diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractFileItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractFileItemWriter.java
index cf04d21eb6..125fc8f839 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractFileItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/support/AbstractFileItemWriter.java
@@ -270,7 +270,9 @@ public void close() {
 				state.close();
 				if (state.linesWritten == 0 && shouldDeleteIfEmpty) {
 					try {
-						resource.getFile().delete();
+						if (!resource.getFile().delete()) {
+							throw new ItemStreamException("Failed to delete empty file on close");
+						}
 					}
 					catch (IOException e) {
 						throw new ItemStreamException("Failed to delete empty file on close", e);
diff --git a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
index 8af5576930..694b1bf77f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
+++ b/spring-batch-infrastructure/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/item/xml/StaxEventItemWriter.java
@@ -735,7 +735,9 @@ public void close() {
 			}
 			if (currentRecordCount == 0 && shouldDeleteIfEmpty) {
 				try {
-					resource.getFile().delete();
+					if (!resource.getFile().delete()) {
+						throw new ItemStreamException("Failed to delete empty file on close");
+					}
 				}
 				catch (IOException e) {
 					throw new ItemStreamException("Failed to delete empty file on close", e);