diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b6ed6c96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/AbstractStepTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+package org.springframework.batch.core.step;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.JobInstance;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.JobParameters;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecutionListener;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.job.JobSupport;
+import org.springframework.batch.item.ExecutionContext;
+import org.springframework.batch.repeat.ExitStatus;
+
+/**
+ * Tests for {@link AbstractStep}.
+ */
+public class AbstractStepTests extends TestCase {
+
+	AbstractStep tested = new EventTrackingStep();
+
+	StepExecutionListener listener1 = new EventTrackingListener("listener1");
+
+	StepExecutionListener listener2 = new EventTrackingListener("listener2");
+
+	/**
+	 * Sequence of events encountered during step execution.
+	 */
+	final List events = new ArrayList();
+
+	final StepExecution execution = new StepExecution(tested, new JobExecution(new JobInstance(new Long(1),
+			new JobParameters(), new JobSupport())));
+
+	/**
+	 * Fills the events list when abstract methods are called.
+	 */
+	private class EventTrackingStep extends AbstractStep {
+
+		protected void open(ExecutionContext ctx) throws Exception {
+			events.add("open");
+		}
+
+		protected ExitStatus doExecute(StepExecution stepExecution) throws Exception {
+			assertSame(execution, stepExecution);
+			events.add("doExecute");
+			return ExitStatus.FINISHED;
+		}
+
+		protected void close(ExecutionContext ctx) throws Exception {
+			events.add("close");
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fills the events list when listener methods are called, prefixed with the
+	 * name of the listener.
+	 */
+	private class EventTrackingListener implements StepExecutionListener {
+
+		private String name;
+
+		public EventTrackingListener(String name) {
+			this.name = name;
+		}
+
+		private String getEvent(String event) {
+			return name + "#" + event;
+		}
+
+		public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
+			assertSame(execution, stepExecution);
+			events.add(getEvent("afterStep"));
+			return stepExecution.getExitStatus();
+		}
+
+		public ExitStatus onErrorInStep(StepExecution stepExecution, Throwable e) {
+			assertSame(execution, stepExecution);
+			events.add(getEvent("onErrorInStep"));
+			return stepExecution.getExitStatus();
+		}
+
+		public void beforeStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
+			assertSame(execution, stepExecution);
+			events.add(getEvent("beforeStep"));
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	protected void setUp() throws Exception {
+		tested.setJobRepository(new JobRepositorySupport());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Typical step execution scenario.
+	 */
+	public void testExecute() throws Exception {
+		tested.setStepExecutionListeners(new StepExecutionListener[] { listener1, listener2 });
+		tested.execute(execution);
+
+		int i = 0;
+		assertEquals("listener1#beforeStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener2#beforeStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("open", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("doExecute", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener1#afterStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener2#afterStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("close", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals(7, events.size());
+		
+		assertEquals(ExitStatus.FINISHED, execution.getExitStatus());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Exception during business processing.
+	 */
+	public void testFailure() throws Exception {
+		tested = new EventTrackingStep() {
+			protected ExitStatus doExecute(StepExecution stepExecution) throws Exception {
+				super.doExecute(stepExecution);
+				throw new RuntimeException("crash!");
+			}
+		};
+		tested.setJobRepository(new JobRepositorySupport());
+		tested.setStepExecutionListeners(new StepExecutionListener[] { listener1, listener2 });
+
+		try {
+			tested.execute(execution);
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch (RuntimeException expected) {
+			assertEquals("crash!", expected.getMessage());
+		}
+
+		int i = 0;
+		assertEquals("listener1#beforeStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener2#beforeStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("open", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("doExecute", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener1#onErrorInStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("listener2#onErrorInStep", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals("close", events.get(i++));
+		assertEquals(7, events.size());
+		
+		assertEquals(ExitStatus.FAILED.getExitCode(), execution.getExitStatus().getExitCode());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * JobRepository is a required property.
+	 */
+	public void testAfterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
+		tested.setJobRepository(null);
+		try {
+			tested.afterPropertiesSet();
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			// expected
+		}
+	}
+
+}