diff --git a/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/RunStartDefiner.java b/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/RunStartDefiner.java
index 92066c1824..1c522f11bf 100644
--- a/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/RunStartDefiner.java
+++ b/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/RunStartDefiner.java
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 
 package org.apache.cassandra.simulator.logging;
 
-import accord.utils.Invariants;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 import ch.qos.logback.core.PropertyDefinerBase;
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.CassandraRelevantProperties;
 
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@ public class RunStartDefiner extends PropertyDefinerBase
 {
     static
     {
-        Invariants.checkState(CassandraRelevantProperties.SIMULATOR_STARTED.getString() != null);
+        if (CassandraRelevantProperties.SIMULATOR_STARTED.getString() == null)
+            CassandraRelevantProperties.SIMULATOR_STARTED.setString(Long.toString(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toSeconds(System.currentTimeMillis())));
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/SeedDefiner.java b/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/SeedDefiner.java
index a3e11abe3c..12d1ca8d2d 100644
--- a/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/SeedDefiner.java
+++ b/test/simulator/main/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/logging/SeedDefiner.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import org.apache.cassandra.config.CassandraRelevantProperties;
 
 public class SeedDefiner extends PropertyDefinerBase
 {
-
     public static void setSeed(long seed)
     {
         CassandraRelevantProperties.SIMULATOR_SEED.setString("0x" + Long.toHexString(seed));
diff --git a/test/simulator/test/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/paxos/HistoryValidatorTest.java b/test/simulator/test/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/paxos/HistoryValidatorTest.java
index d7df4972cc..a52345d080 100644
--- a/test/simulator/test/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/paxos/HistoryValidatorTest.java
+++ b/test/simulator/test/org/apache/cassandra/simulator/paxos/HistoryValidatorTest.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import java.util.stream.IntStream;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
+import org.apache.cassandra.config.CassandraRelevantProperties;
 import org.junit.Assume;
 import org.junit.FixMethodOrder;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -43,7 +44,6 @@ import com.carrotsearch.hppc.IntHashSet;
 import com.carrotsearch.hppc.IntIntHashMap;
 import com.carrotsearch.hppc.IntIntMap;
 import com.carrotsearch.hppc.IntSet;
-import org.apache.cassandra.config.CassandraRelevantProperties;
 import com.carrotsearch.hppc.cursors.IntCursor;
 import org.apache.cassandra.distributed.api.QueryResults;
 import org.apache.cassandra.utils.Clock;