diff --git a/include/etl/hfsm.h b/include/etl/hfsm.h
index 73eee88b..d61ac70b 100644
--- a/include/etl/hfsm.h
+++ b/include/etl/hfsm.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ namespace etl
     /// Can only be called once.
     /// Subsequent calls will do nothing.
     ///\param call_on_enter_state If true will call on_enter_state() for the first state. Default = true.
+    /// If the first state has child states then they will be recersively entered.
     //*******************************************
     void start(bool call_on_enter_state = true) ETL_OVERRIDE
     {
@@ -66,7 +67,12 @@ namespace etl
 
         if (call_on_enter_state)
         {
-            do_enters(ETL_NULLPTR, p_state, true);
+          etl::fsm_state_id_t next_state = do_enters(ETL_NULLPTR, p_state, true);
+
+          if (next_state != ifsm_state::No_State_Change)
+          {
+            p_state = state_list[next_state];
+          }
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/test/test_hfsm_recurse_to_inner_state_on_start.cpp b/test/test_hfsm_recurse_to_inner_state_on_start.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30129c9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_hfsm_recurse_to_inner_state_on_start.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+/******************************************************************************
+The MIT License(MIT)
+
+Embedded Template Library.
+https://github.com/ETLCPP/etl
+https://www.etlcpp.com
+
+Copyright(c) 2021
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files(the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and / or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions :
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
+******************************************************************************/
+
+#include "unit_test_framework.h"
+
+#include "etl/hfsm.h"
+#include "etl/enum_type.h"
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+namespace
+{
+  struct HFsmId
+  {
+    enum
+    {
+      State_Machine
+    };
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  class Message : public etl::message<0>
+  {
+  };
+
+  //***************************************************************************
+  // States
+  struct StateId
+  {
+    enum enum_type
+    {
+      State1,
+      State1_1,
+      State1_1_1,
+      State1_1_2,
+      State1_2,
+      Number_Of_States
+    };
+
+    ETL_DECLARE_ENUM_TYPE(StateId, etl::fsm_state_id_t)
+    ETL_ENUM_TYPE(State1,     "State1")
+    ETL_ENUM_TYPE(State1_1,   "State1_1")
+    ETL_ENUM_TYPE(State1_1_1, "State1_1_1 Up")
+    ETL_ENUM_TYPE(State1_1_2, "State1_1_2")
+    ETL_ENUM_TYPE(State1_2,   "State1_2")
+    ETL_END_ENUM_TYPE
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  // The state machine.
+  //***********************************
+  class StateMachine : public etl::hfsm
+  {
+  public:
+
+    StateMachine()
+      : hfsm(HFsmId::State_Machine)
+    {
+    }
+
+    //***********************************
+    void Initialise(etl::ifsm_state** p_states, size_t size)
+    {
+      set_states(p_states, size);
+    }
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  // State1
+  //***********************************
+  class State1 : public etl::fsm_state<StateMachine, State1, StateId::State1, Message>
+  {
+  public:
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event(const Message&)
+    {
+      return etl::ifsm_state::No_State_Change;
+    }
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event_unknown(const etl::imessage&)
+    {
+      return No_State_Change;
+    }
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  // State1_1
+  //***********************************
+  class State1_1 : public etl::fsm_state<StateMachine, State1_1, StateId::State1_1, Message>
+  {
+  public:
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event(const Message&)
+    {
+      return etl::ifsm_state::No_State_Change;
+    }
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event_unknown(const etl::imessage&)
+    {
+      return No_State_Change;
+    }
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  // State1_1_1
+  //***********************************
+  class State1_1_1 : public etl::fsm_state<StateMachine, State1_1_1, StateId::State1_1_1, Message>
+  {
+  public:
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event(const Message&)
+    {
+      return etl::ifsm_state::No_State_Change;
+    }
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event_unknown(const etl::imessage&)
+    {
+      return No_State_Change;
+    }
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  // State1_1_2
+  //***********************************
+  class State1_1_2 : public etl::fsm_state<StateMachine, State1_1_2, StateId::State1_1_2, Message>
+  {
+  public:
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event(const Message&)
+    {
+      return etl::ifsm_state::No_State_Change;
+    }
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event_unknown(const etl::imessage&)
+    {
+      return No_State_Change;
+    }
+  };
+
+  //***********************************
+  // State1_2
+  //***********************************
+  class State1_2 : public etl::fsm_state<StateMachine, State1_2, StateId::State1_2, Message>
+  {
+  public:
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event(const Message&)
+    {
+      return etl::ifsm_state::No_State_Change;
+    }
+
+    //***********************************
+    etl::fsm_state_id_t on_event_unknown(const etl::imessage&)
+    {
+      return No_State_Change;
+    }
+  };
+
+  SUITE(test_hfsm_recurse_states)
+  {
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_hfsm_no_enter_state_on_start)
+    {
+      StateMachine stateMachine;
+
+      State1     state1;
+      State1_1   state1_1;
+      State1_1_1 state1_1_1;
+      State1_1_2 state1_1_2;
+      State1_2   state1_2;
+
+      etl::ifsm_state* stateList[StateId::Number_Of_States] =
+      {
+        &state1, &state1_1, &state1_1_1, &state1_1_2, &state1_2
+      };
+
+      // Set up the state list.
+      stateMachine.set_states(stateList, StateId::Number_Of_States);
+
+      // Start the FSM.
+      stateMachine.start(false);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(StateId::State1, stateMachine.get_state_id());
+    }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_hfsm_enter_state_on_start)
+    {
+      StateMachine stateMachine;
+
+      State1     state1;
+      State1_1   state1_1;
+      State1_1_1 state1_1_1;
+      State1_1_2 state1_1_2;
+      State1_2   state1_2;
+
+      etl::ifsm_state* stateList[StateId::Number_Of_States] =
+      {
+        &state1, &state1_1, &state1_1_1, &state1_1_2, &state1_2
+      };
+
+      etl::ifsm_state* childStates1[] =
+      {
+        &state1_1, &state1_2
+      };
+
+      etl::ifsm_state* childStates1_1[] =
+      {
+        &state1_1_1, &state1_1_2
+      };
+
+      // Set up the state list.
+      stateMachine.set_states(stateList, StateId::Number_Of_States);
+
+      // Set up the child states.
+      state1.set_child_states(childStates1, etl::size(childStates1));
+
+      state1_1.set_child_states(childStates1_1, etl::size(childStates1_1));
+
+      // Start the FSM.
+      stateMachine.start(true);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(StateId::State1_1_1, stateMachine.get_state_id());
+    }
+  };
+}
diff --git a/test/vs2022/etl.vcxproj b/test/vs2022/etl.vcxproj
index 7db39d34..37b0fecf 100644
--- a/test/vs2022/etl.vcxproj
+++ b/test/vs2022/etl.vcxproj
@@ -12479,6 +12479,7 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_crc8_rohc.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_crc8_wcdma.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_expected.cpp" />
+    <ClCompile Include="..\test_hfsm_recurse_to_inner_state_on_start.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_message_broker.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_poly_span_dynamic_extent.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\test_poly_span_fixed_extent.cpp" />