diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java
index 35d885761..7cbfb4df7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReader.java
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 
 	private boolean shouldReadBuffer = false;
 
+	private boolean saveState = false;
+
 	public MultiResourceItemReader() {
 		setName(MultiResourceItemReader.class.getSimpleName());
 	}
@@ -129,8 +131,10 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	 * Store the current resource index and delegate's data.
 	 */
 	public void update(ExecutionContext executionContext) throws ItemStreamException {
-		executionContext.putLong(getKey(RESOURCE_INDEX), currentResourceIndex);
-		delegate.update(executionContext);
+		if (saveState) {
+			executionContext.putLong(getKey(RESOURCE_INDEX), currentResourceIndex);
+			delegate.update(executionContext);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -150,5 +154,16 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReader extends ExecutionContextUserSupport impleme
 	public void setResources(Resource[] resources) {
 		this.resources = resources;
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Set the boolean indicating whether or not state should be saved in the
+	 * provided {@link ExecutionContext} during the {@link ItemStream} call to
+	 * update.
+	 * 
+	 * @param saveState
+	 */
+	public void setSaveState(boolean saveState) {
+		this.saveState = saveState;
+	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderFlatFileTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderFlatFileTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1aac541ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderFlatFileTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.item;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.FlatFileItemReader;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.mapping.FieldSet;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.file.mapping.FieldSetMapper;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.sample.Foo;
+import org.springframework.core.io.ByteArrayResource;
+import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
+
+public class MultiResourceItemReaderFlatFileTests extends CommonItemStreamItemReaderTests {
+
+	protected ItemReader getItemReader() throws Exception {
+
+		MultiResourceItemReader multiReader = new MultiResourceItemReader();
+		FlatFileItemReader fileReader = new FlatFileItemReader();
+
+		fileReader.setFieldSetMapper(new FieldSetMapper() {
+			public Object mapLine(FieldSet fs) {
+				Foo foo = new Foo();
+				foo.setValue(fs.readInt(0));
+				return foo;
+			}
+		});
+		fileReader.setSaveState(true);
+
+		multiReader.setDelegate(fileReader);
+
+		Resource r1 = new ByteArrayResource("1\n2\n".getBytes());
+		Resource r2 = new ByteArrayResource("".getBytes());
+		Resource r3 = new ByteArrayResource("3\n".getBytes());
+		Resource r4 = new ByteArrayResource("4\n5\n".getBytes());
+
+		multiReader.setResources(new Resource[] { r1, r2, r3, r4 });
+		multiReader.setSaveState(true);
+		multiReader.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		return multiReader;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java
index f9ad85bf9..4782bfbb7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests.java
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ public class MultiResourceItemReaderIntegrationTests extends TestCase {
 	public void testRestart() throws Exception {
 
 		itemReader.setSaveState(true);
+		tested.setSaveState(true);
 
 		tested.open(ctx);
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderXmlTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderXmlTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b21ad8e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/MultiResourceItemReaderXmlTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.item;
+
+import javax.xml.stream.XMLEventReader;
+import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamException;
+import javax.xml.stream.events.Attribute;
+import javax.xml.stream.events.StartElement;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.item.sample.Foo;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.xml.EventReaderDeserializer;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.xml.StaxEventItemReader;
+import org.springframework.core.io.ByteArrayResource;
+import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
+
+public class MultiResourceItemReaderXmlTests extends CommonItemStreamItemReaderTests {
+
+	protected ItemReader getItemReader() throws Exception {
+		MultiResourceItemReader multiReader = new MultiResourceItemReader();
+
+		StaxEventItemReader reader = new StaxEventItemReader();
+
+		reader.setFragmentRootElementName("foo");
+		reader.setFragmentDeserializer(new EventReaderDeserializer() {
+			public Object deserializeFragment(XMLEventReader eventReader) {
+				Attribute attr;
+				try {
+					assertTrue(eventReader.nextEvent().isStartDocument());
+					StartElement event = eventReader.nextEvent().asStartElement();
+					attr = (Attribute) event.getAttributes().next();
+				}
+				catch (XMLStreamException e) {
+					throw new RuntimeException(e);
+				}
+				Foo foo = new Foo();
+				foo.setValue(Integer.parseInt(attr.getValue()));
+				return foo;
+			}
+		});
+
+		reader.setSaveState(true);
+
+		Resource r1 = new ByteArrayResource("<foos> <foo value=\"1\"/> <foo value=\"2\"/> </foos>".getBytes());
+		Resource r2 = new ByteArrayResource("<foos> </foos>".getBytes());
+		Resource r3 = new ByteArrayResource("<foos> <foo value=\"3\"/> </foos>".getBytes());
+		Resource r4 = new ByteArrayResource("<foos> <foo value=\"4\"/> <foo value=\"5\"/> </foos>".getBytes());
+
+		multiReader.setDelegate(reader);
+		multiReader.setResources(new Resource[] { r1, r2, r3, r4 });
+		multiReader.setSaveState(true);
+		multiReader.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		return multiReader;
+	}
+
+}