diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/management/JmxDumpUtil.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/management/JmxDumpUtil.java
index 69b212fd0c..a7fd066eee 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/management/JmxDumpUtil.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/management/JmxDumpUtil.java
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ package org.alfresco.repo.management;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.lang.reflect.Array;
+import java.text.DateFormat;
+import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeMap;
@@ -34,6 +37,7 @@ import javax.management.MBeanServerConnection;
 import javax.management.ObjectName;
 import javax.management.openmbean.CompositeData;
 
+
 /**
  * A utility class providing a method to dump a local or remote MBeanServer's entire object tree for support purposes.
  * Nested arrays and CompositeData objects in MBean attribute values are handled.
@@ -67,6 +71,8 @@ public class JmxDumpUtil
      */
     public static void dumpConnection(MBeanServerConnection connection, PrintWriter out) throws IOException
     {
+        JmxDumpUtil.showStartBanner(out);
+        
         // Get all the object names
         Set<ObjectName> objectNames = connection.queryNames(null, null);
 
@@ -81,6 +87,7 @@ public class JmxDumpUtil
         newObjectNames.addAll(objectNames);
         objectNames = newObjectNames;
 
+        
         // Dump each MBean
         for (ObjectName objectName : objectNames)
         {
@@ -351,4 +358,14 @@ public class JmxDumpUtil
             return value.toString().length();
         }
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Show a message stating the JmxDumper has been started, with the current date and time. 
+     */
+    private static void showStartBanner(PrintWriter out)
+    {
+        DateFormat df = SimpleDateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(DateFormat.LONG, DateFormat.LONG);
+        out.println(JmxDumpUtil.class.getSimpleName() + " started: " + df.format(new Date()));
+        out.println();
+    }
 }