diff --git a/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainer.scala b/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainer.scala
index d15c1090f2..5b182abc0f 100644
--- a/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainer.scala
+++ b/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainer.scala
@@ -764,6 +764,7 @@ class SamzaContainer(
         containerListener.afterStart()
       }
       metrics.containerStartupTime.set((System.nanoTime() - startTime)/1000000)
+      metrics.containerStarted.set(1)
       if (taskInstances.size > 0)
         runLoop.run
       else
diff --git a/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainerMetrics.scala b/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainerMetrics.scala
index 1beb3dd752..6ca1161398 100644
--- a/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainerMetrics.scala
+++ b/samza-core/src/main/scala/org/apache/samza/container/SamzaContainerMetrics.scala
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class SamzaContainerMetrics(
   val diskQuotaBytes = newGauge("disk-quota-bytes", Long.MaxValue)
   val executorWorkFactor = newGauge("executor-work-factor", 1.0)
   val physicalMemoryMb = newGauge[Double]("physical-memory-mb", 0.0F)
+  val containerStarted = newGauge[Long]("container-started", 0L)
 
   val taskStoreRestorationMetrics: util.Map[TaskName, Gauge[Long]] = new util.HashMap[TaskName, Gauge[Long]]()
 
diff --git a/samza-core/src/test/scala/org/apache/samza/container/TestSamzaContainer.scala b/samza-core/src/test/scala/org/apache/samza/container/TestSamzaContainer.scala
index 78136bf03c..4d5007db0b 100644
--- a/samza-core/src/test/scala/org/apache/samza/container/TestSamzaContainer.scala
+++ b/samza-core/src/test/scala/org/apache/samza/container/TestSamzaContainer.scala
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ class TestSamzaContainer extends AssertionsForJUnit with MockitoSugar {
     MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this)
     setupSamzaContainer(Some(this.applicationContainerContext))
     when(this.metrics.containerStartupTime).thenReturn(mock[Gauge[Long]])
+    when(this.metrics.containerStarted).thenReturn(mock[Gauge[Long]])
   }
 
   @Test