diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/data_recognizer/data_recognizer.js b/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/data_recognizer/data_recognizer.js
index 61340f40a9f9..0c3d9988d76b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/data_recognizer/data_recognizer.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/models/data_recognizer/data_recognizer.js
@@ -191,7 +191,17 @@ export class DataRecognizer {
   // takes a module config id, an optional jobPrefix and the request object
   // creates all of the jobs, datafeeds and savedObjects  listed in the module config.
   // if any of the savedObjects already exist, they will not be overwritten.
-  async setupModuleItems(moduleId, jobPrefix, groups, indexPatternName, query, request) {
+  async setupModuleItems(
+    moduleId,
+    jobPrefix,
+    groups,
+    indexPatternName,
+    query,
+    startDatafeed,
+    start,
+    end,
+    request
+  ) {
     this.savedObjectsClient = request.getSavedObjectsClient();
     this.indexPatterns = await this.loadIndexPatterns();
 
@@ -235,6 +245,24 @@ export class DataRecognizer {
         });
       }
       saveResults.datafeeds = await this.saveDatafeeds(moduleConfig.datafeeds);
+
+      if (startDatafeed) {
+        const savedDatafeeds = moduleConfig.datafeeds.filter((df) => {
+          const datafeedResult = saveResults.datafeeds.find(d => d.id === df.id);
+          return (datafeedResult !== undefined && datafeedResult.success === true);
+        });
+
+        const startResults = await this.startDatafeeds(savedDatafeeds, start, end);
+        saveResults.datafeeds.forEach((df) => {
+          const startedDatafeed = startResults[df.id];
+          if (startedDatafeed !== undefined) {
+            df.started = startedDatafeed.started;
+            if (startedDatafeed.error !== undefined) {
+              df.error = startedDatafeed.error;
+            }
+          }
+        });
+      }
     }
 
     // create the savedObjects
@@ -367,14 +395,11 @@ export class DataRecognizer {
   // as success: false
   async saveDatafeeds(datafeeds) {
     return await Promise.all(datafeeds.map(async (datafeed) => {
-      const datafeedId = datafeed.id;
-
       try {
-        datafeed.id = datafeedId;
         await this.saveDatafeed(datafeed);
-        return { id: datafeedId, success: true };
+        return { id: datafeed.id, success: true, started: false };
       } catch (error) {
-        return { id: datafeedId, success: false, error };
+        return { id: datafeed.id, success: false, started: false, error };
       }
     }));
   }
@@ -384,6 +409,51 @@ export class DataRecognizer {
     return this.callWithRequest('ml.addDatafeed', { datafeedId, body });
   }
 
+  async startDatafeeds(datafeeds, start, end) {
+    const results = {};
+    for (const datafeed of datafeeds) {
+      results[datafeed.id] = await this.startDatafeed(datafeed, start, end);
+    }
+    return results;
+  }
+
+  async startDatafeed(datafeed, start, end) {
+    const result = { started: false };
+    let opened = false;
+    try {
+      const openResult = await this.callWithRequest('ml.openJob', { jobId: datafeed.config.job_id });
+      opened = openResult.opened;
+    } catch (error) {
+      // if the job is already open, a 409 will be returned.
+      if (error.statusCode === 409) {
+        opened = true;
+      } else {
+        opened = false;
+        result.started =  false;
+        result.error =  error;
+      }
+    }
+    if (opened) {
+      try {
+        const duration = { start: 0 };
+        if (start !== undefined) {
+          duration.start = start;
+        }
+        if (end !== undefined) {
+          duration.end = end;
+        }
+
+        await this.callWithRequest('ml.startDatafeed', { datafeedId: datafeed.id, ...duration });
+        result.started =  true;
+      } catch (error) {
+        result.started =  false;
+        result.error =  error;
+      }
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
+
   // merge all of the save results into one result object
   // which is returned from the endpoint
   async updateResults(results, saveResults) {
@@ -404,6 +474,7 @@ export class DataRecognizer {
       saveResults.datafeeds.forEach((d2) => {
         if (d.id === d2.id) {
           d.success = d2.success;
+          d.started = d2.started;
           if (d2.error !== undefined) {
             d.error = d2.error;
           }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/routes/modules.js b/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/routes/modules.js
index 3eb883a8dd9f..bae0e4b6fcbc 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/routes/modules.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/server/routes/modules.js
@@ -21,9 +21,29 @@ function getModule(callWithRequest, moduleId) {
   return dr.getModule(moduleId);
 }
 
-function saveModuleItems(callWithRequest, moduleId, prefix, groups, indexPatternName, query, request) {
+function saveModuleItems(
+  callWithRequest,
+  moduleId,
+  prefix,
+  groups,
+  indexPatternName,
+  query,
+  startDatafeed,
+  start,
+  end,
+  request
+) {
   const dr = new DataRecognizer(callWithRequest);
-  return dr.setupModuleItems(moduleId, prefix, groups, indexPatternName, query, request);
+  return dr.setupModuleItems(
+    moduleId,
+    prefix,
+    groups,
+    indexPatternName,
+    query,
+    startDatafeed,
+    start,
+    end,
+    request);
 }
 
 export function dataRecognizer(server, commonRouteConfig) {
@@ -69,10 +89,24 @@ export function dataRecognizer(server, commonRouteConfig) {
         prefix,
         groups,
         indexPatternName,
-        query
+        query,
+        startDatafeed,
+        start,
+        end
       } = request.payload;
 
-      return saveModuleItems(callWithRequest, moduleId, prefix, groups, indexPatternName, query, request)
+      return saveModuleItems(
+        callWithRequest,
+        moduleId,
+        prefix,
+        groups,
+        indexPatternName,
+        query,
+        startDatafeed,
+        start,
+        end,
+        request
+      )
         .then(resp => reply(resp))
         .catch(resp => reply(wrapError(resp)));
     },