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 e9b3b84d2..e40e9322e 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
@@ -59,11 +59,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 		String taskletRef = stepElement.getAttribute("tasklet");
 		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 		List<Element> taskletElements = (List<Element>) DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(stepElement, "tasklet");
-		boolean taskletElementExists = taskletElements.size() > 0;
 		boolean stepUnderspecified = CoreNamespaceUtils.isUnderspecified(stepElement);
 		AbstractBeanDefinition bd = null;
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(taskletRef)) {
-			if (taskletElementExists) {
+			if (taskletElements.size() > 0) {
 				parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
 						"The <" + taskletElements.get(0).getNodeName()
 								+ "> element can't be combined with the 'tasklet=\"" + taskletRef
@@ -71,10 +70,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 			}
 			bd = parseTaskletRef(stepElement, taskletRef, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
 		}
-		else if (taskletElementExists) {
+		else if (taskletElements.size() == 1) {
 			Element taskElement = taskletElements.get(0);
 			bd = taskletElementParser.parse(taskElement, parserContext, stepUnderspecified);
 		}
+		else if (taskletElements.size() > 1) {
+			parserContext.getReaderContext().error("The 'tasklet' element may not appear more than once.", stepElement);
+		}
 
 		if (bd != null) {
 			setUpBeanDefinition(stepElement, bd, parserContext, jobRepositoryRef);
@@ -123,19 +125,24 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 		RuntimeBeanReference transactionManagerBeanRef = new RuntimeBeanReference(transactionManagerRef);
 		bd.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue("transactionManager", transactionManagerBeanRef);
 
-		Element child = DomUtils.getChildElementByTagName(stepElement, "transaction-attributes");
-		if (child != null) {
-			String attributes = DomUtils.getTextValue(child);
+		List<Element> txAttrElements = DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(stepElement, "transaction-attributes");
+		if (txAttrElements.size() == 1) {
+			Element txAttrElement = txAttrElements.get(0);
+			String attributes = DomUtils.getTextValue(txAttrElement);
 			if (StringUtils.hasLength(attributes)) {
 				String[] attributesArray = StringUtils.tokenizeToStringArray(attributes, ",\n");
 				if (attributesArray.length > 0) {
 					ManagedList managedList = new ManagedList();
-					managedList.setMergeEnabled(Boolean.valueOf(child.getAttribute("merge")));
+					managedList.setMergeEnabled(Boolean.valueOf(txAttrElement.getAttribute("merge")));
 					managedList.addAll(Arrays.asList(attributesArray));
 					bd.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue("transactionAttributeList", managedList);
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		else if (txAttrElements.size() > 1) {
+			parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
+					"The 'transaction-attribute' element may not appear more than once.", stepElement);
+		}
 
 		handleListenersElement(stepElement, bd, parserContext);
 
@@ -161,11 +168,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-	private void handleListenersElement(Element element, BeanDefinition bd, ParserContext parserContext) {
-		Element listenersElement = DomUtils.getChildElementByTagName(element, "listeners");
-		if (listenersElement != null) {
+	private void handleListenersElement(Element stepElement, BeanDefinition bd, ParserContext parserContext) {
+		List<Element> listenersElements = DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(stepElement, "listeners");
+		if (listenersElements.size() == 1) {
+			Element listenersElement = listenersElements.get(0);
 			CompositeComponentDefinition compositeDef = new CompositeComponentDefinition(listenersElement.getTagName(),
-					parserContext.extractSource(element));
+					parserContext.extractSource(stepElement));
 			parserContext.pushContainingComponent(compositeDef);
 			ManagedList listenerBeans = new ManagedList();
 			listenerBeans.setMergeEnabled(Boolean.valueOf(listenersElement.getAttribute("merge")));
@@ -178,6 +186,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractStepParser {
 			bd.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue("listeners", listenerBeans);
 			parserContext.popAndRegisterContainingComponent();
 		}
+		else if (listenersElements.size() > 1) {
+			parserContext.getReaderContext().error("The 'listeners' element may not appear more than once.",
+					stepElement);
+		}
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd b/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd
index b0e8dd716..0b53e4cbd 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd
@@ -276,11 +276,11 @@
 	</xsd:group>
 
 	<xsd:complexType name="stepType">
-		<xsd:sequence>
+		<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="3">
 			<xsd:element name="tasklet" type="taskletType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
 			<xsd:element name="transaction-attributes" type="transaction-attributesType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
-			<xsd:element name="listeners" type="stepListenersType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
-		</xsd:sequence>
+			<xsd:element name="listeners" type="stepListenersType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+		</xsd:choice>
 		<xsd:attributeGroup ref="transactionManagerAttribute" />
 	</xsd:complexType>
 
@@ -288,16 +288,18 @@
 		<xsd:complexContent>
 			<xsd:extension base="nextType">
 				<xsd:sequence>
-					<xsd:element name="tasklet" type="taskletType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
-					<xsd:element name="transaction-attributes" type="transaction-attributesType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
-					<xsd:element name="listeners" type="stepListenersType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+					<xsd:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="3">
+						<xsd:element name="tasklet" type="taskletType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
+						<xsd:element name="transaction-attributes" type="transaction-attributesType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+						<xsd:element name="listeners" type="stepListenersType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+					</xsd:choice>
 					<xsd:group ref="transitions"/>
 				</xsd:sequence>
 				<xsd:attributeGroup ref="transactionManagerAttribute" />
 			</xsd:extension>
 		</xsd:complexContent>
 	</xsd:complexType>
-
+	
 	<xsd:complexType name="taskletType">
 		<xsd:all>
 			<xsd:element name="retry-listeners" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
diff --git a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/skipSampleJob.xml b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/skipSampleJob.xml
index f18eca14c..d4776c5bb 100644
--- a/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/skipSampleJob.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-samples/src/main/resources/jobs/skipSampleJob.xml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 	</job>
 
 	<step id="secondPass" parent="t2">
+		<transaction-attributes/>
 		<tasklet writer="itemTrackingWriter">
 			<skippable-exception-classes merge="true">
 				java.lang.RuntimeException