diff --git a/include/osg/AnimationPath b/include/osg/AnimationPath
index 166bd0232..ba580303d 100644
--- a/include/osg/AnimationPath
+++ b/include/osg/AnimationPath
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <osg/NodeCallback>
 
 #include <map>
+#include <values.h>
 
 namespace osg {
 
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ class SG_EXPORT AnimationPathCallback : public NodeCallback
         AnimationPathCallback():
             _timeOffset(0.0),
             _timeMultiplier(1.0),
-            _firstTime(0.0),
+            _firstTime(DBL_MAX),
             _latestTime(0.0),
             _pause(false),
             _pauseTime(0.0) {}
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ class SG_EXPORT AnimationPathCallback : public NodeCallback
             _useInverseMatrix(false),
             _timeOffset(timeOffset),
             _timeMultiplier(timeMultiplier),
-            _firstTime(0.0),
+            _firstTime(DBL_MAX),
             _latestTime(0.0),
             _pause(false),
             _pauseTime(0.0) {}
diff --git a/src/osg/AnimationPath.cpp b/src/osg/AnimationPath.cpp
index 6fd073bb0..0f3a8ccf2 100644
--- a/src/osg/AnimationPath.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/AnimationPath.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ class AnimationPathCallbackVisitor : public NodeVisitor
         bool _useInverseMatrix;      
 };
 
-
 void AnimationPathCallback::operator()(Node* node, NodeVisitor* nv)
 {
     if (_animationPath.valid() && 
@@ -159,7 +158,8 @@ void AnimationPathCallback::operator()(Node* node, NodeVisitor* nv)
 
         if (!_pause)
         {
-            if (_firstTime==0.0) _firstTime = time;
+            // Only update _firstTime the first time, when its value is still DBL_MAX
+            if (_firstTime==DBL_MAX) _firstTime = time;
             update(*node);
         }
     }