diff --git a/integ/start_with_no_options_test.go b/integ/start_with_no_options_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..06d57e89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integ/start_with_no_options_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package integ
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service/common/ptr"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/gen/iwfidl"
+	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/integ/workflow/basic"
+	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestStartWorkflowNoOptionsTemporal(t *testing.T) {
+	if !*temporalIntegTest {
+		t.Skip()
+	}
+	doTestStartWorkflowWithoutStartOptions(t, service.BackendTypeTemporal)
+}
+
+func TestStartWorkflowNoOptionsCadence(t *testing.T) {
+	if !*cadenceIntegTest {
+		t.Skip()
+	}
+	doTestStartWorkflowWithoutStartOptions(t, service.BackendTypeCadence)
+}
+
+func doTestStartWorkflowWithoutStartOptions(t *testing.T, backendType service.BackendType) {
+	if !*cadenceIntegTest {
+		t.Skip()
+	}
+
+	wfHandler := basic.NewHandler()
+	closeFunc1 := startWorkflowWorker(wfHandler)
+	defer closeFunc1()
+
+	client, closeFunc2 := startIwfServiceWithClient(backendType)
+	defer closeFunc2()
+
+	// start a workflow
+	apiClient := iwfidl.NewAPIClient(&iwfidl.Configuration{
+		Servers: []iwfidl.ServerConfiguration{
+			{
+				URL: "http://localhost:" + testIwfServerPort,
+			},
+		},
+	})
+	wfId := "TestStartWorkflowWithoutStartOptions" + strconv.Itoa(int(time.Now().UnixNano()))
+	wfInput := &iwfidl.EncodedObject{
+		Encoding: iwfidl.PtrString("json"),
+		Data:     iwfidl.PtrString("test data"),
+	}
+	req := apiClient.DefaultApi.ApiV1WorkflowStartPost(context.Background())
+	startReq := iwfidl.WorkflowStartRequest{
+		WorkflowId:             wfId,
+		IwfWorkflowType:        basic.WorkflowType,
+		WorkflowTimeoutSeconds: 100,
+		IwfWorkerUrl:           "http://localhost:" + testWorkflowServerPort,
+		StartStateId:           ptr.Any(basic.State1),
+		StateInput:             wfInput,
+	}
+	_, httpResp, err := req.WorkflowStartRequest(startReq).Execute()
+	panicAtHttpError(err, httpResp)
+
+	requestedSAs := []iwfidl.SearchAttributeKeyAndType{
+		{
+			Key:       ptr.Any(service.SearchAttributeIwfWorkflowType),
+			ValueType: iwfidl.KEYWORD.Ptr(),
+		},
+	}
+	response, err := client.DescribeWorkflowExecution(context.Background(), wfId, "", requestedSAs)
+	assertions := assert.New(t)
+	attribute := response.SearchAttributes[service.SearchAttributeIwfWorkflowType]
+	assertions.Equal(basic.WorkflowType, attribute.GetStringValue())
+}
diff --git a/service/api/service.go b/service/api/service.go
index c41686a0..76692f1d 100644
--- a/service/api/service.go
+++ b/service/api/service.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service/common/compatibility"
 	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service/common/urlautofix"
+	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service/common/utils"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math"
 	"net/http"
@@ -80,9 +81,12 @@ func (s *serviceImpl) ApiV1WorkflowStartPost(ctx context.Context, req iwfidl.Wor
 		ID:                       req.GetWorkflowId(),
 		TaskQueue:                s.taskQueue,
 		WorkflowExecutionTimeout: time.Duration(req.WorkflowTimeoutSeconds) * time.Second,
+		SearchAttributes: map[string]interface{}{
+			service.SearchAttributeIwfWorkflowType: req.IwfWorkflowType,
+		},
 	}
 
-	var initSAs []iwfidl.SearchAttribute
+	var initCustomSAs []iwfidl.SearchAttribute
 	workflowConfig := s.config.Interpreter.DefaultWorkflowConfig
 
 	useMemo := false
@@ -92,12 +96,13 @@ func (s *serviceImpl) ApiV1WorkflowStartPost(ctx context.Context, req iwfidl.Wor
 		workflowOptions.CronSchedule = startOptions.CronSchedule
 		workflowOptions.RetryPolicy = startOptions.RetryPolicy
 		var err error
-		workflowOptions.SearchAttributes, err = mapper.MapToInternalSearchAttributes(startOptions.SearchAttributes)
+		initialCustomSAInternal, err := mapper.MapToInternalSearchAttributes(startOptions.SearchAttributes)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, s.handleError(err)
 		}
-		workflowOptions.SearchAttributes[service.SearchAttributeIwfWorkflowType] = req.IwfWorkflowType
-		initSAs = startOptions.SearchAttributes
+		workflowOptions.SearchAttributes = utils.MergeMap(initialCustomSAInternal, workflowOptions.SearchAttributes)
+
+		initCustomSAs = startOptions.SearchAttributes
 		if startOptions.HasWorkflowConfigOverride() {
 			workflowConfig = startOptions.GetWorkflowConfigOverride()
 		}
@@ -117,7 +122,7 @@ func (s *serviceImpl) ApiV1WorkflowStartPost(ctx context.Context, req iwfidl.Wor
 		StartStateId:             req.StartStateId,
 		StateInput:               req.GetStateInput(),
 		StateOptions:             req.GetStateOptions(),
-		InitSearchAttributes:     initSAs,
+		InitSearchAttributes:     initCustomSAs,
 		Config:                   workflowConfig,
 		UseMemoForDataAttributes: useMemo,
 	}
diff --git a/service/common/utils/utils.go b/service/common/utils/utils.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22926bf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/common/utils/utils.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package utils
+
+func MergeMap(first map[string]interface{}, second map[string]interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
+	out := make(map[string]interface{}, len(first))
+	for k, v := range first {
+		out[k] = v
+	}
+
+	for k, v := range second {
+		out[k] = v
+	}
+	return out
+}