diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java
index 08b192b90..340e334b3 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper.java
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ import org.springframework.beans.PropertyEditorRegistry;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactoryAware;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.CustomEditorConfigurer;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.ConversionService;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
 import org.springframework.validation.BindException;
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ import org.springframework.validation.DataBinder;
  * {@link FieldSetMapper} implementation based on bean property paths. The
  * {@link FieldSet} to be mapped should have field name meta data corresponding
  * to bean property paths in an instance of the desired type. The instance is
- * created and initialized either by referring to to a prototype object by bean
+ * created and initialized either by referring to a prototype object by bean
  * name in the enclosing BeanFactory, or by providing a class to instantiate
  * reflectively.<br>
  * <br>
@@ -63,7 +65,11 @@ import org.springframework.validation.DataBinder;
  * can inject {@link PropertyEditor} instances directly through the
  * {@link #setCustomEditors(Map) customEditors} property, or you can override
  * the {@link #createBinder(Object)} and {@link #initBinder(DataBinder)}
- * methods, or you can provide a custom {@link FieldSet} implementation.<br>
+ * methods, or you can provide a custom {@link FieldSet} implementation.
+ * You can also use a {@link ConversionService} to convert to the desired type
+ * through the {@link #setConversionService(ConversionService) conversionService}
+ * property.
+ * <br>
  * <br>
  * 
  * Property name matching is "fuzzy" in the sense that it tolerates close
@@ -102,6 +108,10 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 
 	private boolean strict = true;
 
+	private ConversionService conversionService;
+
+	private boolean isCustomEditorsSet;
+
 	/*
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
 	 * 
@@ -166,6 +176,7 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
 		Assert.state(name != null || type != null, "Either name or type must be provided.");
 		Assert.state(name == null || type == null, "Both name and type cannot be specified together.");
+		Assert.state(!this.isCustomEditorsSet || this.conversionService == null, "Both customEditor and conversionService cannot be specified together.");
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -207,6 +218,9 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 		binder.setIgnoreUnknownFields(!this.strict);
 		initBinder(binder);
 		registerCustomEditors(binder);
+		if(this.conversionService != null) {
+			binder.setConversionService(this.conversionService);
+		}
 		return binder;
 	}
 
@@ -383,6 +397,31 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<T> extends DefaultPropertyEditorRegistrar
 		this.strict = strict;
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * Public setter for the 'conversionService' property.
+	 * {@link #createBinder(Object)} will use it if not null.
+	 *
+	 * @param conversionService
+	 */
+	public void setConversionService(ConversionService conversionService) {
+		this.conversionService = conversionService;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Specify the {@link PropertyEditor custom editors} to register.
+	 *
+	 *
+	 * @param customEditors a map of Class to PropertyEditor (or class name to
+	 * PropertyEditor).
+	 * @see CustomEditorConfigurer#setCustomEditors(Map)
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public void setCustomEditors(Map<? extends Object, ? extends PropertyEditor> customEditors) {
+		this.isCustomEditorsSet = true;
+		super.setCustomEditors(customEditors);
+	}
+
 	private static class DistanceHolder {
 		private final Class<?> cls;
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java
index 25ab8271b..fb03c5a45 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/file/mapping/BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests.java
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ import org.springframework.beans.propertyeditors.PropertiesEditor;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.StaticApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.ConversionService;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.TypeDescriptor;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.support.DefaultConversionService;
+import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.test.util.ReflectionTestUtils;
 import org.springframework.validation.BindException;
 import org.springframework.validation.DataBinder;
@@ -51,27 +55,38 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests {
 	
 	@Test
 	public void testNameAndTypeSpecified() throws Exception {
+		boolean errorCaught = false;
 		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
 		mapper.setTargetType(TestObject.class);
 		mapper.setPrototypeBeanName("foo");
 		try {
 			mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
 		}
-		catch (IllegalStateException e) {
-			// expected
+		catch (IllegalStateException ise) {
+			errorCaught = true;
+			assertEquals("Both name and type cannot be specified together.", ise.getMessage());
+		}
+		if (!errorCaught) {
+			fail();
 		}
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testNameNorTypeSpecified() throws Exception {
+		boolean errorCaught = false;
 		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
 		try {
 			mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
 		}
-		catch (IllegalStateException e) {
-			// expected
+		catch (IllegalStateException ise) {
+			errorCaught = true;
+			assertEquals("Either name or type must be provided.", ise.getMessage());
 		}
-	}
+		if (!errorCaught) {
+			fail();
+		}
+
+}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testVanillaBeanCreatedFromType() throws Exception {
@@ -422,6 +437,78 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests {
 		assertEquals(7890.1, bean.getVarFloat(), 0.01);
 	}
 
+
+	@Test
+	public void testConversionWithTestConverter() throws Exception {
+
+		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
+		mapper.setTargetType(TestObject.class);
+
+		FieldSet fieldSet = new DefaultFieldSet(new String[] { "SHOULD BE CONVERTED" }, new String[] { "varString" });
+
+		mapper.setConversionService(new TestConversion());
+		mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
+		TestObject bean = mapper.mapFieldSet(fieldSet);
+
+		assertEquals("Expecting the conversion to have returned \"CONVERTED\"", bean.getVarString(), "CONVERTED");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDefaultConversion() throws Exception {
+
+		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
+		mapper.setTargetType(TestObject.class);
+
+		final String sampleString = "myString";
+		Date date = new Date();
+		BigDecimal bigDecimal = new BigDecimal(12345L);
+		String dateString = date.toString();
+
+
+		FieldSet fieldSet = new DefaultFieldSet(new String[] { "12", "12345", "true", "Z", "123", "12345", "12345", "12", dateString, "12345", sampleString},
+				new String[] { "varInt", "varLong", "varBoolean", "varChar","varByte","varFloat", "varDouble", "varShort", "varDate", "varBigDecimal", "varString"  });
+
+		mapper.setConversionService(new DefaultConversionService());
+		mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		TestObject bean = mapper.mapFieldSet(fieldSet);
+
+		assertEquals("Expected 12 for varInt", bean.getVarInt(), 12);
+		assertEquals("Expected 12345 for varLong", bean.getVarLong(), 12345L);
+		assertEquals("Expected true for varBoolean", bean.isVarBoolean(), true);
+		assertEquals("Expected Z for varChar", bean.getVarChar(), 'Z');
+		assertEquals("Expected A for varByte", bean.getVarByte(), 123);
+		assertEquals("Expected 12345 for varFloat", bean.getVarFloat(), 12345F, 1F);
+		assertEquals("Expected 12345 for varDouble", bean.getVarDouble(), 12345D, 1D);
+		assertEquals("Expected 12 for varShort", bean.getVarShort(), 12);
+		assertEquals("Expected currentDate for varDate", bean.getVarDate().toString(), dateString);
+		assertEquals("Expected 12345 for varBigDecimal", bean.getVarBigDecimal(), bigDecimal);
+		assertEquals("Expected " + sampleString + " for varString", bean.getVarString(), sampleString);
+
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testConversionAndCustomEditor() throws Exception {
+
+		boolean errorCaught = false;
+		BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject> mapper = new BeanWrapperFieldSetMapper<TestObject>();
+		mapper.setTargetType(TestObject.class);
+
+		mapper.setConversionService(new TestConversion());
+		mapper.setCustomEditors(Collections.singletonMap(Long.TYPE, new CustomNumberEditor(Long.class, NumberFormat
+				.getNumberInstance(), true)));
+		try {
+			mapper.afterPropertiesSet();
+		}
+		catch (IllegalStateException ise) {
+			errorCaught = true;
+			assertEquals("Both customEditor and conversionService cannot be specified together.", ise.getMessage());
+		}
+		if (!errorCaught) {
+			fail();
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testBinderWithErrors() throws Exception {
 
@@ -732,4 +819,29 @@ public class BeanWrapperFieldSetMapperTests {
 			this.varInt = varInt;
 		}
 	}
+
+	public static class TestConversion implements ConversionService{
+
+		@Override
+		public boolean canConvert(@Nullable Class<?> sourceType, Class<?> targetType) {
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public boolean canConvert(@Nullable TypeDescriptor sourceType, TypeDescriptor targetType) {
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		@Nullable
+		@Override
+		public <T> T convert(@Nullable Object source, Class<T> targetType) {
+			return (T)"CONVERTED";
+		}
+
+		@Nullable
+		@Override
+		public Object convert(@Nullable Object source, @Nullable TypeDescriptor sourceType, TypeDescriptor targetType) {
+			return "CONVERTED";
+		}
+	}
 }