diff --git a/enrol/manual/ajax.php b/enrol/manual/ajax.php
index 86bc7a043bb..5c04cc220d0 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/ajax.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/ajax.php
@@ -128,10 +128,20 @@ switch ($action) {
             $roleid = null;
         }
 
+        if (empty($startdate)) {
+            if (!$startdate = get_config('enrol_manual', 'enrolstart')) {
+                // Default to now if there is no system setting.
+                $startdate = 4;
+            }
+        }
+
         switch($startdate) {
             case 2:
                 $timestart = $course->startdate;
                 break;
+            case 4:
+                $timestart = time();
+                break;
             case 3:
             default:
                 $today = time();
diff --git a/enrol/manual/db/upgrade.php b/enrol/manual/db/upgrade.php
index 3e58900497e..db7d1829c96 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/db/upgrade.php
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ function xmldb_enrol_manual_upgrade($oldversion) {
     // Moodle v2.9.0 release upgrade line.
     // Put any upgrade step following this.
 
+    if ($oldversion < 2015091500) {
+        // We keep today as default enrolment start time on upgrades.
+        set_config('enrolstart', 3, 'enrol_manual');
+        upgrade_plugin_savepoint(true, 2015091500, 'enrol', 'manual');
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/enrol/manual/lang/en/enrol_manual.php b/enrol/manual/lang/en/enrol_manual.php
index 7c5f941e291..b325f4aacdb 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/lang/en/enrol_manual.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/lang/en/enrol_manual.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ $string['assignrole'] = 'Assign role';
 $string['browseusers'] = 'Browse users';
 $string['browsecohorts'] = 'Browse cohorts';
 $string['confirmbulkdeleteenrolment'] = 'Are you sure you want to delete these users enrolments?';
+$string['defaultstart'] = 'Default enrolment start';
 $string['defaultperiod'] = 'Default enrolment duration';
 $string['defaultperiod_desc'] = 'Default length of time that the enrolment is valid. If set to zero, the enrolment duration will be unlimited by default.';
 $string['defaultperiod_help'] = 'Default length of time that the enrolment is valid, starting with the moment the user is enrolled. If disabled, the enrolment duration will be unlimited by default.';
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ $string['manual:manage'] = 'Manage user enrolments';
 $string['manual:unenrol'] = 'Unenrol users from the course';
 $string['manual:unenrolself'] = 'Unenrol self from the course';
 $string['messageprovider:expiry_notification'] = 'Manual enrolment expiry notifications';
+$string['now'] = 'Now';
 $string['pluginname'] = 'Manual enrolments';
 $string['pluginname_desc'] = 'The manual enrolments plugin allows users to be enrolled manually via a link in the course administration settings, by a user with appropriate permissions such as a teacher. The plugin should normally be enabled, since certain other enrolment plugins, such as self enrolment, require it.';
 $string['status'] = 'Enable manual enrolments';
@@ -71,4 +73,4 @@ $string['unenrolusers'] = 'Unenrol users';
 $string['wscannotenrol'] = 'Plugin instance cannot manually enrol a user in the course id = {$a->courseid}';
 $string['wsnoinstance'] = 'Manual enrolment plugin instance doesn\'t exist or is disabled for the course (id = {$a->courseid})';
 $string['wsusercannotassign'] = 'You don\'t have the permission to assign this role ({$a->roleid}) to this user ({$a->userid}) in this course({$a->courseid}).';
-$string['manualpluginnotinstalled'] = 'The "Manual" plugin has not yet been installed';
\ No newline at end of file
+$string['manualpluginnotinstalled'] = 'The "Manual" plugin has not yet been installed';
diff --git a/enrol/manual/lib.php b/enrol/manual/lib.php
index 464d76b19fb..b50e3cc1a0d 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/lib.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/lib.php
@@ -226,14 +226,19 @@ class enrol_manual_plugin extends enrol_plugin {
         $button->class .= ' enrol_manual_plugin';
 
         $startdate = $manager->get_course()->startdate;
-        $startdateoptions = array();
-        $timeformat = get_string('strftimedatefullshort');
-        if ($startdate > 0) {
-            $startdateoptions[2] = get_string('coursestart') . ' (' . userdate($startdate, $timeformat) . ')';
+        if (!$defaultstart = get_config('enrol_manual', 'enrolstart')) {
+            // Default to now if there is no system setting.
+            $defaultstart = 4;
         }
-        $today = time();
-        $today = make_timestamp(date('Y', $today), date('m', $today), date('d', $today), 0, 0, 0);
-        $startdateoptions[3] = get_string('today') . ' (' . userdate($today, $timeformat) . ')' ;
+        $startdateoptions = array();
+        $dateformat = get_string('strftimedatefullshort');
+        if ($startdate > 0) {
+            $startdateoptions[2] = get_string('coursestart') . ' (' . userdate($startdate, $dateformat) . ')';
+        }
+        $now = time();
+        $today = make_timestamp(date('Y', $now), date('m', $now), date('d', $now), 0, 0, 0);
+        $startdateoptions[3] = get_string('today') . ' (' . userdate($today, $dateformat) . ')';
+        $startdateoptions[4] = get_string('now', 'enrol_manual') . ' (' . userdate($now, get_string('strftimedatetimeshort')) . ')';
         $defaultduration = $instance->enrolperiod > 0 ? $instance->enrolperiod / 86400 : '';
 
         $modules = array('moodle-enrol_manual-quickenrolment', 'moodle-enrol_manual-quickenrolment-skin');
@@ -245,6 +250,7 @@ class enrol_manual_plugin extends enrol_plugin {
             'optionsStartDate'    => $startdateoptions,
             'defaultRole'         => $instance->roleid,
             'defaultDuration'     => $defaultduration,
+            'defaultStartDate'    => (int)$defaultstart,
             'disableGradeHistory' => $CFG->disablegradehistory,
             'recoverGradesDefault'=> '',
             'cohortsAvailable'    => cohort_get_available_cohorts($manager->get_context(), COHORT_WITH_NOTENROLLED_MEMBERS_ONLY, 0, 1) ? true : false
diff --git a/enrol/manual/manage.php b/enrol/manual/manage.php
index 6c86e6fb45d..744be862a2c 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/manage.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/manage.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/enrol/manual/locallib.php');
 $enrolid      = required_param('enrolid', PARAM_INT);
 $roleid       = optional_param('roleid', -1, PARAM_INT);
 $extendperiod = optional_param('extendperiod', 0, PARAM_INT);
-$extendbase   = optional_param('extendbase', 3, PARAM_INT);
+$extendbase   = optional_param('extendbase', 0, PARAM_INT);
 
 $instance = $DB->get_record('enrol', array('id'=>$enrolid, 'enrol'=>'manual'), '*', MUST_EXIST);
 $course = $DB->get_record('course', array('id'=>$instance->courseid), '*', MUST_EXIST);
@@ -83,24 +83,31 @@ for ($i=1; $i<=365; $i++) {
     $seconds = $i * 86400;
     $periodmenu[$seconds] = get_string('numdays', '', $i);
 }
-// Work out the apropriate default setting.
+// Work out the apropriate default settings.
 if ($extendperiod) {
     $defaultperiod = $extendperiod;
 } else {
     $defaultperiod = $instance->enrolperiod;
 }
+if (empty($extendbase)) {
+    if (!$extendbase = get_config('enrol_manual', 'enrolstart')) {
+        // Default to now if there is no system setting.
+        $extendbase = 4;
+    }
+}
 
 // Build the list of options for the starting from dropdown.
-$timeformat = get_string('strftimedatefullshort');
-$today = time();
-$today = make_timestamp(date('Y', $today), date('m', $today), date('d', $today), 0, 0, 0);
+$now = time();
+$today = make_timestamp(date('Y', $now), date('m', $now), date('d', $now), 0, 0, 0);
+$dateformat = get_string('strftimedatefullshort');
 
 // Enrolment start.
 $basemenu = array();
 if ($course->startdate > 0) {
-    $basemenu[2] = get_string('coursestart') . ' (' . userdate($course->startdate, $timeformat) . ')';
+    $basemenu[2] = get_string('coursestart') . ' (' . userdate($course->startdate, $dateformat) . ')';
 }
-$basemenu[3] = get_string('today') . ' (' . userdate($today, $timeformat) . ')' ;
+$basemenu[3] = get_string('today') . ' (' . userdate($today, $dateformat) . ')';
+$basemenu[4] = get_string('now', 'enrol_manual') . ' (' . userdate($now, get_string('strftimedatetimeshort')) . ')';
 
 // Process add and removes.
 if ($canenrol && optional_param('add', false, PARAM_BOOL) && confirm_sesskey()) {
@@ -111,6 +118,9 @@ if ($canenrol && optional_param('add', false, PARAM_BOOL) && confirm_sesskey())
                 case 2:
                     $timestart = $course->startdate;
                     break;
+                case 4:
+                    $timestart = $now;
+                    break;
                 case 3:
                 default:
                     $timestart = $today;
diff --git a/enrol/manual/settings.php b/enrol/manual/settings.php
index dbfc766938a..2056c196dc3 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/settings.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/settings.php
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ if ($ADMIN->fulltree) {
             get_string('defaultrole', 'role'), '', $student->id, $options));
     }
 
+    $options = array(2 => get_string('coursestart'), 3 => get_string('today'), 4 => get_string('now', 'enrol_manual'));
+    $settings->add(
+        new admin_setting_configselect('enrol_manual/enrolstart', get_string('defaultstart', 'enrol_manual'), '', 4, $options)
+    );
+
     $settings->add(new admin_setting_configduration('enrol_manual/enrolperiod',
         get_string('defaultperiod', 'enrol_manual'), get_string('defaultperiod_desc', 'enrol_manual'), 0));
 
diff --git a/enrol/manual/version.php b/enrol/manual/version.php
index bb592b3aa9d..ebb6db19407 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/version.php
+++ b/enrol/manual/version.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
-$plugin->version   = 2015051100;        // The current plugin version (Date: YYYYMMDDXX)
+$plugin->version   = 2015091500;        // The current plugin version (Date: YYYYMMDDXX)
 $plugin->requires  = 2015050500;        // Requires this Moodle version
 $plugin->component = 'enrol_manual';    // Full name of the plugin (used for diagnostics)
 $plugin->cron      = 600;
diff --git a/enrol/manual/yui/quickenrolment/quickenrolment.js b/enrol/manual/yui/quickenrolment/quickenrolment.js
index f3de1bfdfc6..d05b1cb22a9 100644
--- a/enrol/manual/yui/quickenrolment/quickenrolment.js
+++ b/enrol/manual/yui/quickenrolment/quickenrolment.js
@@ -215,12 +215,12 @@ YUI.add('moodle-enrol_manual-quickenrolment', function(Y) {
             var options = this.get(UEP.OPTIONSTARTDATE);
             var index = 0, count = 0;
             for (var i in options) {
-                count++;
                 var option = create('<option value="'+i+'">'+options[i]+'</option>');
                 if (i == defaultvalue) {
                     index = count;
                 }
                 select.append(option);
+                count++;
             }
             select.set('selectedIndex', index);
         },
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ YUI.add('moodle-enrol_manual-quickenrolment', function(Y) {
                 value : 0
             },
             defaultStartDate : {
-                value : 2,
+                value : 4,
                 validator : Y.Lang.isNumber
             },
             defaultDuration : {