diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListener.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListener.java
index 057295100..b08cb6302 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListener.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListener.java
@@ -57,13 +57,12 @@ public class CompositeStepExecutionListener implements StepExecutionListener {
 	 */
 	@Override
 	public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
-		ExitStatus status = null;
 		for (Iterator<StepExecutionListener> iterator = list.reverse(); iterator.hasNext();) {
 			StepExecutionListener listener = iterator.next();
 			ExitStatus close = listener.afterStep(stepExecution);
-			status = status != null ? status.and(close) : close;
+			stepExecution.setExitStatus(stepExecution.getExitStatus().and(close));
 		}
-		return status;
+		return stepExecution.getExitStatus();
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests.java
index 723d85bc3..750e19a1c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
 import org.springframework.batch.core.ExitStatus;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecutionListener;
 
@@ -40,9 +41,12 @@ public class CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests extends TestCase {
 	 * .
 	 */
 	public void testSetListeners() {
+		JobExecution jobExecution = new JobExecution(1l);
+		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution("s1", jobExecution);
 		listener.setListeners(new StepExecutionListener[] { new StepExecutionListenerSupport() {
 			@Override
 			public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
+				assertEquals(ExitStatus.STOPPED, stepExecution.getExitStatus());
 				list.add("fail");
 				return ExitStatus.FAILED;
 			}
@@ -50,10 +54,10 @@ public class CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests extends TestCase {
 			@Override
 			public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
 				list.add("continue");
-				return ExitStatus.EXECUTING;
+				return ExitStatus.STOPPED;
 			}
 		} });
-		assertEquals(ExitStatus.FAILED, listener.afterStep(null));
+		assertEquals(ExitStatus.FAILED, listener.afterStep(stepExecution));
 		assertEquals(2, list.size());
 	}
 
@@ -63,6 +67,8 @@ public class CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests extends TestCase {
 	 * .
 	 */
 	public void testSetListener() {
+		JobExecution jobExecution = new JobExecution(1l);
+		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution("s1", jobExecution);
 		listener.register(new StepExecutionListenerSupport() {
 			@Override
 			public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
@@ -70,7 +76,7 @@ public class CompositeStepExecutionListenerTests extends TestCase {
 				return ExitStatus.FAILED;
 			}
 		});
-		assertEquals(ExitStatus.FAILED, listener.afterStep(null));
+		assertEquals(ExitStatus.FAILED, listener.afterStep(stepExecution));
 		assertEquals(1, list.size());
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/MulticasterBatchListenerTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/MulticasterBatchListenerTests.java
index 3e41beccf..5bb5fc0fe 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/MulticasterBatchListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/listener/MulticasterBatchListenerTests.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.ExitStatus;
+import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.StepExecution;
 import org.springframework.batch.core.scope.context.ChunkContext;
 
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ public class MulticasterBatchListenerTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testSetListeners() {
+		JobExecution jobExecution = new JobExecution(1l);
+		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution("s1", jobExecution);
 		multicast.setListeners(Arrays.asList(new StepListenerSupport<Integer, String>() {
 			@Override
 			public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
@@ -53,7 +56,7 @@ public class MulticasterBatchListenerTests {
 				return super.afterStep(stepExecution);
 			}
 		}));
-		multicast.afterStep(null);
+		multicast.afterStep(stepExecution);
 		// setListeners is cumulative (should be OK if used for DI)
 		assertEquals(2, count);
 	}
@@ -65,6 +68,8 @@ public class MulticasterBatchListenerTests {
 	 */
 	@Test
 	public void testRegister() {
+		JobExecution jobExecution = new JobExecution(1l);
+		StepExecution stepExecution = new StepExecution("s1", jobExecution);
 		multicast.register(new StepListenerSupport<Integer, String>() {
 			@Override
 			public ExitStatus afterStep(StepExecution stepExecution) {
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ public class MulticasterBatchListenerTests {
 				return super.afterStep(stepExecution);
 			}
 		});
-		multicast.afterStep(null);
+		multicast.afterStep(stepExecution);
 		assertEquals(2, count);
 	}