diff --git a/scoap3/articles/api/serializers.py b/scoap3/articles/api/serializers.py
index f010950e..d86e64f1 100644
--- a/scoap3/articles/api/serializers.py
+++ b/scoap3/articles/api/serializers.py
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ class Meta:
         model = Article
         fields = "__all__"
 
+    def to_representation(self, instance):
+        representation = super().to_representation(instance)
+        if instance.publication_date is None:
+            representation["publication_date"] = instance._created_at
+        return representation
+
 
 class ArticleDocumentSerializer(DocumentSerializer):
     class Meta:
diff --git a/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py b/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py
index bc3d4264..7e12258e 100644
--- a/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py
+++ b/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ def test_update_article_from_workflow(self, client, user, shared_datadir):
         client.force_login(user)
         contents = (shared_datadir / "workflow_record.json").read_text()
         data = json.loads(contents)
+
         response = client.post(
             reverse("api:article-workflow-import-list"),
             data,
@@ -138,6 +139,105 @@ def test_update_article_from_workflow(self, client, user, shared_datadir):
         assert len(expected_dois) == 1
         assert "10.5506/APhysPolB.54.10-A3" in expected_dois
 
+    def test_create_article_from_workflow_without_publication_date(
+        self, client, user, shared_datadir
+    ):
+        client.force_login(user)
+        contents = (shared_datadir / "workflow_record.json").read_text()
+        data = json.loads(contents)
+
+        del data["imprints"][0]["date"]
+        response = client.post(
+            reverse("api:article-workflow-import-list"),
+            data,
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
+        assert response.data["publication_date"] == response.data["_created_at"]
+
+        article_id = response.data["id"]
+        article = Article.objects.get(id=article_id)
+        assert article.publication_date is None
+
+    def test_create_update_from_workflow_without_publication_date(
+        self, client, user, shared_datadir
+    ):
+        client.force_login(user)
+        contents = (shared_datadir / "workflow_record.json").read_text()
+        data = json.loads(contents)
+        response = client.post(
+            reverse("api:article-workflow-import-list"),
+            data,
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
+
+        article_id_with_publication_date = response.data["id"]
+        article_with_publication_date = Article.objects.get(
+            id=article_id_with_publication_date
+        )
+        assert article_with_publication_date.publication_date is not None
+
+        del data["imprints"][0]["date"]
+        response = client.post(
+            reverse("api:article-workflow-import-list"),
+            data,
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
+
+        article_id_without_publication_date = response.data["id"]
+        assert article_id_with_publication_date == article_id_without_publication_date
+        article_without_publication_date = Article.objects.get(
+            id=article_id_without_publication_date
+        )
+        assert article_without_publication_date.publication_date is not None
+
+    def test_create_update_from_workflow_with_publication_date(
+        self,
+        client,
+        user,
+        shared_datadir,
+    ):
+        client.force_login(user)
+        contents = (shared_datadir / "workflow_record.json").read_text()
+        data = json.loads(contents)
+
+        response = client.post(
+            reverse("api:article-workflow-import-list"),
+            data,
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
+
+        article_id_with_publication_date = response.data["id"]
+        article_with_publication_date = Article.objects.get(
+            id=article_id_with_publication_date
+        )
+        assert (
+            article_with_publication_date.publication_date.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+            == "2023-10-31"
+        )
+        data["imprints"][0]["date"] = "2024-06-20"
+        response = client.post(
+            reverse("api:article-workflow-import-list"),
+            data,
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
+
+        article_id_with_updated_publication_date = response.data["id"]
+        assert (
+            article_id_with_publication_date == article_id_with_updated_publication_date
+        )
+        article_with_updated_publication_date = Article.objects.get(
+            id=article_id_with_updated_publication_date
+        )
+        assert (
+            article_with_updated_publication_date.publication_date.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+            == "2024-06-20"
+        )
+
 
 class TestArticleIdentifierViewSet:
     def test_get_article_identifier(self, client):
diff --git a/scoap3/tasks.py b/scoap3/tasks.py
index fc856c75..aa17f005 100644
--- a/scoap3/tasks.py
+++ b/scoap3/tasks.py
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ def _create_licenses(data):
 
 def _create_article(data, licenses):
     article_data = {
-        "publication_date": data["imprints"][0].get("date"),
         "title": data["titles"][0].get("title"),
         "subtitle": data["titles"][0].get("subtitle", ""),
         "abstract": data["abstracts"][0].get("value", ""),
@@ -96,6 +95,10 @@ def _create_article(data, licenses):
         doi_exists = ArticleIdentifier.objects.filter(
             identifier_type="DOI", identifier_value=data.get("dois")[0].get("value")
         ).exists()
+    publication_date = data["imprints"][0].get("date")
+
+    if publication_date:
+        article_data["publication_date"] = publication_date
 
     # if "control_number" present, means it is a legacy record
     if data.get("control_number"):
@@ -117,12 +120,14 @@ def _create_article(data, licenses):
         article = ArticleIdentifier.objects.get(
             identifier_type="DOI", identifier_value=doi_value
         ).article_id
+        if publication_date:
+            article_data["publication_date"] = publication_date
         article.__dict__.update(**article_data)
     # else create new
     else:
+        article_data["publication_date"] = publication_date
         article = Article.objects.create(**article_data)
         article._created_at = data.get("_created") or data.get("record_creation_date")
-
     article.related_licenses.set(licenses)
     article.save()
     return article