diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessor.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessor.java
index 66d2d4376..e43e85416 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessor.java
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public class ValidatingItemProcessor<T> implements ItemProcessor<T, T> {
 
 	private Validator<? super T> validator;
 	
+	private boolean filter = false;
+	
 	public ValidatingItemProcessor(Validator<? super T> validator){
 		Assert.notNull(validator, "Validator must not be null.");
 		this.validator = validator;
@@ -44,6 +46,15 @@ public class ValidatingItemProcessor<T> implements ItemProcessor<T, T> {
 		this.validator = validator;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Should the processor filter invalid records instead of skipping them?
+	 * 
+	 * @param filter
+	 */
+	public void setFilter(boolean filter) {
+		this.filter = filter;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Validate the item and return it unmodified
 	 * 
@@ -51,7 +62,16 @@ public class ValidatingItemProcessor<T> implements ItemProcessor<T, T> {
 	 * @throws ValidationException if validation fails
 	 */
 	public T process(T item) throws ValidationException {
-		validator.validate(item);
+		try {
+			validator.validate(item);
+		} catch (ValidationException e) {
+			if (filter) {
+				return null; // filter the item
+			}
+			else {
+				throw e; // skip the item
+			}
+		}
 		return item;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessorTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessorTests.java
index de5f549b6..416e94003 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/validator/ValidatingItemProcessorTests.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import static org.easymock.EasyMock.createMock;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expectLastCall;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.replay;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.verify;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -15,30 +16,45 @@ public class ValidatingItemProcessorTests {
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private Validator<String> validator = createMock(Validator.class);
-	
-	private ValidatingItemProcessor<String> tested = new ValidatingItemProcessor<String>(validator);
-	
-	private String item = "item";
-	
+
+	private static final String ITEM = "item";
+
 	@Test
 	public void testSuccessfulValidation() throws Exception {
-		
-		validator.validate(item);
+
+		ValidatingItemProcessor<String> tested = new ValidatingItemProcessor<String>(validator);
+
+		validator.validate(ITEM);
 		expectLastCall();
 		replay(validator);
-		
-		assertSame(item, tested.process(item));
-		
+
+		assertSame(ITEM, tested.process(ITEM));
+
 		verify(validator);
 	}
-	
-	@Test(expected=ValidationException.class)
+
+	@Test(expected = ValidationException.class)
 	public void testFailedValidation() throws Exception {
-		
-		validator.validate(item);
+
+		ValidatingItemProcessor<String> tested = new ValidatingItemProcessor<String>(validator);
+
+		processFailedValidation(tested);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testFailedValidation_Filter() throws Exception {
+
+		ValidatingItemProcessor<String> tested = new ValidatingItemProcessor<String>(validator);
+		tested.setFilter(true);
+
+		assertNull(processFailedValidation(tested));
+	}
+
+	private String processFailedValidation(ValidatingItemProcessor<String> tested) {
+		validator.validate(ITEM);
 		expectLastCall().andThrow(new ValidationException("invalid item"));
 		replay(validator);
-		
-		tested.process(item);
+
+		return tested.process(ITEM);
 	}
 }