diff --git a/diag_manager/diag_manager.F90 b/diag_manager/diag_manager.F90
index eeab1a522..ab94fe690 100644
--- a/diag_manager/diag_manager.F90
+++ b/diag_manager/diag_manager.F90
@@ -4210,7 +4210,7 @@ SUBROUTINE diag_manager_init(diag_model_subset, time_init, err_msg)
     END IF
 
     if (use_modern_diag) then
-      CALL fms_diag_object%init(diag_subset_output)
+      CALL fms_diag_object%init(diag_subset_output, time_init)
     endif
    if (.not. use_modern_diag) then
      CALL parse_diag_table(DIAG_SUBSET=diag_subset_output, ISTAT=mystat, ERR_MSG=err_msg_local)
diff --git a/diag_manager/fms_diag_file_object.F90 b/diag_manager/fms_diag_file_object.F90
index 5affac02a..f72f1d7ef 100644
--- a/diag_manager/fms_diag_file_object.F90
+++ b/diag_manager/fms_diag_file_object.F90
@@ -264,8 +264,8 @@ logical function fms_diag_files_object_init (files_array)
      !! This will be the base_time if nothing was passed in
      !! This time is appended to the filename if the prepend_date namelist is .True.
      obj%start_time = diag_init_time
-     obj%last_output = get_base_time()
-     obj%model_time = get_base_time()
+     obj%last_output = diag_init_time
+     obj%model_time = diag_init_time
      obj%next_output = diag_time_inc(obj%start_time, obj%get_file_freq(), obj%get_file_frequnit())
      obj%next_next_output = diag_time_inc(obj%next_output, obj%get_file_freq(), obj%get_file_frequnit())
 
@@ -1009,18 +1009,18 @@ subroutine add_start_time(this, start_time)
   class(fmsDiagFile_type), intent(inout)       :: this           !< The file object
   TYPE(time_type),         intent(in)          :: start_time     !< Start time to add to the fileobj
 
-  !< If the start_time sent in is equal to the base_time return because
-  !! this%start_time was already set to the base_time
-  if (start_time .eq. get_base_time()) return
+  !< If the start_time sent in is equal to the diag_init_time return because
+  !! this%start_time was already set to the diag_init_time
+  if (start_time .eq. diag_init_time) return
 
-  if (this%start_time .ne. get_base_time()) then
-    !> If the this%start_time is not equal to the base_time from the diag_table
+  if (this%start_time .ne. diag_init_time) then
+    !> If the this%start_time is not equal to the diag_init_time from the diag_table
     !! this%start_time was already updated so make sure it is the same or error out
     if (this%start_time .ne. start_time)&
       call mpp_error(FATAL, "The variables associated with the file:"//this%get_file_fname()//" have"&
       &" different start_time")
   else
-    !> If the this%start_time is equal to the base_time,
+    !> If the this%start_time is equal to the diag_init_time,
     !! simply update it with the start_time and set up the *_output variables
     this%model_time = start_time
     this%start_time = start_time
diff --git a/diag_manager/fms_diag_object.F90 b/diag_manager/fms_diag_object.F90
index 70141a007..a1fc92cc3 100644
--- a/diag_manager/fms_diag_object.F90
+++ b/diag_manager/fms_diag_object.F90
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ module fms_diag_object_mod
                          &DIAG_FIELD_NOT_FOUND, diag_not_registered, max_axes, TWO_D_DOMAIN, &
                          &get_base_time, NULL_AXIS_ID, get_var_type, diag_not_registered, &
                          &time_none, time_max, time_min, time_sum, time_average, time_diurnal, &
-                         &time_power, time_rms, r8, NO_DOMAIN
+                         &time_power, time_rms, r8, NO_DOMAIN, diag_init_time
 
   USE time_manager_mod, ONLY: set_time, set_date, get_time, time_type, OPERATOR(>=), OPERATOR(>),&
        & OPERATOR(<), OPERATOR(==), OPERATOR(/=), OPERATOR(/), OPERATOR(+), ASSIGNMENT(=), get_date, &
@@ -118,14 +118,23 @@ module fms_diag_object_mod
 !! Reads the diag_table.yaml and fills in the yaml object
 !! Allocates the diag manager object arrays for files, fields, and buffers
 !! Initializes variables
-subroutine fms_diag_object_init (this,diag_subset_output)
+subroutine fms_diag_object_init (this,diag_subset_output, time_init)
  class(fmsDiagObject_type) :: this !< Diag mediator/controller object
  integer :: diag_subset_output !< Subset of the diag output?
+ INTEGER, DIMENSION(6), OPTIONAL, INTENT(IN) :: time_init !< Model time diag_manager initialized
+
 #ifdef use_yaml
  if (this%initialized) return
 
 ! allocate(diag_objs(get_num_unique_fields()))
   CALL diag_yaml_object_init(diag_subset_output)
+
+  !! Doing this here, because the base_time is not set until the yaml is parsed
+  !! if time_init is present, it will be set in diag_manager_init
+  if (.not. present(time_init)) then
+    diag_init_time = get_base_time()
+  endif
+
   this%axes_initialized = fms_diag_axis_object_init(this%diag_axis)
   this%files_initialized = fms_diag_files_object_init(this%FMS_diag_files)
   this%fields_initialized = fms_diag_fields_object_init(this%FMS_diag_fields)
diff --git a/test_fms/diag_manager/test_prepend_date.F90 b/test_fms/diag_manager/test_prepend_date.F90
index 7b1f5fa9a..393406d94 100644
--- a/test_fms/diag_manager/test_prepend_date.F90
+++ b/test_fms/diag_manager/test_prepend_date.F90
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ subroutine check_output()
       call mpp_error(FATAL, "Error opening file:00020101.test_static.nc to read")
 
     call read_data(fileobj, "var2", var_data(1))
-    if (var_data(1) .ne. real(123.456, kind=r4_kind)) call mpp_error(FATAL, "The variable data for var2 is not the correct value!")
+    if (var_data(1) .ne. real(123.456, kind=r4_kind)) call mpp_error(FATAL, &
+      "The variable data for var2 is not the correct value!")
 
     call close_file(fileobj)