diff --git a/src/Task.cpp b/src/Task.cpp
index 5d5519d18..9ef0aa969 100644
--- a/src/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/Task.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,16 @@ void Task::setEnd ()
   recalc_urgency = true;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Task::setStart ()
+{
+  char startTime[16];
+  sprintf (startTime, "%u", (unsigned int) time (NULL));
+  set ("start", startTime);
+
+  recalc_urgency = true;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 Task::status Task::getStatus () const
 {
diff --git a/src/Task.h b/src/Task.h
index 005e0e47a..8a69a9a57 100644
--- a/src/Task.h
+++ b/src/Task.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ public:
 
   void setEntry ();
   void setEnd ();
+  void setStart ();
 
   status getStatus () const;
   void setStatus (status);
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp b/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp
index d5ce49afa..2277d94fa 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp
@@ -87,9 +87,7 @@ int CmdStart::execute (std::string& output)
       apply_defaults (*task);
 
       // Add a start time.
-      char startTime[16];
-      sprintf (startTime, "%u", (unsigned int) time (NULL));
-      task->set ("start", startTime);
+      task->setStart ();
 
       if (context.config.getBoolean ("journal.time"))
         task->addAnnotation (context.config.get ("journal.time.start.annotation"));
diff --git a/test/args.5.t b/test/args.5.t
index bcef61bc0..4e90cddac 100755
--- a/test/args.5.t
+++ b/test/args.5.t
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ qx{../src/task rc:args.rc add three};
 qx{../src/task rc:args.rc add four};
 qx{../src/task rc:args.rc add five};
 
+qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 1 start};
+qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 2 start};
+qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 3 start};
+qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 4 start};
+qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 5 start};
+
 qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 1 stop oneanno};
 my $output = qx{../src/task rc:args.rc 1 info};
 like ($output, qr/oneanno/, 'stop enpassant anno');