diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStep.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStep.java
index 5c34ecaa4..ab9c9fa64 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStep.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStep.java
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@ public class TaskletStep extends AbstractStep {
 
 					}
 
-					stepExecution.incrementCommitCount();
 
 					// If the step operations are asynchronous then we need
 					// to synchronize changes to the step execution (at a
@@ -266,24 +265,13 @@ public class TaskletStep extends AbstractStep {
 
 					try {
 						getJobRepository().updateExecutionContext(stepExecution);
-					}
-					catch (Exception e) {
-						throw new FatalException("Fatal error detected during save of step execution context", e);
-					}
-
-					try {
 						transactionManager.commit(transaction);
-					}
-					catch (Exception e) {
-						throw new FatalException("Fatal error detected during commit", e);
-					}
-
-					try {
+						stepExecution.incrementCommitCount();
 						logger.debug("Saving step execution after commit: " + stepExecution);
 						getJobRepository().update(stepExecution);
 					}
 					catch (Exception e) {
-						throw new FatalException("Fatal error detected during update of step execution", e);
+						throw new FatalException("Fatal failure detected", e);
 					}
 
 				}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/AsyncTaskletStepTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/AsyncTaskletStepTests.java
index 4906188d2..739744a38 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/AsyncTaskletStepTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/AsyncTaskletStepTests.java
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ public class AsyncTaskletStepTests {
 
 		step.execute(stepExecution);
 
-		assertEquals(25, processed.size());
-		assertEquals(25, stepExecution.getReadCount());
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, stepExecution.getStatus());
+		assertEquals(25, stepExecution.getReadCount());
+		assertEquals(25, processed.size());
 
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/ChunkOrientedStepIntegrationTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/ChunkOrientedStepIntegrationTests.java
index cce93a8d5..30fbddeaa 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/ChunkOrientedStepIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/ChunkOrientedStepIntegrationTests.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public class ChunkOrientedStepIntegrationTests {
 		// STARTED instead of UNKNOWN
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.UNKNOWN, lastStepExecution.getStatus());
 		String msg = stepExecution.getExitStatus().getExitDescription();
-		assertTrue(msg.contains("Fatal error detected during commit"));
+		assertTrue(msg.contains("Fatal failure detected"));
 		// The original rollback was caused by this one:
 		assertEquals("Simulate commit failure", stepExecution.getFailureExceptions().get(0).getCause().getMessage());
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStepTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStepTests.java
index 15955c771..0fdbb6f07 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStepTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/step/tasklet/TaskletStepTests.java
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ public class TaskletStepTests {
 
 		step.execute(stepExecution);
 		Throwable e = stepExecution.getFailureExceptions().get(0);
-		assertEquals("Fatal error detected during save of step execution context", e.getMessage());
+		assertEquals("Fatal failure detected", e.getMessage());
 		assertEquals("foo", e.getCause().getMessage());
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.UNKNOWN, stepExecution.getStatus());
 	}
@@ -643,10 +643,10 @@ public class TaskletStepTests {
 		step.execute(stepExecution);
 		assertEquals(BatchStatus.UNKNOWN, stepExecution.getStatus());
 		String msg = stepExecution.getExitStatus().getExitDescription();
-		assertTrue(msg.contains("Fatal error detected during commit"));
+		assertTrue(msg.contains("Fatal failure detected"));
 		Throwable ex = stepExecution.getFailureExceptions().get(0);
 		msg = ex.getMessage();
-		assertTrue(msg.contains("Fatal error detected during commit"));
+		assertTrue(msg.contains("Fatal failure detected"));
 		// The original rollback was caused by this one:
 		assertEquals("Bar", ex.getCause().getMessage());
 	}