diff --git a/src/oemof/solph/_options.py b/src/oemof/solph/_options.py
index b57c153d6..e1720ead2 100644
--- a/src/oemof/solph/_options.py
+++ b/src/oemof/solph/_options.py
@@ -247,6 +247,8 @@ def __init__(
         for attribute, value in custom_attributes.items():
             setattr(self, attribute, value)
 
+        self.first_flexible_timestep = max(minimum_uptime, minimum_downtime)
+
     @property
     def max_up_down(self):
         """Return maximum of minimum_uptime and minimum_downtime.
diff --git a/src/oemof/solph/flows/_non_convex_flow_block.py b/src/oemof/solph/flows/_non_convex_flow_block.py
index fea5a0a8f..100f4ea91 100644
--- a/src/oemof/solph/flows/_non_convex_flow_block.py
+++ b/src/oemof/solph/flows/_non_convex_flow_block.py
@@ -87,10 +87,9 @@ def _create_variables(self):
         self.status = Var(self.NONCONVEX_FLOWS, m.TIMESTEPS, within=Binary)
         for o, i in self.NONCONVEX_FLOWS:
             if m.flows[o, i].nonconvex.initial_status is not None:
-                self.status[o, i, m.TIMESTEPS.at(1)] = m.flows[
-                    o, i
-                ].nonconvex.initial_status
-                self.status[o, i, m.TIMESTEPS.at(1)].fix()
+                for t in range(0, m.flows[o, i].nonconvex.first_flexible_timestep):
+                    self.status[o, i, t] = m.flows[o, i].nonconvex.initial_status
+                    self.status[o, i, t].fix()
 
         # `status_nominal` is a parameter which represents the
         # multiplication of a binary variable (`status`)
@@ -471,10 +470,10 @@ def min_downtime_rule(_, i, o, t):
             """
             Rule definition for min-downtime constraints of non-convex flows.
             """
-            if t < m.TIMESTEPS.at(-1):
+            if m.flows[i, o].nonconvex.first_flexible_timestep < t < m.TIMESTEPS.at(-1):
                 expr = 0
                 expr += (
-                    self.status[i, o, t] - self.status[i, o, t + 1]
+                    self.status[i, o, t - 1] - self.status[i, o, t]
                 ) * m.flows[i, o].nonconvex.minimum_downtime
                 expr += -m.flows[i, o].nonconvex.minimum_downtime
                 expr += sum(
@@ -517,10 +516,10 @@ def _min_uptime_rule(_, i, o, t):
             """
             Rule definition for min-uptime constraints of non-convex flows.
             """
-            if t < m.TIMESTEPS.at(-1):
+            if m.flows[i, o].nonconvex.first_flexible_timestep < t < m.TIMESTEPS.at(-1):
                 expr = 0
                 expr += (
-                    self.status[i, o, t + 1] - self.status[i, o, t]
+                    self.status[i, o, t] - self.status[i, o, t - 1]
                 ) * m.flows[i, o].nonconvex.minimum_uptime
                 expr += -sum(
                     self.status[i, o, u]