("step")) {
 					stateTransitions.addAll(stepParser.parse((Element) node, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef));
+					stepExists = true;
 				}
 				else if (nodeName.equals("decision")) {
 					stateTransitions.addAll(decisionParser.parse((Element) node, parserContext));
@@ -107,10 +109,15 @@ public class FlowParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 				else if (nodeName.equals("split")) {
 					stateTransitions.addAll(splitParser.parse((Element) node, new ParserContext(parserContext
 							.getReaderContext(), parserContext.getDelegate(), builder.getBeanDefinition())));
+					stepExists = true;
 				}
 			}
 		}
 
+		if (!stepExists && !CoreNamespaceUtils.isUnderspecified(element)) {
+			parserContext.getReaderContext().error("A flow must contain at least one step", element);
+		}
+		
 		builder.addConstructorArgValue(flowName);
 		ManagedList managedList = new ManagedList();
 		@SuppressWarnings( { "unchecked", "unused" })