diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
index 37499a37d..f41cf93d3 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
@@ -232,7 +232,15 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 
 	/**
 	 * Set the tag name of the root element. If not set, default name is used
-	 * ("root").
+	 * ("root").  Namespace URI and prefix can also be set optionally using the
+	 * notation:
+	 * 
+	 * <pre>
+	 * {uri}prefix:root
+	 * </pre>
+	 * 
+	 * The prefix is optional (defaults to empty), but if it is specified then the 
+	 * uri must be provided.
 	 * 
 	 * @param rootTagName the tag name to be used for the root element
 	 */
@@ -249,16 +257,6 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 		return rootTagNamespacePrefix;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Set the namespace prefix of the root element. If not set, the namespace
-	 * prefix "xmlns" is used.
-	 * 
-	 * @param rootTagNamespacePrefix the rootTagNamespacePrefix to set
-	 */
-	public void setRootTagNamespacePrefix(String rootTagNamespacePrefix) {
-		this.rootTagNamespacePrefix = rootTagNamespacePrefix;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Get the namespace of the root element.
 	 * 
@@ -268,15 +266,6 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 		return rootTagNamespace;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Set the namespace of the root element. If not set, no namespace is used.
-	 * 
-	 * @param rootTagNamespace the rootTagNamespace to set
-	 */
-	public void setRootTagNamespace(String rootTagNamespace) {
-		this.rootTagNamespace = rootTagNamespace;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Get attributes of the root element.
 	 * 
@@ -315,6 +304,15 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 	 */
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
 		Assert.notNull(marshaller);
+		if (rootTagName.contains("{")) {
+			rootTagNamespace = rootTagName.replaceAll("\\{(.*)\\}.*", "$1");
+			rootTagName = rootTagName.replaceAll("\\{.*\\}(.*)", "$1");
+			if (rootTagName.contains(":"))
+			{
+				rootTagNamespacePrefix = rootTagName.replaceAll("(.*):.*", "$1");
+				rootTagName = rootTagName.replaceAll(".*:(.*)", "$1");
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
index d72d5cd08..df698d7b9 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriterTests.java
@@ -263,6 +263,40 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Item is written to the output file with namespace.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testWriteRootTagWithNamespace() throws Exception {
+		writer.setRootTagName("{http://www.springframework.org/test}root");
+		writer.afterPropertiesSet();
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(items);
+		writer.close();
+		String content = getOutputFileContent();
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content
+				.contains(("<root xmlns=\"http://www.springframework.org/test\">")));
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(("</root>")));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Item is written to the output file with namespace and prefix.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testWriteRootTagWithNamespaceAndPrefix() throws Exception {
+		writer.setRootTagName("{http://www.springframework.org/test}ns:root");
+		writer.afterPropertiesSet();
+		writer.open(executionContext);
+		writer.write(items);
+		writer.close();
+		String content = getOutputFileContent();
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content
+				.contains(("<ns:root xmlns:ns=\"http://www.springframework.org/test\">")));
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
+		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(("</ns:root>")));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Writes object's toString representation as XML comment.
 	 */
@@ -317,38 +351,5 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 
 		return source;
 	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Item is written to the output file with namespace.
-	 */
-	@Test
-	public void testWriteRootTagWithNamespace() throws Exception {
-		writer.setRootTagNamespace("http://www.springframework.org/test");
-		writer.open(executionContext);
-		writer.write(items);
-		writer.close();
-		String content = getOutputFileContent();
-		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content
-				.contains(("<root xmlns=\"http://www.springframework.org/test\">")));
-		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
-		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(("</root>")));
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Item is written to the output file with namespace and prefix.
-	 */
-	@Test
-	public void testWriteRootTagWithNamespaceAndPrefix() throws Exception {
-		writer.setRootTagNamespacePrefix("ns");
-		writer.setRootTagNamespace("http://www.springframework.org/test");
-		writer.open(executionContext);
-		writer.write(items);
-		writer.close();
-		String content = getOutputFileContent();
-		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content
-				.contains(("<ns:root xmlns:ns=\"http://www.springframework.org/test\">")));
-		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(TEST_STRING));
-		assertTrue("Wrong content: " + content, content.contains(("</ns:root>")));
-	}
 	
 }