diff --git a/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java b/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java
index 32fbfdb918..57612768ff 100644
--- a/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java
+++ b/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java
@@ -491,6 +491,7 @@ public void start() {
     @Override
 	public void start(String trigger) {
 		synchronized (this) {
+			this.startDate = new Date();
 			registerExternalEventNodeListeners();
 			// activate timer event sub processes
 	        Node[] nodes = getNodeContainer().getNodes();
diff --git a/jbpm-flow/src/test/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/node/StartNodeInstanceTest.java b/jbpm-flow/src/test/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/node/StartNodeInstanceTest.java
index 0154784305..53abd32345 100644
--- a/jbpm-flow/src/test/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/node/StartNodeInstanceTest.java
+++ b/jbpm-flow/src/test/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/node/StartNodeInstanceTest.java
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ public void testStartNode() {
         assertEquals(  ProcessInstance.STATE_PENDING, processInstance.getState() );
         processInstance.start();        
         assertEquals(  ProcessInstance.STATE_ACTIVE, processInstance.getState() );
-        
+        assertNotNull(processInstance.getStartDate());
+
         MockNodeInstance mockNodeInstance = mockNodeFactory.getMockNodeInstance();
         List<NodeInstance> triggeredBy =
         	mockNodeInstance.getTriggers().get(org.jbpm.workflow.core.Node.CONNECTION_DEFAULT_TYPE);