diff --git a/spring-batch-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtils.java b/spring-batch-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtils.java
index bbb6ad4d33..4cc3c8f0a3 100644
--- a/spring-batch-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtils.java
+++ b/spring-batch-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtils.java
@@ -151,7 +151,11 @@ public void removeJobExecutions(Collection<JobExecution> jobExecutions) {
 	 * @param jobExecution the {@link JobExecution} to delete
 	 */
 	public void removeJobExecution(JobExecution jobExecution) {
-		this.jobRepository.deleteJobExecution(jobExecution);
+		// query latest version of JobExecution to avoid OptimisticLockingFailureException
+		jobExecution = this.jobRepository.getJobExecution(jobExecution.getId());
+		if (jobExecution != null) {
+			this.jobRepository.deleteJobExecution(jobExecution);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -165,7 +169,7 @@ public void removeJobExecutions() {
 			List<JobInstance> jobInstances = this.jobRepository.findJobInstances(jobName);
 			for (JobInstance jobInstance : jobInstances) {
 				List<JobExecution> jobExecutions = this.jobRepository.getJobExecutions(jobInstance);
-				if (jobExecutions != null && !jobExecutions.isEmpty()) {
+				if (!jobExecutions.isEmpty()) {
 					removeJobExecutions(jobExecutions);
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/spring-batch-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtilsTests.java b/spring-batch-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtilsTests.java
index b9d893a78d..d5b0ef85e5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtilsTests.java
+++ b/spring-batch-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/test/JobRepositoryTestUtilsTests.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 /**
  * @author Dave Syer
  * @author Mahmoud Ben Hassine
+ * @author Yanming Zhou
  *
  */
 @SpringJUnitConfig(locations = "/simple-job-launcher-context.xml")
@@ -139,4 +140,33 @@ void testRemoveJobExecutions() throws Exception {
 		assertEquals(0, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void testRemoveJobExecution() throws Exception {
+		// given
+		utils = new JobRepositoryTestUtils(jobRepository);
+		JobExecution jobExecution = utils.createJobExecutions(1).get(0);
+		assertEquals(1, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION"));
+		assertEquals(1, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_STEP_EXECUTION"));
+
+		// when
+		jobExecution.setVersion(-1); // simulate stale version
+		utils.removeJobExecution(jobExecution);
+
+		// then
+		assertEquals(0, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_STEP_EXECUTION"));
+		assertEquals(0, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION"));
+
+		List<JobExecution> jobExecutions = utils.createJobExecutions("test", new String[] { "step1", "step2" }, 2);
+		assertEquals(2, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION"));
+		assertEquals(4, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_STEP_EXECUTION"));
+
+		// when
+		jobExecutions.forEach(je -> je.setVersion(-1)); // simulate stale version
+		utils.removeJobExecutions(jobExecutions);
+
+		// then
+		assertEquals(0, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_STEP_EXECUTION"));
+		assertEquals(0, JdbcTestUtils.countRowsInTable(jdbcTemplate, "BATCH_JOB_EXECUTION"));
+	}
+
 }