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 8852c7db6..2efbd6650 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
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.channels.FileChannel;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 
 	private boolean saveState = true;
 
-	private List<? extends T> headers = new ArrayList<T>();
+	private List<?> headers = new ArrayList<Object>();
 
 	public StaxEventItemWriter() {
 		setName(ClassUtils.getShortName(StaxEventItemWriter.class));
@@ -220,11 +219,13 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriter<T> extends ExecutionContextUserSupport implemen
 
 	/**
 	 * Setter for the headers. This list will be marshalled and output before
-	 * any calls to {@link #write(List)}.
+	 * any calls to {@link #write(List)}. Header item type is not restricted,
+	 * but note the {@link #setMarshaller(Marshaller)} needs to support
+	 * the type.
 	 * @param headers
 	 */
-	public void setHeaderItems(T[] headers) {
-		this.headers = Arrays.asList(headers);
+	public void setHeaderItems(List<?> headers) {
+		this.headers = headers;
 	}
 
 	public void setSaveState(boolean saveState) {
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 172d8e025..b7b6832be 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
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -103,9 +104,9 @@ public class StaxEventItemWriterTests {
 	 */
 	@Test
 	public void testWriteWithHeader() throws Exception {
-		Object header1 = new Object();
-		Object header2 = new Object();
-		writer.setHeaderItems(new Object[] { header1, header2 });
+		final Object header1 = new Object();
+		final Object header2 = new Object();
+		writer.setHeaderItems(new ArrayList<Object>() {{add(header1); add(header2); }});
 		writer.open(executionContext);
 		writer.write(items);
 		String content = outputFileContent();
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/TransactionalStaxEventItemWriterTests.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/TransactionalStaxEventItemWriterTests.java
index 5e5daa47e..272e94ed5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/TransactionalStaxEventItemWriterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/TransactionalStaxEventItemWriterTests.java
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class TransactionalStaxEventItemWriterTests {
 	@Test
 	public void testWriteWithHeaderAfterRollback() throws Exception {
 		Object header = new Object();
-		writer.setHeaderItems(new Object[] { header });
+		writer.setHeaderItems(Collections.singletonList(header));
 		writer.open(executionContext);
 		try {
 			new TransactionTemplate(transactionManager).execute(new TransactionCallback() {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class TransactionalStaxEventItemWriterTests {
 	@Test
 	public void testWriteWithHeaderAfterFlushAndRollback() throws Exception {
 		Object header = new Object();
-		writer.setHeaderItems(new Object[] { header });
+		writer.setHeaderItems(Collections.singletonList(header));
 		writer.open(executionContext);
 		new TransactionTemplate(transactionManager).execute(new TransactionCallback() {
 			public Object doInTransaction(TransactionStatus status) {