diff --git a/app/controllers/issues_controller.rb b/app/controllers/issues_controller.rb
index 929b928..577f115 100644
--- a/app/controllers/issues_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/issues_controller.rb
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ class IssuesController < ApplicationController
     end    
     @issue.status = default_status
     @allowed_statuses = ([default_status] + default_status.find_new_statuses_allowed_to(User.current.role_for_project(@project), @issue.tracker)).uniq
-    
-    if request.get? || request.xhr?
-      @issue.start_date ||= Date.today
-    else
+
+    if (request.get? || request.xhr?) && Setting.issue_startdate_is_adddate?
+      @issue.start_date ||= Date.today 
+    elsif !request.get? && !request.xhr? 
       requested_status = IssueStatus.find_by_id(params[:issue][:status_id])
       # Check that the user is allowed to apply the requested status
       @issue.status = (@allowed_statuses.include? requested_status) ? requested_status : default_status
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ class IssuesController < ApplicationController
         redirect_to(params[:continue] ? { :action => 'new', :tracker_id => @issue.tracker } :
                                         { :action => 'show', :id => @issue })
         return
-      end		
-    end	
+      end
+    end
     @priorities = Enumeration.priorities
     render :layout => !request.xhr?
   end
diff --git a/app/views/settings/_issues.rhtml b/app/views/settings/_issues.rhtml
index 0703661..3884579 100644
--- a/app/views/settings/_issues.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/settings/_issues.rhtml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 <p><label><%= l(:setting_display_subprojects_issues) %></label>
 <%= check_box_tag 'settings[display_subprojects_issues]', 1, Setting.display_subprojects_issues? %><%= hidden_field_tag 'settings[display_subprojects_issues]', 0 %></p>
 
+<p><label><%= l(:setting_issue_startdate_is_adddate) %></label>
+<%= check_box_tag 'settings[issue_startdate_is_adddate]', 1, Setting.issue_startdate_is_adddate? %><%= hidden_field_tag 'settings[issue_startdate_is_adddate]', 0 %></p>
+
 <p><label><%= l(:setting_issues_export_limit) %></label>
 <%= text_field_tag 'settings[issues_export_limit]', Setting.issues_export_limit, :size => 6 %></p>
 </div>
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index b051b46..2d69ae8 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ en:
   setting_mail_handler_api_key: API key
   setting_sequential_project_identifiers: Generate sequential project identifiers
   setting_gravatar_enabled: Use Gravatar user icons
+  setting_issue_startdate_is_adddate: Use todays date as start date for new issues (otherwise leave empty, default)
   setting_diff_max_lines_displayed: Max number of diff lines displayed
   setting_file_max_size_displayed: Max size of text files displayed inline
   setting_repository_log_display_limit: Maximum number of revisions displayed on file log
diff --git a/config/settings.yml b/config/settings.yml
index 38b0a44..c99b865 100644
--- a/config/settings.yml
+++ b/config/settings.yml
@@ -150,3 +150,5 @@ gravatar_enabled:
   default: 0
 openid:
   default: 0
+issue_startdate_is_adddate:
+  default: 0