diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBean.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBean.java
index db621b3dc..e05a3fc1d 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBean.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.springframework.batch.repeat.policy.SimpleCompletionPolicy;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.TaskExecutorRepeatTemplate;
 import org.springframework.core.task.TaskExecutor;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
  * Most common configuration options for simple steps should be found here. Use
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.task.TaskExecutor;
  */
 public class SimpleStepFactoryBean extends AbstractStepFactoryBean {
 
-	private int commitInterval = 0;
+	private int commitInterval = 1;
 
 	private ItemStream[] streams = new ItemStream[0];
 
@@ -56,10 +57,11 @@ public class SimpleStepFactoryBean extends AbstractStepFactoryBean {
 
 	private ExceptionHandler exceptionHandler;
 
+	
 	/**
 	 * Set the commit interval.
 	 * 
-	 * @param commitInterval
+	 * @param commitInterval 1 by default
 	 */
 	public void setCommitInterval(int commitInterval) {
 		this.commitInterval = commitInterval;
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ public class SimpleStepFactoryBean extends AbstractStepFactoryBean {
 	public void setListeners(StepListener[] listeners) {
 		this.listeners = listeners;
 	}
-	
+
 	/**
 	 * Protected getter for the {@link StepListener}s.
 	 * @return the listeners
@@ -153,6 +155,8 @@ public class SimpleStepFactoryBean extends AbstractStepFactoryBean {
 	protected void applyConfiguration(ItemOrientedStep step) {
 
 		super.applyConfiguration(step);
+		
+		Assert.isTrue(commitInterval > 0);
 
 		step.setStreams(streams);
 
@@ -177,12 +181,10 @@ public class SimpleStepFactoryBean extends AbstractStepFactoryBean {
 
 		BatchListenerFactoryHelper helper = new BatchListenerFactoryHelper();
 
-		if (commitInterval > 0) {
-			RepeatTemplate chunkOperations = new RepeatTemplate();
-			chunkOperations.setCompletionPolicy(new SimpleCompletionPolicy(commitInterval));
-			helper.addChunkListeners(chunkOperations, listeners);
-			step.setChunkOperations(chunkOperations);
-		}
+		RepeatTemplate chunkOperations = new RepeatTemplate();
+		chunkOperations.setCompletionPolicy(new SimpleCompletionPolicy(commitInterval));
+		helper.addChunkListeners(chunkOperations, listeners);
+		step.setChunkOperations(chunkOperations);
 
 		StepExecutionListener[] stepListeners = helper.getStepListeners(listeners);
 		itemReader = helper.getItemReader(itemReader, listeners);
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBeanTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBeanTests.java
index 40bd5d3eb..7c26bddd6 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBeanTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/item/SimpleStepFactoryBeanTests.java
@@ -225,5 +225,34 @@ public class SimpleStepFactoryBeanTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals(expectedListenerCallCount, chunkListener.afterCount);
 		assertEquals(expectedListenerCallCount, chunkListener.beforeCount);
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Commit interval specified is not allowed to be zero or negative.
+	 * @throws Exception 
+	 */
+	public void testCommitIntervalMustBeGreaterThanZero() throws Exception {
+		SimpleStepFactoryBean factory = getStepFactory("foo");
+		// nothing wrong here
+		factory.getObject();
+		
+		// but exception excpected after setting commit interval to value <= 0
+		factory.setCommitInterval(0);
+		try {
+			factory.getObject();
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			// expected
+		}
+		
+		factory.setCommitInterval(-1);
+		try {
+			factory.getObject();
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			// expected
+		}
+	}
 
 }