diff --git a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/BatchStatusUserType.java b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/BatchStatusUserType.java
index 8e97f800f..9f73de74b 100644
--- a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/BatchStatusUserType.java
+++ b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/BatchStatusUserType.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class BatchStatusUserType extends ImmutableValueUserType {
 	 */
 	public void nullSafeSet(PreparedStatement st, Object value, int index)
 			throws HibernateException, SQLException {
-		st.setString(index, value.toString());
+		st.setString(index, value!=null ? value.toString() : null);
 	}
 
 	/* (non-Javadoc)
diff --git a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDao.java b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDao.java
index a06262940..e4f2ae544 100644
--- a/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDao.java
+++ b/execution/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDao.java
@@ -146,12 +146,15 @@ public class HibernateJobDao extends HibernateDaoSupport implements JobDao {
 							+ "before it can be updated.");
 		}
 
-		if (getHibernateTemplate()
-				.get(JobExecution.class, jobExecution.getId()) == null) {
+		JobExecution other = (JobExecution) getHibernateTemplate()
+				.get(JobExecution.class, jobExecution.getId());
+		if (other == null) {
 			throw new NoSuchBatchDomainObjectException(
 					"Invalid JobExecution, ID " + jobExecution.getId()
 							+ " not found.");
 		}
+		
+		getHibernateTemplate().evict(other);
 
 		getHibernateTemplate().update(jobExecution);
 	}
diff --git a/execution/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/JobInstance.hbm.xml b/execution/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/JobInstance.hbm.xml
index d9b6e2491..0ad7df1d4 100644
--- a/execution/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/JobInstance.hbm.xml
+++ b/execution/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/JobInstance.hbm.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 		</id>
 
 		<discriminator
-			formula="case when SCHEDULE_DATE is NULL then 'Scheduled' else 'Simple' end"
+			formula="case when JOB_KEY is NULL then 'Simple' when SCHEDULE_DATE is NULL then 'Default' else 'Scheduled' end"
 			type="string" />
 
 		<version name="version" access="field" />
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/AbstractJobDaoTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/AbstractJobDaoTests.java
index a58e7d201..2e0a9d964 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/AbstractJobDaoTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/AbstractJobDaoTests.java
@@ -177,12 +177,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractJobDaoTests extends
 
 	public void testUpdateInvalidJobExecution() {
 
-		JobExecution execution = new JobExecution(job);
 		// id is invalid
-		execution.setId(new Long(29432));
+		JobExecution execution = new JobExecution(job, new Long(29432));
 		try {
 			jobDao.update(execution);
-			fail();
+			fail("Expected NoSuchBatchDomainObjectException");
 		} catch (NoSuchBatchDomainObjectException ex) {
 			// expected
 		}
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDaoTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDaoTests.java
index 4a10764a8..f75817cfb 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDaoTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateJobDaoTests.java
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@ public class HibernateJobDaoTests extends AbstractJobDaoTests {
 
 	private SessionFactory sessionFactory;
 
-	protected String[] getConfigLocations(){
-		return new String[] { ClassUtils.addResourcePathToPackagePath(getClass(), "hibernate-dao-test.xml") };
+	protected String[] getConfigLocations() {
+		return new String[] { ClassUtils.addResourcePathToPackagePath(
+				getClass(), "hibernate-dao-test.xml") };
 	}
 
-	public void setSessionFactory(SessionFactory sessionFactory){
+	public void setSessionFactory(SessionFactory sessionFactory) {
 		this.sessionFactory = sessionFactory;
 	}
 
@@ -48,12 +49,34 @@ public class HibernateJobDaoTests extends AbstractJobDaoTests {
 
 		sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().flush();
 
-		List executions = jdbcTemplate.queryForList("SELECT * FROM BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION where JOB_ID=?", new Object[] {job.getId()});
+		List executions = jdbcTemplate.queryForList(
+				"SELECT * FROM BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION where JOB_ID=?",
+				new Object[] { job.getId() });
 		assertEquals(1, executions.size());
-		assertEquals(jobExecution.getEndTime(), ((Map)executions.get(0)).get("END_TIME"));
+		assertEquals(jobExecution.getEndTime(), ((Map) executions.get(0))
+				.get("END_TIME"));
 	}
 
-	public void testCreateSimpleJobExecution(){
+	public void testUpdateDetachedJobExecution() {
+
+		sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().evict(jobExecution);
+		
+		jobExecution.setStatus(BatchStatus.COMPLETED);
+		jobExecution.setEndTime(new Timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis()));
+		jobDao.update(jobExecution);
+
+		sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().flush();
+
+		List executions = jdbcTemplate.queryForList(
+				"SELECT * FROM BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION where JOB_ID=?",
+				new Object[] { job.getId() });
+		assertEquals(1, executions.size());
+		assertEquals(jobExecution.getEndTime(), ((Map) executions.get(0))
+				.get("END_TIME"));
+
+	}
+
+	public void testCreateSimpleJobExecution() {
 
 		JobIdentifier simpleIdentifier = new SimpleJobIdentifier("SimpleJob");
 
@@ -62,45 +85,46 @@ public class HibernateJobDaoTests extends AbstractJobDaoTests {
 		List jobs = jobDao.findJobs(simpleIdentifier);
 
 		assertEquals(jobs.size(), 1);
-		JobInstance testJob = (JobInstance)jobs.get(0);
+		JobInstance testJob = (JobInstance) jobs.get(0);
 		assertEquals(simpleJob, testJob);
 	}
 
-	public void testNullIdentifierName(){
+	public void testNullIdentifierName() {
 
 		JobIdentifier simpleIdentifier = new SimpleJobIdentifier(null);
 
-		try{
+		try {
 			jobDao.createJob(simpleIdentifier);
 			fail();
-		}catch(IllegalArgumentException ex){
-			//expected
+		} catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+			// expected
 		}
 	}
 
-	public void testEmptyIdentifierName(){
+	public void testEmptyIdentifierName() {
 
 		JobIdentifier simpleIdentifier = new SimpleJobIdentifier("");
 
-		try{
+		try {
 			jobDao.createJob(simpleIdentifier);
 			fail();
-		}catch(IllegalArgumentException ex){
-			//expected
+		} catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+			// expected
 		}
 
 	}
 
-	public void testNullScheduleDate(){
+	public void testNullScheduleDate() {
 
-		ScheduledJobIdentifier scheduledIdentifier = new ScheduledJobIdentifier("ScheduledJob");
+		ScheduledJobIdentifier scheduledIdentifier = new ScheduledJobIdentifier(
+				"ScheduledJob");
 		scheduledIdentifier.setJobKey(null);
 
-		try{
+		try {
 			jobDao.createJob(scheduledIdentifier);
 			fail();
-		}catch(IllegalArgumentException ex){
-			//expected
+		} catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+			// expected
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateStepDaoTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateStepDaoTests.java
index dc88ecb1f..cabd823ea 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateStepDaoTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/HibernateStepDaoTests.java
@@ -16,9 +16,13 @@
 
 package org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao;
 
+import java.sql.Timestamp;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.BatchStatus;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.JobExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.StepExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.domain.StepInstance;
@@ -54,4 +58,25 @@ public class HibernateStepDaoTests extends AbstractStepDaoTests {
 		//assertEquals("x=y, a=b", returnedStatistics);
 		assertEquals(fromDb, statistics);
 	}
+	
+	public void testUpdateDetachedStepExecution() {
+
+		sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().evict(stepExecution);
+		
+		stepExecution.setStatus(BatchStatus.COMPLETED);
+		stepExecution.setEndTime(new Timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis()));
+		stepDao.update(stepExecution);
+
+		sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().flush();
+
+		List executions = jdbcTemplate.queryForList(
+				"SELECT * FROM BATCH_STEP_EXECUTION where STEP_ID=?",
+				new Object[] { step1.getId() });
+		assertEquals(1, executions.size());
+		assertEquals(stepExecution.getEndTime(), ((Map) executions.get(0))
+				.get("END_TIME"));
+
+	}
+
+
 }
diff --git a/samples/src/main/resources/batch.properties b/samples/src/main/resources/batch.properties
index a59281d72..073b6d057 100644
--- a/samples/src/main/resources/batch.properties
+++ b/samples/src/main/resources/batch.properties
@@ -21,3 +21,10 @@ batch.database.incrementer.class=org.springframework.jdbc.support.incrementer.Hs
 #   for HSQLDB:
 incrementerParent.columnName=ID
 
+# Switch Dao implementations
+# batch.jobdao=hibernateJobDao
+# batch.stepdao=hibernateStepDao
+# batch.transaction.manager=hibernateTransactionManager
+batch.jobdao=sqlJobDao
+batch.stepdao=sqlStepDao
+batch.transaction.manager=sqlTransactionManager
diff --git a/samples/src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml b/samples/src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml
index 4645b978a..ecd8fa052 100644
--- a/samples/src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml
+++ b/samples/src/main/resources/data-source-context.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 		<property name="password" value="${batch.jdbc.password}" />
 	</bean>
 
-	<bean id="transactionManager" class="org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceTransactionManager">
+	<bean id="sqlTransactionManager" class="org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceTransactionManager" lazy-init="true">
 		<property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource" />
 	</bean>
 
diff --git a/samples/src/main/resources/hibernate-context.xml b/samples/src/main/resources/hibernate-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..202fd8e04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/src/main/resources/hibernate-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
+       xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+       xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.0.xsd">
+
+	<bean id="sessionFactory" class="org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.LocalSessionFactoryBean" lazy-init="true">
+		<property name="mappingLocations">
+			<list>
+				<value>classpath:/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/JobInstance.hbm.xml</value>
+				<value>classpath:/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/JobExecution.hbm.xml</value>
+				<value>classpath:/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/StepInstance.hbm.xml</value>
+				<value>classpath:/org/springframework/batch/execution/repository/dao/StepExecution.hbm.xml</value>
+			</list>
+		</property>
+		<property name="hibernateProperties">
+			<value><![CDATA[
+			hibernate.show_sql=true
+			hibernate.format_sql=true
+			hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.dialect.HSQLDialect
+			]]></value>
+		</property>
+		<property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource" />
+		<property name="lobHandler">
+			<bean class="org.springframework.jdbc.support.lob.DefaultLobHandler"/>
+		</property>
+		<property name="entityInterceptor">
+			<bean class="org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao.EntityNameInterceptor"/>
+		</property>
+	</bean>
+	
+	<bean id="hibernateTransactionManager" class="org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.HibernateTransactionManager" lazy-init="true">
+		<property name="sessionFactory" ref="sessionFactory" />
+	</bean>	
+
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/samples/src/main/resources/simple-container-definition.xml b/samples/src/main/resources/simple-container-definition.xml
index c7536c1bc..4cae0532e 100644
--- a/samples/src/main/resources/simple-container-definition.xml
+++ b/samples/src/main/resources/simple-container-definition.xml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-2.0.xsd">
 
 	<import resource="data-source-context.xml" />
+	<import resource="hibernate-context.xml" />
 
 	<!-- register the step scope with the application context -->
 	<bean id="stepScope"
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@
 			advice-ref="txAdvice" />
 	</aop:config>
 
-	<tx:advice id="txAdvice" transaction-manager="transactionManager">
+	<tx:advice id="txAdvice" transaction-manager="${batch.transaction.manager}">
 		<tx:attributes>
 			<tx:method name="*" />
 		</tx:attributes>
@@ -58,17 +59,17 @@
 	<bean id="stepExecutor"
 		class="org.springframework.batch.execution.step.simple.SimpleStepExecutor"
 		scope="prototype">
-		<property name="transactionManager" ref="transactionManager" />
+		<property name="transactionManager" ref="${batch.transaction.manager}" />
 		<property name="repository" ref="simpleJobRepository" />
 	</bean>
 
 	<bean id="simpleJobRepository"
 		class="org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.SimpleJobRepository">
-		<constructor-arg ref="jobDao" />
-		<constructor-arg ref="stepDao" />
+		<constructor-arg ref="${batch.jobdao}" />
+		<constructor-arg ref="${batch.stepdao}" />
 	</bean>
 
-	<bean id="jobDao"
+	<bean id="sqlJobDao" lazy-init="true"
 		class="org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao.SqlJobDao">
 		<property name="jdbcTemplate" ref="jdbcTemplate" />
 		<property name="jobIncrementer" ref="jobIncrementer" />
@@ -76,13 +77,23 @@
 			ref="jobExecutionIncrementer" />
 	</bean>
 
-	<bean id="stepDao"
+	<bean id="sqlStepDao" lazy-init="true"
 		class="org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao.SqlStepDao">
 		<property name="jdbcTemplate" ref="jdbcTemplate" />
 		<property name="stepIncrementer" ref="stepIncrementer" />
 		<property name="stepExecutionIncrementer"
 			ref="stepExecutionIncrementer" />
-		<property name="jobDao" ref="jobDao" />
+		<property name="jobDao" ref="sqlJobDao" />
+	</bean>
+
+	<bean id="hibernateJobDao" lazy-init="true"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao.HibernateJobDao">
+		<property name="sessionFactory" ref="sessionFactory"/>
+	</bean>
+
+	<bean id="hibernateStepDao" lazy-init="true"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.execution.repository.dao.HibernateStepDao">
+		<property name="sessionFactory" ref="sessionFactory"/>
 	</bean>
 
 	<bean id="jobRuntimeInformationFactory"