diff --git a/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentManager.py b/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentManager.py
index 2a7bfddb5dfa1d615c6a4b4f2c5095c1afb5dc9d..13250c1d644f5b00a7bd00bb10327ac4c2ef80e1 100755
--- a/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentManager.py
+++ b/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentManager.py
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ class ExperimentManager(Singleton):
             self.logger.debug('Setting permissions for %s to %s' % (storageDirectory, self.DIR_PERMISSIONS_MODE))
             OsUtility.chmodPath(storageDirectory, dirMode=self.DIR_PERMISSIONS_MODE)
             experimentUsers = experiment.get('experimentUsernameList', [])
+            self.logger.debug('Found experiment users: %s', experimentUsers)
             for username in experimentUsers:
                 self.platformUtility.addUserToGroup(username, experimentName)
       
diff --git a/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentSessionControllerImpl.py b/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentSessionControllerImpl.py
index cc060092bba327f2a36c7b75222aa5cce9b1d0a6..4ec9b5c50e0528a337eca9dbc20964db41feaae9 100755
--- a/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentSessionControllerImpl.py
+++ b/src/python/dm/ds_web_service/service/impl/experimentSessionControllerImpl.py
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ class ExperimentSessionControllerImpl(DmObjectManager):
     def startExperiment(self, name):
         experiment = self.experimentDbApi.getExperimentWithUsers(name)
         if experiment.get('startDate') is None:
-            experiment = self.experimentDbApi.setExperimentStartDateToNow(name)
+            experiment2 = self.experimentDbApi.setExperimentStartDateToNow(name)
+            experiment['startDate'] = experiment2['startDate']
         ExperimentManager.getInstance().createExperimentDataDirectory(experiment)
         return experiment