diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunner.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunner.java
index ea02a2695..795a566f4 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunner.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunner.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import org.springframework.batch.core.launch.JobLauncher;
 import org.springframework.batch.repeat.ExitStatus;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.AutowireCapableBeanFactory;
-import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
@@ -178,8 +178,10 @@ public class CommandLineJobRunner {
 	 */
 	int start(String jobPath, String jobName, String[] parameters) {
 
+		ConfigurableApplicationContext context = null;
+
 		try {
-			ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(jobPath);
+			context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(jobPath);
 			context.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory().autowireBeanProperties(
 					this, AutowireCapableBeanFactory.AUTOWIRE_BY_TYPE, false);
 
@@ -200,6 +202,10 @@ public class CommandLineJobRunner {
 		} catch (Throwable e) {
 			logger.error("Job Terminated in error:", e);
 			return exitCodeMapper.intValue(ExitStatus.FAILED.getExitCode());
+		} finally {
+			if (context!=null) {
+				context.close();
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunnerTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunnerTests.java
index 17e4cf93b..5ad52f959 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunnerTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/CommandLineJobRunnerTests.java
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ public class CommandLineJobRunnerTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals(new JobParameters(), StubJobLauncher.jobParameters);
 	}
 
+	public void testDestroyCallback() throws Throwable {
+		String[] args = new String[] { jobPath, jobName };
+		CommandLineJobRunner.main(args);
+		assertTrue(StubJobLauncher.destroyed);
+	}
+
 	protected void tearDown() throws Exception {
 		super.tearDown();
 
@@ -112,6 +118,8 @@ public class CommandLineJobRunnerTests extends TestCase {
 
 		public static JobParameters jobParameters;
 
+		private static boolean destroyed = false;
+
 		public JobExecution run(Job job, JobParameters jobParameters) throws JobExecutionAlreadyRunningException {
 
 			StubJobLauncher.jobParameters = jobParameters;
@@ -122,11 +130,16 @@ public class CommandLineJobRunnerTests extends TestCase {
 
 			return jobExecution;
 		}
+		
+		public void destroy() {
+			destroyed  = true;
+		}
 
 		public static void tearDown() {
 			jobExecution = null;
 			throwExecutionRunningException = false;
 			jobParameters = null;
+			destroyed = false;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/test-environment.xml b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/test-environment.xml
index bb6b43dd0..d6ec3e0a5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/test-environment.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/resources/org/springframework/batch/core/launch/support/test-environment.xml
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-2.0.xsd
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-2.0.xsd">
 
-	<bean id="simpleContainerLauncher" class="org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support.CommandLineJobRunnerTests$StubJobLauncher" />
-
+	<bean id="simpleContainerLauncher"
+		class="org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support.CommandLineJobRunnerTests$StubJobLauncher"
+		destroy-method="destroy" />
+
 	<bean class="org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support.SimpleJvmExitCodeMapper" />
 
 	<bean