diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 5af32d7..473e7f4 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ module.exports = function loopbackComponentFsm(app) {
 
   function getModelName(instance) {
     return instance.constructor.definition.name
-  }
+  } 
 
   function generateCacheKey(instance) {
     if (!instance.id) {
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ module.exports = function loopbackComponentFsm(app) {
       throw new Error(`${modelName} does not have state machine support.`)
     }
 
-    config = Object.assign(config, { initial: instance.status })
+    let stateProperty = config.stateProperty;
+
+    config = Object.assign(config, { initial: instance[stateProperty] })
     cache = new StateMachine(config)
     debug('Created new state machine for instance %s with config %o', instance.id, config)
 
diff --git a/lib/mixins/state-machine.js b/lib/mixins/state-machine.js
index 16164f8..70d7f88 100644
--- a/lib/mixins/state-machine.js
+++ b/lib/mixins/state-machine.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ module.exports = function StateMachine(Model, settings) {
 
   // Initialize the main StateMachine config.
   Model.__FSM_CONFIG__ = {
+    stateProperty: stateProperty,
     events: settings.events,
     callbacks: {
       // When leaving any state, grab the initial model instance and set in options for eacy access.
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ module.exports = function StateMachine(Model, settings) {
       const force = _.get(params, 'force')
 
       const origFrom = Model.__FSM_CONFIG__.events[eventNameIndex].from
-      const newFrom = [ ...origFrom, this.status ]
+      const newFrom = [ ...origFrom, this[stateProperty] ]
 
       // If force has been requested, override the state machine config.
       if (force && (forceFsmSetting || forceEventSetting)) {