diff --git a/modules/flowable-engine/src/main/java/org/flowable/engine/impl/bpmn/parser/handler/StartEventParseHandler.java b/modules/flowable-engine/src/main/java/org/flowable/engine/impl/bpmn/parser/handler/StartEventParseHandler.java
index 024c4ca56d7..f40a139e4ef 100644
--- a/modules/flowable-engine/src/main/java/org/flowable/engine/impl/bpmn/parser/handler/StartEventParseHandler.java
+++ b/modules/flowable-engine/src/main/java/org/flowable/engine/impl/bpmn/parser/handler/StartEventParseHandler.java
@@ -79,13 +79,11 @@ protected void executeParse(BpmnParse bpmnParse, StartEvent element) {
                     element.setBehavior(bpmnParse.getActivityBehaviorFactory().createEventSubProcessVariableListenerlStartEventActivityBehavior(element, variableListenerEventDefinition));
                 }
                 
-            } else {
+            } else if (hasEventTypeElement(element)) {
                 List<ExtensionElement> eventTypeElements = element.getExtensionElements().get(BpmnXMLConstants.ELEMENT_EVENT_TYPE);
-                if (eventTypeElements != null && !eventTypeElements.isEmpty()) {
-                    String eventType = eventTypeElements.get(0).getElementText();
-                    if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(eventType)) {
-                        element.setBehavior(bpmnParse.getActivityBehaviorFactory().createEventSubProcessEventRegistryStartEventActivityBehavior(element, eventType));
-                    }
+                String eventType = eventTypeElements.get(0).getElementText();
+                if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(eventType)) {
+                    element.setBehavior(bpmnParse.getActivityBehaviorFactory().createEventSubProcessEventRegistryStartEventActivityBehavior(element, eventType));
                 }
             }
 
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ protected void executeParse(BpmnParse bpmnParse, StartEvent element) {
             }
         }
 
-        if (element.getSubProcess() == null && (CollectionUtil.isEmpty(element.getEventDefinitions()) ||
+        if (element.getSubProcess() == null && (hasNoEventDefinitionOrTypeElement(element) ||
                 bpmnParse.getCurrentProcess().getInitialFlowElement() == null)) {
             
             bpmnParse.getCurrentProcess().setInitialFlowElement(element);
@@ -118,5 +116,18 @@ protected MessageEventDefinition fillMessageRef(BpmnParse bpmnParse, EventDefini
         
         return messageDefinition;
     }
+    
+    protected boolean hasNoEventDefinitionOrTypeElement(StartEvent element) {
+        return CollectionUtil.isEmpty(element.getEventDefinitions()) && !hasEventTypeElement(element);
+    }
 
+    protected boolean hasEventTypeElement(StartEvent element) {
+        boolean foundEventTypeElement = false;
+        List<ExtensionElement> eventTypeElements = element.getExtensionElements().get(BpmnXMLConstants.ELEMENT_EVENT_TYPE);
+        if (eventTypeElements != null && !eventTypeElements.isEmpty()) {
+            foundEventTypeElement = true;
+        }
+        
+        return foundEventTypeElement;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/java/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/ProcessWithEventRegistryTest.java b/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/java/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/ProcessWithEventRegistryTest.java
index db28eab9a15..821d0faa043 100644
--- a/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/java/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/ProcessWithEventRegistryTest.java
+++ b/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/java/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/ProcessWithEventRegistryTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.flowable.bpmn.model.BpmnModel;
+import org.flowable.bpmn.model.Process;
 import org.flowable.common.engine.impl.interceptor.EngineConfigurationConstants;
 import org.flowable.engine.ManagementService;
 import org.flowable.engine.ProcessEngine;
@@ -665,6 +667,15 @@ public void testMultiInstanceSendSystemEvent() {
         }
     }
     
+    @Test
+    @Deployment(resources = "org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/testMultipleStartEvents.bpmn20.xml")
+    public void testMultipleStartEventsForInitialStartEvent() {
+        ProcessDefinition processDefinition = repositoryService.createProcessDefinitionQuery().processDefinitionKey("multipleStartEvents").singleResult();
+        BpmnModel bpmnModel = repositoryService.getBpmnModel(processDefinition.getId());
+        Process process = bpmnModel.getMainProcess();
+        assertThat(process.getInitialFlowElement().getId()).isEqualTo("start3");
+    }
+    
     protected EventRepositoryService getEventRepositoryService() {
         return getEventRegistryEngineConfiguration().getEventRepositoryService();
     }
diff --git a/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/resources/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/testMultipleStartEvents.bpmn20.xml b/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/resources/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/testMultipleStartEvents.bpmn20.xml
index fe1b2abfaa4..7b148c93d4f 100644
--- a/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/resources/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/testMultipleStartEvents.bpmn20.xml
+++ b/modules/flowable-event-registry-integration-test/src/test/resources/org/flowable/eventregistry/integrationtest/testMultipleStartEvents.bpmn20.xml
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@
         <sequenceFlow sourceRef="receive1" targetRef="theEnd"/>
         
         <sequenceFlow sourceRef="receive2" targetRef="theEnd"/>
+        
+        <startEvent id="start3" flowable:formKey="testKey" />
+        
+        <sequenceFlow sourceRef="start3" targetRef="receive3"/>
+
+        <receiveTask id="receive3" />
+
+        <sequenceFlow sourceRef="receive3" targetRef="theEnd"/>
 
         <endEvent id="theEnd"/>