diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java
index 9044c723ff..af6976acb1 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java
@@ -578,6 +578,10 @@ public class MetadataImport extends DSpaceRunnable<MetadataImportScriptConfigura
                             wfItem = workflowService.startWithoutNotify(c, wsItem);
                         }
                     } else {
+                        // Add provenance info
+                        String provenance = installItemService.getSubmittedByProvenanceMessage(c, wsItem.getItem());
+                        itemService.addMetadata(c, item, MetadataSchemaEnum.DC.getName(),
+                                "description", "provenance", "en", provenance);
                         // Install the item
                         installItemService.installItem(c, wsItem);
                     }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImportServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImportServiceImpl.java
index 4148232cf3..255f4bdcbb 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImportServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImportServiceImpl.java
@@ -774,6 +774,10 @@ public class ItemImportServiceImpl implements ItemImportService, InitializingBea
             // put item in system
             if (!isTest) {
                 try {
+                    // Add provenance info
+                    String provenance = installItemService.getSubmittedByProvenanceMessage(c, wi.getItem());
+                    itemService.addMetadata(c, wi.getItem(), MetadataSchemaEnum.DC.getName(),
+                        "description", "provenance", "en", provenance);
                     installItemService.installItem(c, wi, myhandle);
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     workspaceItemService.deleteAll(c, wi);
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItemServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItemServiceImpl.java
index 32c5b92c60..e3e2025b61 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItemServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItemServiceImpl.java
@@ -271,4 +271,28 @@ public class InstallItemServiceImpl implements InstallItemService {
 
         return myMessage.toString();
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getSubmittedByProvenanceMessage(Context context, Item item) throws SQLException {
+        // get date
+        DCDate now = DCDate.getCurrent();
+
+        // Create provenance description
+        StringBuffer provmessage = new StringBuffer();
+
+        if (item.getSubmitter() != null) {
+            provmessage.append("Submitted by ").append(item.getSubmitter().getFullName())
+                .append(" (").append(item.getSubmitter().getEmail()).append(") on ")
+                .append(now.toString());
+        } else {
+            // else, null submitter
+            provmessage.append("Submitted by unknown (probably automated) on")
+                .append(now.toString());
+        }
+        provmessage.append("\n");
+
+        // add sizes and checksums of bitstreams
+        provmessage.append(getBitstreamProvenanceMessage(context, item));
+        return provmessage.toString();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/InstallItemService.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/InstallItemService.java
index 67ac2e2049..d00c62cc91 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/InstallItemService.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/InstallItemService.java
@@ -83,4 +83,15 @@ public interface InstallItemService {
     public String getBitstreamProvenanceMessage(Context context, Item myitem)
         throws SQLException;
 
+    /**
+     * Generate provenance description of direct item submission (not through workflow).
+     *
+     * @param context context
+     * @param item  the item to generate description for
+     * @return provenance description
+     * @throws SQLException if database error
+     */
+    public String getSubmittedByProvenanceMessage(Context context, Item item)
+        throws SQLException;;
+
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/xmlworkflow/XmlWorkflowServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/xmlworkflow/XmlWorkflowServiceImpl.java
index da7910da29..bc91a1fd92 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/xmlworkflow/XmlWorkflowServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/xmlworkflow/XmlWorkflowServiceImpl.java
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ public class XmlWorkflowServiceImpl implements XmlWorkflowService {
                 //Get our next step, if none is found, archive our item
                 firstStep = wf.getNextStep(context, wfi, firstStep, ActionResult.OUTCOME_COMPLETE);
                 if (firstStep == null) {
+                    // record the submitted provenance message
+                    recordStart(context, wfi.getItem(),null);
                     archive(context, wfi);
                 } else {
                     activateFirstStep(context, wf, firstStep, wfi);
@@ -1187,25 +1189,30 @@ public class XmlWorkflowServiceImpl implements XmlWorkflowService {
         DCDate now = DCDate.getCurrent();
 
         // Create provenance description
-        String provmessage = "";
+        StringBuffer provmessage = new StringBuffer();
 
         if (myitem.getSubmitter() != null) {
-            provmessage = "Submitted by " + myitem.getSubmitter().getFullName()
-                + " (" + myitem.getSubmitter().getEmail() + ") on "
-                + now.toString() + " workflow start=" + action.getProvenanceStartId() + "\n";
+            provmessage.append("Submitted by ").append(myitem.getSubmitter().getFullName())
+                .append(" (").append(myitem.getSubmitter().getEmail()).append(") on ")
+                .append(now.toString());
         } else {
             // else, null submitter
-            provmessage = "Submitted by unknown (probably automated) on"
-                + now.toString() + " workflow start=" + action.getProvenanceStartId() + "\n";
+            provmessage.append("Submitted by unknown (probably automated) on")
+                .append(now.toString());
+        }
+        if (action != null) {
+            provmessage.append(" workflow start=").append(action.getProvenanceStartId()).append("\n");
+        } else {
+            provmessage.append("\n");
         }
 
         // add sizes and checksums of bitstreams
-        provmessage += installItemService.getBitstreamProvenanceMessage(context, myitem);
+        provmessage.append(installItemService.getBitstreamProvenanceMessage(context, myitem));
 
         // Add message to the DC
         itemService
             .addMetadata(context, myitem, MetadataSchemaEnum.DC.getName(),
-                         "description", "provenance", "en", provmessage);
+                         "description", "provenance", "en", provmessage.toString());
         itemService.update(context, myitem);
     }