diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/access_response.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/access_response.py
index 00c120d833..4aad91c80b 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/access_response.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/access_response.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ This file contains all the classes used by has_access for error handling
 """
 
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
+from xmodule.course_metadata_utils import DEFAULT_START_DATE
 
 
 class AccessResponse(object):
@@ -85,10 +86,13 @@ class StartDateError(AccessError):
     """
     def __init__(self, start_date):
         error_code = "course_not_started"
-        developer_message = "Course does not start until {}".format(start_date)
-        user_message = _("Course does not start until {}"  # pylint: disable=translation-of-non-string
-                         .format("{:%B %d, %Y}".format(start_date)))
-
+        if start_date == DEFAULT_START_DATE:
+            developer_message = "Course has not started"
+            user_message = _("Course has not started")
+        else:
+            developer_message = "Course does not start until {}".format(start_date)
+            user_message = _("Course does not start until {}"  # pylint: disable=translation-of-non-string
+                             .format("{:%B %d, %Y}".format(start_date)))
         super(StartDateError, self).__init__(error_code, developer_message, user_message)