diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameter.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameter.java
index 7a4744e67..9ae360b6d 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameter.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class JobParameter implements Serializable {
 	 * @param parameter
 	 */
 	public JobParameter(Date parameter) {
-		this.parameter = new Date(parameter.getTime());
+		this.parameter = parameter == null ? null : new Date(parameter.getTime());
 		parameterType = ParameterType.DATE;
 	}
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class JobParameter implements Serializable {
 	 */
 	public Object getValue() {
 
-		if (parameter.getClass().isInstance(Date.class)) {
+		if (parameter != null && parameter.getClass().isInstance(Date.class)) {
 			return new Date(((Date) parameter).getTime());
 		}
 		else {
@@ -102,16 +102,17 @@ public class JobParameter implements Serializable {
 		}
 
 		JobParameter rhs = (JobParameter) obj;
-		return this.parameter.equals(rhs.parameter);
+		return parameter==null ? rhs.parameter==null && parameterType==rhs.parameterType: parameter.equals(rhs.parameter);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public String toString() {
-		return parameterType == ParameterType.DATE ? "" + ((Date) parameter).getTime() : parameter.toString();
+		return parameter == null ? null : (parameterType == ParameterType.DATE ? "" + ((Date) parameter).getTime()
+				: parameter.toString());
 	}
 
 	public int hashCode() {
-		return 7 + 21 * parameter.hashCode();
+		return 7 + 21 * (parameter == null ? parameterType.hashCode() : parameter.hashCode());
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameters.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameters.java
index bc1cdc381..08f752f1d 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameters.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameters.java
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ public class JobParameters implements Serializable {
 	 * @return The <code>Long</code> value
 	 */
 	public long getLong(String key){
-		return ((Long)parameters.get(key).getValue()).longValue();
+		Object value = parameters.get(key).getValue();
+		return value==null ? 0L : ((Long)value).longValue();
 	}
 	
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilder.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilder.java
index 8654b1a45..136701b5b 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilder.java
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ public class JobParametersBuilder {
 	 * @return a refernece to this object.
 	 */
 	public JobParametersBuilder addString(String key, String parameter) {
-		Assert.notNull(parameter, "Parameter must not be null.");
 		parameterMap.put(key, new JobParameter(parameter));
 		return this;
 	}
@@ -75,7 +74,6 @@ public class JobParametersBuilder {
 	 * @return a refernece to this object.
 	 */
 	public JobParametersBuilder addDate(String key, Date parameter) {
-		Assert.notNull(parameter, "Parameter must not be null.");
 		parameterMap.put(key, new JobParameter(parameter));
 		return this;
 	}
@@ -88,7 +86,6 @@ public class JobParametersBuilder {
 	 * @return a reference to this object.
 	 */
 	public JobParametersBuilder addLong(String key, Long parameter) {
-		Assert.notNull(parameter, "Parameter must not be null.");
 		parameterMap.put(key, new JobParameter(parameter));
 		return this;
 	}
@@ -101,7 +98,6 @@ public class JobParametersBuilder {
 	 * @return a reference to this object.
 	 */
 	public JobParametersBuilder addDouble(String key, Double parameter) {
-		Assert.notNull(parameter, "Parameter must not be null.");
 		parameterMap.put(key, new JobParameter(parameter));
 		return this;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameterTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameterTests.java
index e7b7481bf..f06aadaa9 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameterTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParameterTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ public class JobParameterTests {
 		assertEquals("test", jobParameter.getValue());
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void testNullStringParameter(){
+		jobParameter = new JobParameter((String)null);
+		assertEquals(null, jobParameter.getValue());
+	}
+	
 	@Test
 	public void testLongParameter(){
 		jobParameter = new JobParameter(1L);
@@ -42,6 +48,12 @@ public class JobParameterTests {
 		assertEquals(new Date(0L), jobParameter.getValue());
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void testNullDateParameter(){
+		jobParameter = new JobParameter((Date)null);
+		assertEquals(null, jobParameter.getValue());
+	}
+	
 	@Test
 	public void testDateParameterToString(){
 		Date epoch = new Date(0L);
@@ -56,4 +68,32 @@ public class JobParameterTests {
 		assertTrue(jobParameter.equals(testParameter));
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void testHashcode(){
+		jobParameter = new JobParameter("test");
+		JobParameter testParameter = new JobParameter("test");
+		assertEquals(testParameter.hashCode(), jobParameter.hashCode());
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testEqualsWithNull(){
+		jobParameter = new JobParameter((String)null);
+		JobParameter testParameter = new JobParameter((String)null);
+		assertTrue(jobParameter.equals(testParameter));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testEqualsWithNullAndDifferentType(){
+		jobParameter = new JobParameter((String)null);
+		JobParameter testParameter = new JobParameter((Date)null);
+		assertFalse(jobParameter.equals(testParameter));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testHashcodeWithNull(){
+		jobParameter = new JobParameter((String)null);
+		JobParameter testParameter = new JobParameter((String)null);
+		assertEquals(testParameter.hashCode(), jobParameter.hashCode());
+	}
+	
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilderTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilderTests.java
index 8284be0ae..be16ee3c6 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilderTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/JobParametersBuilderTests.java
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ public class JobParametersBuilderTests extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals("string value", parameters.getString("STRING"));
 	}
 
+	public void testNullRuntimeParamters(){	
+		parametersBuilder.addDate("SCHEDULE_DATE", null);
+		parametersBuilder.addLong("LONG", null);
+		parametersBuilder.addString("STRING", null);
+		JobParameters parameters = parametersBuilder.toJobParameters();
+		assertEquals(null, parameters.getDate("SCHEDULE_DATE"));
+		assertEquals(0L, parameters.getLong("LONG"));
+		assertEquals(null, parameters.getString("STRING"));
+	}
+
 	public void testCopy(){	
 		parametersBuilder.addString("STRING", "string value");
 		parametersBuilder = new JobParametersBuilder(parametersBuilder.toJobParameters());