diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitParser.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitParser.java
index a68c23f78..f793a3c8c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitParser.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitParser.java
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.RuntimeBeanReference;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ManagedList;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.xml.DomUtils;
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 
@@ -70,6 +72,12 @@ public class SplitParser {
 		BeanDefinitionBuilder stateBuilder = 
 			BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition("org.springframework.batch.core.job.flow.support.state.SplitState");
 
+        String taskExecutorBeanId = element.getAttribute("task-executor");
+        if (StringUtils.hasText(taskExecutorBeanId)) {
+            RuntimeBeanReference taskExecutorRef = new RuntimeBeanReference(taskExecutorBeanId);
+            stateBuilder.addPropertyValue("taskExecutor", taskExecutorRef);
+        }
+
 		Collection<BeanDefinition> flows = new ArrayList<BeanDefinition>();
 		int i = 0;
 		for (Element nextElement : flowElements) {
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd b/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd
index a99285bde..27a7f8652 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/spring-batch-2.0.xsd
@@ -167,6 +167,20 @@
 									</xsd:element>			
 								</xsd:sequence>
 								<xsd:attribute name="id" type="xsd:ID" use="required" />
+								<xsd:attribute name="task-executor" type="xsd:string" use="optional">
+									<xsd:annotation>
+										<xsd:documentation
+											source="java:org.springframework.core.task.TaskExecutor"><![CDATA[
+										The task executor responsible for executing the task..
+										]]></xsd:documentation>
+										<xsd:appinfo>
+											<tool:annotation kind="ref">
+												<tool:expected-type
+													type="org.springframework.core.task.TaskExecutor" />
+											</tool:annotation>
+										</xsd:appinfo>
+									</xsd:annotation>
+								</xsd:attribute>
 							</xsd:extension>
 						</xsd:complexContent>
 					</xsd:complexType>
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitDifferentResultsFailFirstJobParserTests-context.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitDifferentResultsFailFirstJobParserTests-context.xml
index 321c927c0..d677fcbb6 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitDifferentResultsFailFirstJobParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/configuration/xml/SplitDifferentResultsFailFirstJobParserTests-context.xml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 	<beans:import resource="common-context.xml" />
 	
 	<job id="job">
-		<split id="split1">
+		<split id="split1" task-executor="taskExecutor">
 			<flow>
 				<step id="fail" ref="failingStep">
 					<fail on="FAILED"/>
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 				<step id="s1" ref="step1"/>
 			</flow>
 		</split>
-	</job>
+	</job>
+	
+	<beans:bean id="taskExecutor" class="org.springframework.core.task.SyncTaskExecutor" />
 
-</beans:beans>
\ No newline at end of file
+</beans:beans>