diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/stax/UnopenedElementClosingEventWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/stax/UnopenedElementClosingEventWriter.java
index f380f7150..03ddbe1b6 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/stax/UnopenedElementClosingEventWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/stax/UnopenedElementClosingEventWriter.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import java.util.List;
 import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLEventWriter;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamException;
-import javax.xml.stream.events.EndElement;
 import javax.xml.stream.events.XMLEvent;
 
 import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessResourceFailureException;
@@ -51,18 +50,16 @@ public class UnopenedElementClosingEventWriter extends AbstractEventWriterWrappe
     @Override
 	public void add(XMLEvent event) throws XMLStreamException {
     	if (isUnopenedElementCloseEvent(event)) {
-    		EndElement endElement = event.asEndElement();
-    		QName name = endElement.getName();
-    		String nsPrefix = !StringUtils.hasText(name.getPrefix()) ? "" : name.getPrefix() + ":";    		
+    		QName element = unopenedElements.removeLast();
+    		String nsPrefix = !StringUtils.hasText(element.getPrefix()) ? "" : element.getPrefix() + ":";    		
     		try {
     			super.flush();
-    			ioWriter.write("</" + nsPrefix + name.getLocalPart() + ">");
+    			ioWriter.write("</" + nsPrefix + element.getLocalPart() + ">");
     			ioWriter.flush();
     		}
     		catch (IOException ioe) {
-    			throw new DataAccessResourceFailureException("Unable to close tag: " + name, ioe);
+    			throw new DataAccessResourceFailureException("Unable to close tag: " + element, ioe);
     		}    		
-    		unopenedElements.removeLast();
     	} else {
     		super.add(event);
     	}
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 1246f8d54..52845b423 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
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlRootElement;
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLEventWriter;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamException;
@@ -800,7 +801,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 
 		assertEquals("Wrong content: " + content,
 				"<ns:testroot xmlns:ns=\"http://www.springframework.org/test\">" +
-				"<ns:group><StaxEventItemWriter-testString/><StaxEventItemWriter-testString/></group></ns:testroot>", content);
+				"<ns:group><StaxEventItemWriter-testString/><StaxEventItemWriter-testString/></ns:group></ns:testroot>", content);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -824,7 +825,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 				"<ns:testroot xmlns:ns=\"http://www.springframework.org/test\">" +
 				"<preHeader>PRE-HEADER</preHeader><ns:group><subGroup><postHeader>POST-HEADER</postHeader>" +
 				"<StaxEventItemWriter-testString/><StaxEventItemWriter-testString/>" +
-				"<preFooter>PRE-FOOTER</preFooter></subGroup></group><postFooter>POST-FOOTER</postFooter>" +
+				"<preFooter>PRE-FOOTER</preFooter></subGroup></ns:group><postFooter>POST-FOOTER</postFooter>" +
 				"</ns:testroot>", content);
 	}