diff --git a/lib/step/func.js b/lib/step/func.js
index 2007daa54..f1eca4c2b 100644
--- a/lib/step/func.js
+++ b/lib/step/func.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class FuncStep extends BaseStep {
     // we wrap that function to track time and status
     // and disable it in dry run mode
     this.args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments)
-    this.startTime = +Date.now()
+    if (!this.startTime) this.startTime = +Date.now()
 
     if (store.dryRun) {
       this.setStatus('success')
diff --git a/lib/step/helper.js b/lib/step/helper.js
index a87148ac2..07f763ef1 100644
--- a/lib/step/helper.js
+++ b/lib/step/helper.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class HelperStep extends Step {
    */
   run() {
     this.args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments)
-    this.startTime = +Date.now()
+    if (!this.startTime) this.startTime = +Date.now()
 
     if (store.dryRun) {
       this.setStatus('success')
diff --git a/test/unit/actor_test.js b/test/unit/actor_test.js
index 9ab96c5d6..76e8d17b2 100644
--- a/test/unit/actor_test.js
+++ b/test/unit/actor_test.js
@@ -163,6 +163,16 @@ describe('Actor', () => {
     return I.failAfter(2)
   })
 
+  it('should measure duration of a retried step from its first attempt', () => {
+    recorder.start()
+    let duration
+    event.dispatcher.addListener(event.step.finished, step => (duration = step.duration))
+
+    return I.failAfter(2, step.retry({ retries: 2, minTimeout: 100, factor: 1 })).then(() => {
+      expect(duration).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(190)
+    })
+  })
+
   it('should print handle failed steps', () => {
     recorder.start()
     let listeners = 0
diff --git a/test/unit/steps_test.js b/test/unit/steps_test.js
index c4f8f0fe9..ce05e46a0 100644
--- a/test/unit/steps_test.js
+++ b/test/unit/steps_test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import sinon from 'sinon'
-import Step, { MetaStep } from '../../lib/step.js'
+import Step, { MetaStep, FuncStep } from '../../lib/step.js'
 import event from '../../lib/event.js'
 import { secret } from '../../lib/secret.js'
 import { expect } from 'chai'
@@ -90,6 +90,22 @@ describe('Steps', () => {
         expect(action.called)
         expect(step.status).is.equal('success')
       })
+
+      it('should keep start time of the first attempt when retried', () => {
+        step.startTime = 1000
+        step.run()
+        expect(step.startTime).is.equal(1000)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('FuncStep', () => {
+    it('should keep start time of the first attempt when retried', () => {
+      const funcStep = new FuncStep('doSomething')
+      funcStep.setCallable(() => 'done')
+      funcStep.startTime = 1000
+      expect(funcStep.run()).is.equal('done')
+      expect(funcStep.startTime).is.equal(1000)
     })
   })