diff --git a/grails-datastore-core/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/mapping/config/Settings.java b/grails-datastore-core/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/mapping/config/Settings.java
index 0ff51a61497..12f4acb1a4a 100644
--- a/grails-datastore-core/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/mapping/config/Settings.java
+++ b/grails-datastore-core/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/mapping/config/Settings.java
@@ -70,4 +70,6 @@ public interface Settings {
      */
     String SETTING_DB_CREATE = SETTING_DATASOURCE + ".dbCreate";
 
+    String SETTING_AUTO_TIMESTAMP_INSERT_OVERWRITE = PREFIX + '.' + "events.autoTimestampInsertOverwrite";
+
 }
diff --git a/grails-datastore-gorm-test/src/test/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/CustomAutoTimestampSpec.groovy b/grails-datastore-gorm-test/src/test/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/CustomAutoTimestampSpec.groovy
index ce6f8f6e28d..0aa41abb3ed 100644
--- a/grails-datastore-gorm-test/src/test/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/CustomAutoTimestampSpec.groovy
+++ b/grails-datastore-gorm-test/src/test/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/CustomAutoTimestampSpec.groovy
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package org.grails.datastore.gorm
 
 import grails.gorm.annotation.AutoTimestamp
+import org.grails.datastore.gorm.events.AutoTimestampEventListener
+
 import static grails.gorm.annotation.AutoTimestamp.EventType.*;
 import grails.gorm.tests.GormDatastoreSpec
 import grails.persistence.Entity
@@ -30,6 +32,65 @@ class CustomAutoTimestampSpec extends GormDatastoreSpec {
             r.modified != null && previousModified < r.modified
             previousCreated == r.created
     }
+
+    void "Test when the auto timestamp properties are already set, they are overwritten"() {
+        when:"An entity is persisted"
+        def r = new RecordCustom(name: "Test")
+        def now = new Date()
+        r.created = new Date()
+        r.modified = r.created
+        r.save(flush:true, failOnError:true)
+        session.clear()
+        r = RecordCustom.get(r.id)
+
+        then:"the custom lastUpdated and dateCreated are set"
+        now < r.modified
+        now < r.created
+
+        when:"An entity is modified"
+        Date previousCreated = r.created
+        Date previousModified = r.modified
+        r.name = "Test 2"
+        r.save(flush:true)
+        session.clear()
+        r = RecordCustom.get(r.id)
+
+        then:"the custom lastUpdated property is updated and dateCreated is not"
+        r.modified != null && previousModified < r.modified
+        previousCreated == r.created
+    }
+
+    void "Test when the auto timestamp properties are already set, they are not overwritten if config is set"() {
+        when:"An entity is persisted and insertOverwrite is false"
+        AutoTimestampEventListener autoTimestampEventListener =
+                RecordCustom.gormPersistentEntity.mappingContext.eventListeners.find { it.class == AutoTimestampEventListener}
+        autoTimestampEventListener.insertOverwrite = false
+
+        def r = new RecordCustom(name: "Test")
+        def now = new Date()
+        r.created = new Date()
+        r.modified = r.created
+        r.save(flush:true, failOnError:true)
+        session.clear()
+        r = RecordCustom.get(r.id)
+
+        then:"the custom lastUpdated and dateCreated are not overwritten"
+        now == r.modified
+        now == r.created
+
+        when:"An entity is modified"
+        Date previousCreated = r.created
+        Date previousModified = r.modified
+        r.name = "Test 2"
+        r.save(flush:true)
+        session.clear()
+        r = RecordCustom.get(r.id)
+
+        then:"the custom lastUpdated property is updated and dateCreated is not"
+        r.modified != null && previousModified < r.modified
+        previousCreated == r.created
+    }
+
     @Override
     List getDomainClasses() {
         [RecordCustom]
diff --git a/grails-datastore-gorm/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/events/AutoTimestampEventListener.java b/grails-datastore-gorm/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/events/AutoTimestampEventListener.java
index d48e7be4d19..0aea81358d7 100644
--- a/grails-datastore-gorm/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/events/AutoTimestampEventListener.java
+++ b/grails-datastore-gorm/src/main/groovy/org/grails/datastore/gorm/events/AutoTimestampEventListener.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.grails.datastore.gorm.timestamp.DefaultTimestampProvider;
 import org.grails.datastore.gorm.timestamp.TimestampProvider;
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.config.Entity;
+import org.grails.datastore.mapping.config.Settings;
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.core.Datastore;
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.engine.EntityAccess;
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.engine.event.AbstractPersistenceEvent;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.model.MappingContext;
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.model.PersistentEntity;
 import org.grails.datastore.mapping.model.PersistentProperty;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEvent;
 
 /**
@@ -44,6 +46,10 @@
  */
 public class AutoTimestampEventListener extends AbstractPersistenceEventListener implements MappingContext.Listener {
 
+    // if false, will not set timestamp on insert event if value is not null
+    @Value("${" + Settings.SETTING_AUTO_TIMESTAMP_INSERT_OVERWRITE + ":true}")
+    boolean insertOverwrite = true;
+
     public static final String DATE_CREATED_PROPERTY = "dateCreated";
     public static final String LAST_UPDATED_PROPERTY = "lastUpdated";
 
@@ -98,19 +104,23 @@ public boolean beforeInsert(PersistentEntity entity, EntityAccess ea) {
         Set<String> props = getDateCreatedPropertyNames(name);
         if (props != null) {
             for (String prop : props) {
-                dateCreatedType = ea.getPropertyType(prop);
-                timestamp = timestampProvider.createTimestamp(dateCreatedType);
-                ea.setProperty(prop, timestamp);
+                if (insertOverwrite || ea.getPropertyValue(prop) == null) {
+                    dateCreatedType = ea.getPropertyType(prop);
+                    timestamp = timestampProvider.createTimestamp(dateCreatedType);
+                    ea.setProperty(prop, timestamp);
+                }
             }
         }
         props = getLastUpdatedPropertyNames(name);
         if (props != null) {
             for (String prop : props) {
-                Class<?> lastUpdateType = ea.getPropertyType(prop);
-                if (dateCreatedType == null || !lastUpdateType.isAssignableFrom(dateCreatedType)) {
-                    timestamp = timestampProvider.createTimestamp(lastUpdateType);
+                if (insertOverwrite || ea.getPropertyValue(prop) == null) {
+                    Class<?> lastUpdateType = ea.getPropertyType(prop);
+                    if (dateCreatedType == null || !lastUpdateType.isAssignableFrom(dateCreatedType)) {
+                        timestamp = timestampProvider.createTimestamp(lastUpdateType);
+                    }
+                    ea.setProperty(prop, timestamp);
                 }
-                ea.setProperty(prop, timestamp);
             }
         }
         return true;