diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/AggregateItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/AggregateItemReader.java
index edeaa6d25..80814b4e5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/AggregateItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/AggregateItemReader.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class AggregateItemReader extends DelegatingItemReader {
 	public Object read() throws Exception {
 		ResultHolder holder = new ResultHolder();
 
-		while (process(getItemReader().read(), holder)) {
+		while (process(super.read(), holder)) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/DelegatingItemReader.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/DelegatingItemReader.java
index ac9dfb47b..2021ebd87 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/DelegatingItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/reader/DelegatingItemReader.java
@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@ public class DelegatingItemReader extends AbstractItemReader implements Skippabl
 		return item;
 	}
 
-	public ItemReader getItemReader() {
-		return itemReader;
-	}
-
 	public void skip() {
 		if (itemReader instanceof Skippable) {
 			((Skippable) itemReader).skip();
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/reader/OrderItemReader.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/reader/OrderItemReader.java
index facab9ef6..cfe26c177 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/reader/OrderItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/item/reader/OrderItemReader.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class OrderItemReader extends DelegatingItemReader {
 		recordFinished = false;
 
 		while (!recordFinished) {
-			process((FieldSet) getItemReader().read());
+			process((FieldSet) super.read());
 		}
 
 		if (order != null) {
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/ExceptionThrowingItemReaderProxy.java b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/ExceptionThrowingItemReaderProxy.java
index d0e35ff77..68df66df9 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/ExceptionThrowingItemReaderProxy.java
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/sample/tasklet/ExceptionThrowingItemReaderProxy.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class ExceptionThrowingItemReaderProxy extends DelegatingItemReader {
 			throw new BatchCriticalException("Planned failure on count="+counter);
 		}
 		
-		return getItemReader().read();
+		return super.read();
 	}
 
 }