diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDao.java b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDao.java
index 2e51f759f4..adba2a3863 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDao.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDao.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2006-2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2006-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
  * @author Thomas Risberg
  * @author Michael Minella
  * @author David Turanski
+ * @author Mahmoud Ben Hassine
  */
 public class JdbcExecutionContextDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implements ExecutionContextDao {
 
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ public class JdbcExecutionContextDao extends AbstractJdbcBatchMetadataDao implem
 	 * @param serializer {@link ExecutionContextSerializer} instance to use.
 	 */
 	public void setSerializer(ExecutionContextSerializer serializer) {
+		Assert.notNull(serializer, "Serializer must not be null");
 		this.serializer = serializer;
 	}
 
@@ -208,6 +210,7 @@ public void setLobHandler(LobHandler lobHandler) {
 	@Override
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
 		super.afterPropertiesSet();
+		Assert.state(serializer != null, "ExecutionContextSerializer is required");
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDaoTests.java b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDaoTests.java
index 2843fcfcf2..2bd77b35fc 100644
--- a/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDaoTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/core/repository/dao/JdbcExecutionContextDaoTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2008-2014 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2008-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,14 +15,45 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.batch.core.repository.dao;
 
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+
+import org.springframework.jdbc.core.JdbcOperations;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+
 @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
 @ContextConfiguration(locations = {"sql-dao-test.xml"})
 public class JdbcExecutionContextDaoTests extends AbstractExecutionContextDaoTests {
 
+	@Test
+	public void testNoSerializer() {
+		try {
+			JdbcExecutionContextDao jdbcExecutionContextDao = new JdbcExecutionContextDao();
+			jdbcExecutionContextDao.setJdbcTemplate(mock(JdbcOperations.class));
+			jdbcExecutionContextDao.afterPropertiesSet();
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			Assert.assertTrue(e instanceof IllegalStateException);
+			Assert.assertEquals("ExecutionContextSerializer is required", e.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNullSerializer() {
+		try {
+			JdbcExecutionContextDao jdbcExecutionContextDao = new JdbcExecutionContextDao();
+			jdbcExecutionContextDao.setJdbcTemplate(mock(JdbcOperations.class));
+			jdbcExecutionContextDao.setSerializer(null);
+			jdbcExecutionContextDao.afterPropertiesSet();
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			Assert.assertTrue(e instanceof IllegalArgumentException);
+			Assert.assertEquals("Serializer must not be null", e.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	protected JobInstanceDao getJobInstanceDao() {
 		return applicationContext.getBean("jobInstanceDao", JobInstanceDao.class);