diff --git a/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp b/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp
index 1d6f94b7bf..5c5a817ef9 100644
--- a/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp
+++ b/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp
@@ -1146,6 +1146,7 @@ void JointTrajectoryController::publish_state(
     state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.desired.velocities = desired_state.velocities;
     state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.desired.accelerations = desired_state.accelerations;
     state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.actual.positions = current_state.positions;
+    state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.actual.time_from_start = current_state.time_from_start;
     state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.error.positions = state_error.positions;
     if (has_velocity_state_interface_)
     {
@@ -1175,6 +1176,7 @@ void JointTrajectoryController::publish_state(
     state_publisher_->msg_.reference.positions = desired_state.positions;
     state_publisher_->msg_.reference.velocities = desired_state.velocities;
     state_publisher_->msg_.reference.accelerations = desired_state.accelerations;
+    state_publisher_->msg_.reference.time_from_start = desired_state.time_from_start;
     state_publisher_->msg_.feedback.positions = current_state.positions;
     // DESIRED and ACTUAL are deprecated in the message but we are still
     // reporting on them
@@ -1183,6 +1185,7 @@ void JointTrajectoryController::publish_state(
     state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.desired.accelerations = desired_state.accelerations;
     state_publisher_legacy_->msg_.actual.positions = current_state.positions;
     state_publisher_->msg_.error.positions = state_error.positions;
+    state_publisher_->msg_.feedback.time_from_start = desired_state.time_from_start;
     if (has_velocity_state_interface_)
     {
       state_publisher_->msg_.feedback.velocities = current_state.velocities;
diff --git a/joint_trajectory_controller/src/trajectory.cpp b/joint_trajectory_controller/src/trajectory.cpp
index 22d43e1bfb..f5e217869a 100644
--- a/joint_trajectory_controller/src/trajectory.cpp
+++ b/joint_trajectory_controller/src/trajectory.cpp
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ bool Trajectory::sample(
       }
       start_segment_itr = begin() + static_cast<TrajectoryPointConstIter::difference_type>(i);
       end_segment_itr = begin() + static_cast<TrajectoryPointConstIter::difference_type>(i + 1);
+      output_state.time_from_start = next_point.time_from_start;
       last_sample_idx_ = i;
       return true;
     }
diff --git a/joint_trajectory_controller/test/test_trajectory_controller.cpp b/joint_trajectory_controller/test/test_trajectory_controller.cpp
index e82c8bd033..03cf4ac5c2 100644
--- a/joint_trajectory_controller/test/test_trajectory_controller.cpp
+++ b/joint_trajectory_controller/test/test_trajectory_controller.cpp
@@ -397,6 +397,27 @@ TEST_P(TrajectoryControllerTestParameterized, state_topic_consistency)
     EXPECT_EQ(n_joints, state->output.effort.size());
   }
 }
+TEST_F(TrajectoryControllerTest, time_from_start_populated)
+{
+  rclcpp::executors::SingleThreadedExecutor executor;
+  SetUpAndActivateTrajectoryController(executor, {});
+  subscribeToState(executor);
+
+  // schedule a single waypoint at 100ms:
+  builtin_interfaces::msg::Duration tfs; tfs.sec = 0; tfs.nanosec = 100000000;
+  publish(tfs, {INITIAL_POS_JOINTS}, rclcpp::Time(0));
+  traj_controller_->wait_for_trajectory(executor);
+
+  updateController();
+  // give the publish timer one more spin
+  executor.spin_some();
+
+  auto state = getState();
+  ASSERT_TRUE(state);
+  EXPECT_EQ(state->feedback.time_from_start.sec,  0u);
+  EXPECT_EQ(state->feedback.time_from_start.nanosec, 100000000u);
+}
+
 
 /**
  * @brief check if dynamic parameters are updated