diff --git a/ironic_inspector/process.py b/ironic_inspector/process.py
index e7bc57546..b95c0fdcb 100644
--- a/ironic_inspector/process.py
+++ b/ironic_inspector/process.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import json
 from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_serialization import base64
 from oslo_utils import excutils
+from oslo_utils import timeutils
 
 from ironic_inspector.common.i18n import _, _LE, _LI, _LW
 from ironic_inspector.common import ironic as ir_utils
@@ -389,6 +390,8 @@ def reapply(node_ident):
 def _reapply(node_info):
     # runs in background
     try:
+        node_info.started_at = timeutils.utcnow()
+        node_info.commit()
         introspection_data = _get_unprocessed_data(node_info.uuid)
     except Exception as exc:
         LOG.exception(_LE('Encountered exception while fetching '
diff --git a/ironic_inspector/test/functional.py b/ironic_inspector/test/functional.py
index 665a36f42..efe531f8c 100644
--- a/ironic_inspector/test/functional.py
+++ b/ironic_inspector/test/functional.py
@@ -561,6 +561,7 @@ class Test(Base):
         eventlet.greenthread.sleep(DEFAULT_SLEEP)
 
         status = self.call_get_status(self.uuid)
+        inspect_started_at = timeutils.parse_isotime(status['started_at'])
         self.check_status(status, finished=True)
 
         res = self.call_reapply(self.uuid)
@@ -568,6 +569,13 @@ class Test(Base):
         self.assertEqual('', res.text)
         eventlet.greenthread.sleep(DEFAULT_SLEEP)
 
+        status = self.call_get_status(self.uuid)
+        self.check_status(status, finished=True)
+
+        # checks the started_at updated in DB is correct
+        reapply_started_at = timeutils.parse_isotime(status['started_at'])
+        self.assertLess(inspect_started_at, reapply_started_at)
+
         # reapply request data
         get_mock.assert_called_once_with(self.uuid,
                                          suffix='UNPROCESSED')
diff --git a/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_process.py b/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_process.py
index 6d38f2558..c830141d3 100644
--- a/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_process.py
+++ b/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_process.py
@@ -613,6 +613,9 @@ class TestReapplyNode(BaseTest):
         self.cli.node.update.return_value = self.node
         self.cli.node.list_ports.return_value = []
         self.node_info._state = istate.States.finished
+        self.commit_fixture = self.useFixture(
+            fixtures.MockPatchObject(node_cache.NodeInfo, 'commit',
+                                     autospec=True))
         db.Node(uuid=self.node_info.uuid, state=self.node_info._state,
                 started_at=self.node_info.started_at,
                 finished_at=self.node_info.finished_at,
@@ -641,6 +644,8 @@ class TestReapplyNode(BaseTest):
 
         self.call()
 
+        self.commit_fixture.mock.assert_called_once_with(self.node_info)
+
         post_hook_mock.assert_called_once_with(mock.ANY, self.node_info)
         swift_mock.create_object.assert_called_once_with(swift_name,
                                                          mock.ANY)
@@ -668,13 +673,14 @@ class TestReapplyNode(BaseTest):
     @prepare_mocks
     def test_get_incomming_data_exception(self, finished_mock,
                                           swift_mock, apply_mock,
-                                          post_hook_mock, ):
+                                          post_hook_mock):
         exc = Exception('Oops')
         expected_error = ('Unexpected exception Exception while fetching '
                           'unprocessed introspection data from Swift: Oops')
         swift_mock.get_object.side_effect = exc
         self.call()
 
+        self.commit_fixture.mock.assert_called_once_with(self.node_info)
         self.assertFalse(swift_mock.create_object.called)
         self.assertFalse(apply_mock.called)
         self.assertFalse(post_hook_mock.called)
@@ -683,7 +689,7 @@ class TestReapplyNode(BaseTest):
 
     @prepare_mocks
     def test_prehook_failure(self, finished_mock, swift_mock,
-                             apply_mock, post_hook_mock, ):
+                             apply_mock, post_hook_mock):
         CONF.set_override('processing_hooks', 'example',
                           'processing')
         plugins_base._HOOKS_MGR = None
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/Reapply_update_started_at-8af8cf254cdf8cde.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/Reapply_update_started_at-8af8cf254cdf8cde.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..45c6869c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/Reapply_update_started_at-8af8cf254cdf8cde.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - The POST /v1/introspection/<Node ID>/data/unprocessed API updates the
+    started_at time when ironic inspector begins processing the node.