diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
index fce7c2b5e..7e7f747f1 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/AbstractStepParser.java
@@ -94,15 +94,18 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 							+ stepElement.getNodeName() + "/>.", stepElement);
 		}
 
-		if (bd != null) {
-			setUpBeanDefinition(stepElement, bd, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
-		}
-		else if (!stepUnderspecified) {
-			parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
-					"Step [" + stepElement.getAttribute(ID_ATTR) + "] has neither a <" + TASKLET_ELE
-							+ "/> element nor a '" + TASKLET_ATTR + "' attribute.", stepElement);
+		if (bd == null) {
+			if (stepUnderspecified) {
+				bd = new GenericBeanDefinition();
+			}
+			else {
+				parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
+						"Step [" + stepElement.getAttribute(ID_ATTR) + "] has neither a <" + TASKLET_ELE
+								+ "/> element nor a '" + TASKLET_ATTR + "' attribute.", stepElement);
+			}
 		}
 
+		setUpBeanDefinition(stepElement, bd, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
 		return bd;
 
 	}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/InlineStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/InlineStepParser.java
index 821e97543..95a47ab6b 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/InlineStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/InlineStepParser.java
@@ -85,10 +85,8 @@ public class InlineStepParser extends AbstractStepParser {
 		}
 		else {
 			AbstractBeanDefinition bd = parseTasklet(element, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
-			if (bd != null) {
-				parserContext.registerBeanComponent(new BeanComponentDefinition(bd, stepId));
-				stateBuilder.addConstructorArgReference(stepId);
-			}
+			parserContext.registerBeanComponent(new BeanComponentDefinition(bd, stepId));
+			stateBuilder.addConstructorArgReference(stepId);
 		}
 		return FlowParser.getNextElements(parserContext, stepId, stateBuilder.getBeanDefinition(), element);
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java
index 84bb8d097..df0efc427 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StandaloneStepParser.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 package org.springframework.batch.core.configuration.xml;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinition;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.GenericBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 
@@ -39,12 +38,6 @@ public class StandaloneStepParser extends AbstractStepParser {
 	 */
 	public AbstractBeanDefinition parse(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
 		String jobRepositoryRef = element.getAttribute("job-repository");
-		AbstractBeanDefinition bd = parseTasklet(element, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
-		if (bd == null) {
-			bd = new GenericBeanDefinition();
-			setUpBeanDefinition(element, bd, parserContext, element.getAttribute("job-repository"));
-		}
-
-		return bd;
+		return parseTasklet(element, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelJobListenerParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelJobListenerParser.java
index 784cb550d..415cb043b 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelJobListenerParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelJobListenerParser.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Element;
  */
 public class TopLevelJobListenerParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 
-	private JobExecutionListenerParser jobListenerParser = new JobExecutionListenerParser();
+	private static final JobExecutionListenerParser jobListenerParser = new JobExecutionListenerParser();
 
 	@Override
 	protected void doParse(Element element, ParserContext parserContext, BeanDefinitionBuilder builder) {
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepListenerParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepListenerParser.java
index 0e420a389..f713e71d8 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepListenerParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepListenerParser.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Element;
  */
 public class TopLevelStepListenerParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 
-	private StepListenerParser stepListenerParser = new StepListenerParser();
+	private static final StepListenerParser stepListenerParser = new StepListenerParser();
 
 	@Override
 	protected void doParse(Element element, ParserContext parserContext, BeanDefinitionBuilder builder) {
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepParser.java
index 7f59a67fa..e2e25f607 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/TopLevelStepParser.java
@@ -29,11 +29,12 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Element;
  */
 public class TopLevelStepParser extends AbstractBeanDefinitionParser {
 	
+	private static final StandaloneStepParser stepParser = new StandaloneStepParser();
+
 	@Override
 	protected AbstractBeanDefinition parseInternal(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
 
 		CoreNamespaceUtils.checkForStepScope(parserContext, parserContext.extractSource(element));
-		StandaloneStepParser stepParser = new StandaloneStepParser();
 		return stepParser.parse(element, parserContext);
 		
 	}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests.java
index bd6874ff6..a8b6a6ded 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public class StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests extends AbstractJobParserT
 		//
 		// First Launch
 		//
-		launchAndAssert("[s0, s1]");
+		launchAndAssert("[s1]");
 
 		//
 		// Second Launch
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests-context.xml
index 0b13bf574..86c7381b5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnCompletedStepJobParserTests-context.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 	<beans:import resource="common-context.xml" />
 	
 	<job id="job">
-		<step id="s0" ref="step2" next="s1"/>
 		<step id="s1" ref="taskletStep">
 			<!-- On normal step status: stop the job, but restart with the same step. -->
 			<stop on="COMPLETED" restart="s1"/>
@@ -17,6 +16,5 @@
 
 	<!-- On restart this step will be re-executed: effect is infinitely re-runnable job -->
 	<step id="taskletStep" parent="step1" allow-start-if-complete="true"/>
-
 
 </beans:beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnFailedStepJobParserTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnFailedStepJobParserTests-context.xml
index faf519718..54b3c6a81 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnFailedStepJobParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/StopRestartOnFailedStepJobParserTests-context.xml
@@ -8,14 +8,13 @@
 	
 	<job id="job">
 		<step id="s0" ref="step2" next="fail"/>
-		<step id="fail" ref="taskletStep">
+		
+		<!-- On restart this step will be re-executed: effect is infinitely re-runnable job -->
+		<step id="fail" parent="failingStep" allow-start-if-complete="true">
 			<!-- On failure: stop the job, but restart with the same step. -->
 			<stop on="FAILED" restart="fail"/>
 			<end on="*"/>
 		</step>
 	</job>
-
-	<!-- On restart this step will be re-executed: effect is infinitely re-runnable job -->
-	<step id="taskletStep" parent="failingStep" allow-start-if-complete="true"/>
  
 </beans:beans>
\ No newline at end of file