diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java
index 6748a03b4..62fd65f5e 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriter.java
@@ -469,7 +469,14 @@ InitializingBean {
 		 */
 		public void restoreFrom(ExecutionContext executionContext) {
 			lastMarkedByteOffsetPosition = executionContext.getLong(getExecutionContextKey(RESTART_DATA_NAME));
-			restarted = true;
+			linesWritten = executionContext.getLong(getExecutionContextKey(WRITTEN_STATISTICS_NAME));
+			if (shouldDeleteIfEmpty && linesWritten == 0) {
+				// previous execution deleted the output file because no items were written
+				restarted = false;
+				lastMarkedByteOffsetPosition = 0;
+			} else {
+				restarted = true;
+			}
 		}
 
 		/**
@@ -585,7 +592,6 @@ InitializingBean {
 			}
 
 			initialized = true;
-			linesWritten = 0;
 		}
 
 		public boolean isInitialized() {
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
index fd3bb5c1c..c81c36250 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
@@ -368,6 +368,13 @@ ResourceAwareItemWriterItemStream<T>, InitializingBean {
 			startAtPosition = executionContext.getLong(getExecutionContextKey(RESTART_DATA_NAME));
 			currentRecordCount = executionContext.getLong(getExecutionContextKey(WRITE_STATISTICS_NAME));
 			restarted = true;
+			if (shouldDeleteIfEmpty && currentRecordCount == 0) {
+				// previous execution deleted the output file because no items were written
+				restarted = false;
+				startAtPosition = 0;
+			} else {
+				restarted = true;
+			}
 		}
 
 		open(startAtPosition, restarted);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriterTests.java
index e75d55bd5..22d125aba 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/FlatFileItemWriterTests.java
@@ -323,8 +323,8 @@ public class FlatFileItemWriterTests {
 
 		assertEquals("footer", readLine());
 
-		// 3 lines were written to the file after restart
-		assertEquals(3, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemWriter.class) + ".written"));
+		// 8 lines were written to the file in total
+		assertEquals(8, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemWriter.class) + ".written"));
 
 	}
 
@@ -425,8 +425,8 @@ public class FlatFileItemWriterTests {
 
 		assertEquals("footer", readLine());
 
-		// 3 lines were written to the file after restart
-		assertEquals(3, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemWriter.class) + ".written"));
+		// 8 lines were written to the file in total
+		assertEquals(8, executionContext.getLong(ClassUtils.getShortName(FlatFileItemWriter.class) + ".written"));
 
 	}
 
@@ -595,6 +595,7 @@ public class FlatFileItemWriterTests {
 	public void testDeleteOnExitReopen() throws Exception {
 		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
 		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.update(executionContext);
 		assertTrue(outputFile.exists());
 		writer.close();
 		assertFalse(outputFile.exists());
@@ -603,6 +604,30 @@ public class FlatFileItemWriterTests {
 		assertEquals("test2", readLine());
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void testWriteHeaderAndDeleteOnExitReopen() throws Exception {
+		writer.setHeaderCallback(new FlatFileHeaderCallback() {
+
+            @Override
+			public void writeHeader(Writer writer) throws IOException {
+				writer.write("a\nb");
+			}
+
+		});
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.update(executionContext);
+		assertTrue(outputFile.exists());
+		writer.close();
+		assertFalse(outputFile.exists());
+
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(Collections.singletonList("test2"));
+		assertEquals("a", readLine());
+		assertEquals("b", readLine());
+		assertEquals("test2", readLine());
+	}	
+	
 	@Test
 	public void testDeleteOnExitNoRecordsWrittenAfterRestart() throws Exception {
 		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
index 2901b5deb..7515d2f2e 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 	 * Test that the writer can restart if the previous execution deleted empty file.
 	 */
 	@Test
-	public void testDeleteIfEmptyRestart() throws Exception {
+	public void testDeleteIfEmptyRestartAfterDelete() throws Exception {
 		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
 		writer.open(executionContext);
 		writer.update(executionContext);
@@ -452,11 +452,63 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 		writer = createItemWriter();
 		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
 		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(items);
+		writer.update(executionContext);		
 		writer.close();
 		String content = getOutputFileContent();
 		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
 	}	
 	
+	/**
+	 * Resource is not deleted when items have been written and shouldDeleteIfEmpty flag is set (restart after delete).
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testDeleteIfEmptyNoRecordsWrittenHeaderAndFooterRestartAfterDelete() throws Exception {
+		writer.setShouldDeleteIfEmpty(true);
+		writer.setHeaderCallback(new StaxWriterCallback() {
+
+            @Override
+			public void write(XMLEventWriter writer) throws IOException {
+				XMLEventFactory factory = XMLEventFactory.newInstance();
+				try {
+					writer.add(factory.createStartElement("", "", "header"));
+					writer.add(factory.createEndElement("", "", "header"));
+				}
+				catch (XMLStreamException e) {
+					throw new RuntimeException(e);
+				}
+
+			}
+
+		});
+		writer.setFooterCallback(new StaxWriterCallback() {
+
+            @Override
+			public void write(XMLEventWriter writer) throws IOException {
+				XMLEventFactory factory = XMLEventFactory.newInstance();
+				try {
+					writer.add(factory.createStartElement("", "", "footer"));
+					writer.add(factory.createEndElement("", "", "footer"));
+				}
+				catch (XMLStreamException e) {
+					throw new RuntimeException(e);
+				}
+
+			}
+
+		});		
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.update(executionContext);
+		writer.close();
+		assertFalse("file should be deleted" + resource, resource.getFile().exists());
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(items);
+		writer.update(executionContext);		
+		writer.close();
+		String content = getOutputFileContent();
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));		
+	}		
+	
 
 	/**
 	 * Item is written to the output file with namespace.