diff --git a/app/Controller/Task.php b/app/Controller/Task.php
index bb8596790..162b0ddde 100644
--- a/app/Controller/Task.php
+++ b/app/Controller/Task.php
@@ -619,4 +619,16 @@ class Task extends Base
             'transitions' => $this->transition->getAllByTask($task['id']),
         )));
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Set automatically the start date
+     *
+     * @access public
+     */
+    public function start()
+    {
+        $task = $this->getTask();
+        $this->taskModification->update(array('id' => $task['id'], 'date_started' => time()));
+        $this->response->redirect($this->helper->url->to('task', 'show', array('project_id' => $task['project_id'], 'task_id' => $task['id'])));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Template/task/time.php b/app/Template/task/time.php
index 9e024c7f1..90407d7a9 100644
--- a/app/Template/task/time.php
+++ b/app/Template/task/time.php
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 <form method="post" action="<?= $this->url->href('task', 'time', array('task_id' => $task['id'], 'project_id' => $task['project_id'])) ?>" class="form-inline task-time-form" autocomplete="off">
+
+    <?php if (empty($values['date_started'])): ?>
+        <?= $this->url->link('<i class="fa fa-play"></i>', 'task', 'start', array('task_id' => $task['id'], 'project_id' => $task['project_id']), false, 'task-show-start-link', t('Set automatically the start date')) ?>
+    <?php endif ?>
+
     <?= $this->form->csrf() ?>
     <?= $this->form->hidden('id', $values) ?>
 
diff --git a/assets/css/app.css b/assets/css/app.css
index d9a4d9008..ad9ed27c8 100644
--- a/assets/css/app.css
+++ b/assets/css/app.css
@@ -1122,6 +1122,15 @@ span.task-board-date-overdue {
 .task-show-file-table {
     width: auto;
 }
+
+.task-show-start-link {
+    color: #000;
+}
+
+.task-show-start-link:hover,
+.task-show-start-link:focus {
+    color: red;
+}
 /* comments */
 .comment {
     margin-bottom: 20px;
diff --git a/assets/css/print.css b/assets/css/print.css
index 5b80e371b..49bf07fcc 100644
--- a/assets/css/print.css
+++ b/assets/css/print.css
@@ -534,6 +534,15 @@ span.task-board-date-overdue {
 .task-show-file-table {
     width: auto;
 }
+
+.task-show-start-link {
+    color: #000;
+}
+
+.task-show-start-link:hover,
+.task-show-start-link:focus {
+    color: red;
+}
 /* comments */
 .comment {
     margin-bottom: 20px;
diff --git a/assets/css/src/task.css b/assets/css/src/task.css
index 255528ac0..cbc35bb87 100644
--- a/assets/css/src/task.css
+++ b/assets/css/src/task.css
@@ -288,3 +288,12 @@ span.task-board-date-overdue {
 .task-show-file-table {
     width: auto;
 }
+
+.task-show-start-link {
+    color: #000;
+}
+
+.task-show-start-link:hover,
+.task-show-start-link:focus {
+    color: red;
+}