diff --git a/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-common/tests/test_metrics_encoder.py b/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-common/tests/test_metrics_encoder.py
index 70863bb44a..6d68b48f25 100644
--- a/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-common/tests/test_metrics_encoder.py
+++ b/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-common/tests/test_metrics_encoder.py
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ def test_encode_gauge_int(self):
                                                     ),
                                                 ],
                                                 time_unix_nano=1641946016139533244,
+                                                start_time_unix_nano=0,
                                                 as_int=9000,
                                             )
                                         ],
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/aggregation.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/aggregation.py
index b389cc6ba5..3a09cdcfea 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/aggregation.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/aggregation.py
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ def collect(
 
         return NumberDataPoint(
             attributes=self._attributes,
-            start_time_unix_nano=0,
+            start_time_unix_nano=None,
             time_unix_nano=collection_start_nano,
             value=value,
         )
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_aggregation.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_aggregation.py
index 37656b0a34..fb87d177e8 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_aggregation.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_aggregation.py
@@ -236,6 +236,8 @@ def test_collect(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(first_number_data_point.value, 1)
 
+        self.assertIsNone(first_number_data_point.start_time_unix_nano)
+
         last_value_aggregation.aggregate(measurement(1))
 
         # CI fails the last assertion without this
@@ -249,6 +251,8 @@ def test_collect(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(second_number_data_point.value, 1)
 
+        self.assertIsNone(second_number_data_point.start_time_unix_nano)
+
         self.assertGreater(
             second_number_data_point.time_unix_nano,
             first_number_data_point.time_unix_nano,
diff --git a/tests/opentelemetry-test-utils/src/opentelemetry/test/metrictestutil.py b/tests/opentelemetry-test-utils/src/opentelemetry/test/metrictestutil.py
index 08354bf0de..33f1039ef8 100644
--- a/tests/opentelemetry-test-utils/src/opentelemetry/test/metrictestutil.py
+++ b/tests/opentelemetry-test-utils/src/opentelemetry/test/metrictestutil.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def _generate_gauge(
             data_points=[
                 NumberDataPoint(
                     attributes=attributes,
-                    start_time_unix_nano=1641946015139533244,
+                    start_time_unix_nano=None,
                     time_unix_nano=1641946016139533244,
                     value=value,
                 )