diff --git a/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/caze/CaseService.java b/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/caze/CaseService.java
index ebcd4065d2e..f2438dcb32b 100644
--- a/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/caze/CaseService.java
+++ b/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/caze/CaseService.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import javax.ejb.EJB;
 import javax.ejb.LocalBean;
 import javax.ejb.Stateless;
@@ -2345,7 +2346,9 @@ protected String getDeleteReferenceField(DeletionReference deletionReference) {
 		return super.getDeleteReferenceField(deletionReference);
 	}
 
-	public String getCaseUuidForAutomaticSampleAssignment(Set<String> uuids, Disease disease, int threshold) {
+	public String getCaseUuidForAutomaticSampleAssignment(Set<String> uuids, Disease disease, @Nullable Date sampleDateTime, int threshold) {
+		Date dateToCompareTo = sampleDateTime != null ? sampleDateTime : new Date();
+
 		CriteriaBuilder cb = em.getCriteriaBuilder();
 		CriteriaQuery<String> cq = cb.createQuery(String.class);
 		Root<Case> caseRoot = cq.from(Case.class);
@@ -2366,7 +2369,7 @@ public String getCaseUuidForAutomaticSampleAssignment(Set<String> uuids, Disease
 						ExtendedPostgreSQL94Dialect.DATE,
 						Date.class,
 						CriteriaBuilderHelper.coalesce(cb, Date.class, earliestSampleSq, caseRoot.get(Case.REPORT_DATE))),
-					cb.function(ExtendedPostgreSQL94Dialect.DATE, Date.class, cb.literal(new Date()))),
+					cb.function(ExtendedPostgreSQL94Dialect.DATE, Date.class, cb.literal(dateToCompareTo))),
 				Long.valueOf(TimeUnit.DAYS.toSeconds(threshold)).doubleValue()));
 		cq.orderBy(cb.desc(caseRoot.get(Case.REPORT_DATE)));
 
diff --git a/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessor.java b/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessor.java
index f660bce1805..763177459f2 100644
--- a/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessor.java
+++ b/sormas-backend/src/main/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessor.java
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 package de.symeda.sormas.backend.externalmessage.labmessage;
 
 import java.text.Collator;
+import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletionStage;
@@ -43,6 +46,7 @@
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.event.EventParticipantDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.event.SimilarEventParticipantDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.ExternalMessageDto;
+import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.labmessage.SampleReportDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.processing.ExternalMessageMapper;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.processing.ExternalMessageProcessingFacade;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.processing.ExternalMessageProcessingResult;
@@ -183,7 +187,14 @@ protected void handlePickOrCreateEntry(
 				}
 
 				Set<String> similarCaseUuids = similarCases.stream().map(CaseSelectionDto::getUuid).collect(Collectors.toSet());
-				String caseUuid = caseService.getCaseUuidForAutomaticSampleAssignment(similarCaseUuids, disease, automaticSampleAssignmentThreshold);
+				Date sampleDate = externalMessageDto.getSampleReports()
+					.stream()
+					.map(SampleReportDto::getSampleDateTime)
+					.filter(Objects::nonNull)
+					.min(Comparator.comparing(Date::getTime))
+					.orElse(null);
+				String caseUuid =
+					caseService.getCaseUuidForAutomaticSampleAssignment(similarCaseUuids, disease, sampleDate, automaticSampleAssignmentThreshold);
 
 				if (caseUuid == null) {
 					logger.debug(
diff --git a/sormas-backend/src/test/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessorTest.java b/sormas-backend/src/test/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessorTest.java
index e3e22f325c7..85da716cf6f 100644
--- a/sormas-backend/src/test/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessorTest.java
+++ b/sormas-backend/src/test/java/de/symeda/sormas/backend/externalmessage/labmessage/AutomaticLabMessageProcessorTest.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.Disease;
+import de.symeda.sormas.api.caze.CaseCriteria;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.caze.CaseDataDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.ExternalMessageDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.externalmessage.ExternalMessageStatus;
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.PathogenTestDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.PathogenTestResultType;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.PathogenTestType;
+import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.SampleCriteria;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.SampleDto;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.SampleMaterial;
 import de.symeda.sormas.api.sample.SamplePurpose;
@@ -213,6 +215,42 @@ public void testProcessWithExistingPersonAndCase() throws ExecutionException, In
 		assertThat(samples, hasSize(2));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * External message with sample date in the threshold period should generate a new sample to the existing case
+	 * @throws ExecutionException
+	 * @throws InterruptedException
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testThresholdAgainstSampleDate() throws ExecutionException, InterruptedException {
+		ExternalMessageDto externalMessage = createExternalMessage(e -> {
+			e.getSampleReports().get(0).setSampleDateTime(DateHelper.subtractDays(new Date(), 10));
+		});
+
+		PersonDto person =
+			creator.createPerson(externalMessage.getPersonFirstName(), externalMessage.getPersonLastName(), externalMessage.getPersonSex(), p -> {
+				p.setNationalHealthId(externalMessage.getPersonNationalHealthId());
+			});
+
+		CaseDataDto caze = creator.createCase(reportingUser.toReference(), person.toReference(), rdcf, c -> {
+			c.setDisease(externalMessage.getDisease());
+			c.setReportDate(DateHelper.subtractDays(new Date(), 15));
+		});
+		creator.createSample(caze.toReference(), reportingUser.toReference(), rdcf.facility, s -> {
+			s.setSampleDateTime(DateHelper.subtractDays(new Date(), 15));
+		});
+
+		// set the threshold
+		creator.updateDiseaseConfiguration(externalMessage.getDisease(), true, true, true, true, null, 10);
+		getBean(DiseaseConfigurationFacadeEjb.DiseaseConfigurationFacadeEjbLocal.class).loadData();
+
+		ProcessingResult<ExternalMessageProcessingResult> result = runFlow(externalMessage);
+		assertThat(result.getStatus(), is(DONE));
+		assertThat(externalMessage.getStatus(), is(ExternalMessageStatus.PROCESSED));
+
+		assertThat(getCaseFacade().count(new CaseCriteria().person(caze.getPerson())), is(1L));
+		assertThat(getSampleFacade().count(new SampleCriteria().caze(caze.toReference())), is(2L));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testProcessWithExistingPersonAndCaseWithBySampleDate() throws ExecutionException, InterruptedException {
 		ExternalMessageDto externalMessage = createExternalMessage(null);