diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/updatedatabase.pl b/installer/data/mysql/updatedatabase.pl
index f2f1aabb53..6289520f54 100755
--- a/installer/data/mysql/updatedatabase.pl
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/updatedatabase.pl
@@ -7547,6 +7547,38 @@ if ( C4::Context->preference("Version") < TransformToNum($DBversion) ) {
         ADD CONSTRAINT subscription_ibfk_2 FOREIGN KEY (numberpattern) REFERENCES subscription_numberpatterns (id) ON DELETE SET NULL ON UPDATE CASCADE
     |);
 
+    # Set firstacquidate if not already set (firstacquidate is now mandatory)
+    my $get_first_planneddate_sth = $dbh->prepare(qq|
+        SELECT planneddate
+        FROM serial
+        WHERE subscriptionid = ?
+        ORDER BY serialid
+        LIMIT 1
+    |);
+    my $update_firstacquidate_sth = $dbh->prepare(qq|
+        UPDATE subscription
+        SET firstacquidate = ?
+        WHERE subscriptionid = ?
+    |);
+    my $get_subscriptions_sth = $dbh->prepare(qq|
+        SELECT subscriptionid, startdate
+        FROM subscription
+        WHERE firstacquidate IS NULL
+          OR firstacquidate = '0000-00-00'
+    |);
+    $get_subscriptions_sth->execute;
+    while ( my ($subscriptionid, $startdate) = $get_subscriptions_sth->fetchrow ) {
+        # Try to get the planned date of the first serial
+        $get_first_planneddate_sth->execute($subscriptionid);
+        my ($first_planneddate) = $get_first_planneddate_sth->fetchrow;
+        if ($first_planneddate and $first_planneddate =~ /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/) {
+            $update_firstacquidate_sth->execute($first_planneddate, $subscriptionid);
+        } else {
+            # Defaults to subscription start date
+            $update_firstacquidate_sth->execute($startdate, $subscriptionid);
+        }
+    }
+
     print "Upgrade to $DBversion done (Add subscription_frequencies and subscription_numberpatterns tables)\n";
     SetVersion($DBversion);
 }
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/serials/subscription-add.tt b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/serials/subscription-add.tt
index d98f0b640c..b0d84eecf6 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/serials/subscription-add.tt
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/serials/subscription-add.tt
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
                                             <option value="">-- please choose --</option>
                                             [% FOREACH numberpattern IN numberpatterns %]
                                                 [% IF (numberpattern.selected) %]
-                                                    <option value="[% numberpattern.id %]">
+                                                    <option value="[% numberpattern.id %]" selected="selected">
                                                 [% ELSE %]
                                                     <option value="[% numberpattern.id %]">
                                                 [% END %]