diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfiguration.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfiguration.java
index 5541f1b2c..c0aaf152e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfiguration.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfiguration.java
@@ -59,12 +59,27 @@ public class JobConfiguration implements BeanNameAware {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * The callback from {@link BeanNameAware} comes after the setters, so it
-	 * will always overwrite the name with the bean id.
+	 * Set the name property if it is not already set. Because of the order of
+	 * the callbacks in a Spring container the name property will be set first
+	 * if it is present. Care is needed with bean definition inheritance - if a
+	 * parent bean has a name, then its children need an explicit name as well,
+	 * otherwise they will not be unique.
 	 * 
 	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanNameAware#setBeanName(java.lang.String)
 	 */
 	public void setBeanName(String name) {
+		if (this.name==null) {
+			this.name = name;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set the name property. Always overrides the default value if this object
+	 * is a Spring bean.
+	 * 
+	 * @see #setBeanName(java.lang.String)
+	 */
+	public void setName(String name) {
 		this.name = name;
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/StepConfigurationSupport.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/StepConfigurationSupport.java
index 56bc7b50e..089d1c2b6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/StepConfigurationSupport.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/StepConfigurationSupport.java
@@ -59,12 +59,27 @@ public class StepConfigurationSupport implements StepConfiguration,
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Set the name property. Always overrides the default value if this
-	 * object is a Spring bean.
+	 * Set the name property if it is not already set. Because of the order of
+	 * the callbacks in a Spring container the name property will be set first
+	 * if it is present. Care is needed with bean definition inheritance - if a
+	 * parent bean has a name, then its children need an explicit name as well,
+	 * otherwise they will not be unique.
 	 * 
 	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanNameAware#setBeanName(java.lang.String)
 	 */
 	public void setBeanName(String name) {
+		if (this.name==null) {
+			this.name = name;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set the name property. Always overrides the default value if this object
+	 * is a Spring bean.
+	 * 
+	 * @see #setBeanName(java.lang.String)
+	 */
+	public void setName(String name) {
 		this.name = name;
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfigurationTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfigurationTests.java
index 1007f6918..778b62cf0 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/JobConfigurationTests.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class JobConfigurationTests extends TestCase {
 	 */
 	public void testSetBeanName() {
 		configuration.setBeanName("foo");
-		assertEquals("foo", configuration.getName());
+		assertEquals("job", configuration.getName());
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/SpringBeanJobConfigurationTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/SpringBeanJobConfigurationTests.java
index 566c30540..689e9a088 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/SpringBeanJobConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/SpringBeanJobConfigurationTests.java
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ public class SpringBeanJobConfigurationTests extends TestCase {
 		JobConfiguration configuration = (JobConfiguration) context
 				.getBean("bean");
 		assertNotNull(configuration.getName());
-		assertEquals("bean", configuration.getName());
-		configuration.setBeanName("foo");
+		assertEquals("foo", configuration.getName());
+		configuration.setBeanName("bar");
 		assertEquals("foo", configuration.getName());
 	}
 
@@ -62,8 +62,10 @@ public class SpringBeanJobConfigurationTests extends TestCase {
 		JobConfiguration configuration = (JobConfiguration) context
 				.getBean("bean");
 		assertNotNull(configuration.getName());
-		assertEquals("bean", configuration.getName());
+		assertEquals("bar", configuration.getName());
 		configuration.setBeanName("foo");
+		assertEquals("bar", configuration.getName());
+		configuration.setName("foo");
 		assertEquals("foo", configuration.getName());
 	}
 }
diff --git a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java
index c2f4ad5d0..e1f867316 100644
--- a/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/execution/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/execution/step/simple/SimpleStepConfigurationTests.java
@@ -61,23 +61,6 @@ public class SimpleStepConfigurationTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals(20, configuration.getCommitInterval());
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.execution.step.AbstractStepConfiguration#setBeanName(java.lang.String)}.
-	 */
-	public void testSetBeanName() {
-		configuration.setBeanName("bar");
-		assertEquals("bar", configuration.getName());
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.execution.step.AbstractStepConfiguration#setBeanName(java.lang.String)}.
-	 */
-	public void testSetBeanNameOverrideNull() {
-		configuration = new SimpleStepConfiguration();
-		configuration.setBeanName("bar");
-		assertEquals("bar", configuration.getName());
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Test method for {@link org.springframework.batch.execution.step.AbstractStepConfiguration#getExceptionHandler()}.
 	 */