diff --git a/source/glest_game/type_instances/unit.cpp b/source/glest_game/type_instances/unit.cpp
index 728d7fed..7042c4ee 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/type_instances/unit.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/type_instances/unit.cpp
@@ -1958,6 +1958,10 @@ void Unit::born(const CommandType *ct) {
 		//printf("File: %s line: %d\n",extractFileFromDirectoryPath(__FILE__).c_str(),__LINE__);
 	}
 	addItemToVault(&this->hp,this->hp);
+
+	//set ep from start-ep tag
+	checkItemInVault(&this->ep,this->ep);
+	this->ep= type->getStartEp();
 }
 
 void Unit::kill() {
diff --git a/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.cpp b/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.cpp
index 846a4a9e..5eac779e 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.cpp
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ UnitType::UnitType() : ProducibleType() {
 	maxUnitCount= 0;
 	maxHp=0;
 	maxEp=0;
+	startEp=0;
 	armor=0;
 	sight=0;
 	size=0;
@@ -247,6 +248,14 @@ void UnitType::loaddd(int id,const string &dir, const TechTree *techTree,
 		}
 		addItemToVault(&(this->epRegeneration),this->epRegeneration);
 
+		//startEp
+
+		if(parametersNode->hasChild("start-ep")) {
+			//checkItemInVault(&(this->startEp),this->startEp);
+			startEp= parametersNode->getChild("start-ep")->getAttribute("value")->getIntValue();
+		}
+		addItemToVault(&(this->startEp),this->startEp);
+
 		//maxUnitCount
 		if(parametersNode->hasChild("max-unit-count")) {
 			//checkItemInVault(&(this->maxUnitCount),this->maxUnitCount);
@@ -1100,6 +1109,7 @@ std::string UnitType::toString() const {
 	result += " maxHp = " + intToStr(maxHp);
 	result += " hpRegeneration = " + intToStr(hpRegeneration);
 	result += " maxEp = " + intToStr(maxEp);
+	result += " startEp = " + intToStr(startEp);
 	result += " epRegeneration = " + intToStr(epRegeneration);
 	result += " maxUnitCount = " + intToStr(getMaxUnitCount());
 
diff --git a/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.h b/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.h
index 2f437527..ee23d111 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.h
+++ b/source/glest_game/types/unit_type.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ private:
 	int maxHp;
 	int hpRegeneration;
     int maxEp;
+    int startEp;
 	int epRegeneration;
 	int maxUnitCount;
 
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ public:
     inline int getHpRegeneration() const						{return hpRegeneration;}
     inline int getMaxEp() const								{return maxEp;}
     inline int getEpRegeneration() const						{return epRegeneration;}
+    inline int getStartEp() const						{return startEp;}
     inline int getMaxUnitCount() const							{return maxUnitCount;}
     inline bool getField(Field field) const					{return fields[field];}
     inline Field getField() const								{return field;}