diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/Order.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/Order.java
index ac65f620a..d0bd4d6a0 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/Order.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/Order.java
@@ -354,8 +354,11 @@ public class Order extends OrderLineGroup {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected void applyStartConstraintTo(Task task) {
-        // the initDate of order don't imply a start constraint at a task
+    protected boolean applyConstraintBasedOnInitOrEndDate(Task task,
+            boolean scheduleBackwards) {
+        // the initDate or the deadline of a order doesn't imply a start
+        // constraint at a task
+        return false;
     }
 
     public boolean getDependenciesConstraintsHavePriority() {
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/OrderElement.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/OrderElement.java
index d9a6098d5..952c0e827 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/OrderElement.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/entities/OrderElement.java
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.Validate;
 import org.hibernate.validator.AssertTrue;
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.SchedulingState.Type;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.TaskSource.TaskSourceSynchronization;
 import org.navalplanner.business.planner.entities.Task;
 import org.navalplanner.business.planner.entities.TaskElement;
+import org.navalplanner.business.planner.entities.TaskStartConstraint;
 import org.navalplanner.business.qualityforms.entities.QualityForm;
 import org.navalplanner.business.qualityforms.entities.TaskQualityForm;
 import org.navalplanner.business.requirements.entities.CriterionRequirement;
@@ -822,20 +823,39 @@ public abstract class OrderElement extends IntegrationEntity implements
         return criterionRequirementHandler.getIndirectCriterionRequirement(criterionRequirements);
     }
 
-    public void applyStartConstraintIfNeededTo(Task task) {
-        if (getInitDate() != null) {
-            applyStartConstraintTo(task);
-            return;
+    public void applyStartConstraintTo(Task task) {
+        boolean scheduleBackwards = getOrder().isScheduleBackwards();
+        OrderElement current = this;
+        while (current != null) {
+            boolean applied = current.applyConstraintBasedOnInitOrEndDate(task,
+                    scheduleBackwards);
+            if (applied) {
+                return;
+            }
+            current = current.getParent();
         }
-        OrderLineGroup parent = getParent();
-        if (parent != null) {
-            parent.applyStartConstraintIfNeededTo(task);
+        if (scheduleBackwards) {
+            task.getStartConstraint().asLateAsPossible();
+        } else {
+            task.getStartConstraint().asSoonAsPossible();
         }
     }
 
-    protected void applyStartConstraintTo(Task task) {
-        task.getStartConstraint().notEarlierThan(
-                LocalDate.fromDateFields(this.getInitDate()));
+    protected boolean applyConstraintBasedOnInitOrEndDate(Task task,
+            boolean scheduleBackwards) {
+        TaskStartConstraint constraint = task.getStartConstraint();
+        if (getInitDate() != null
+                && (getDeadline() == null || !scheduleBackwards)) {
+            constraint.notEarlierThan(
+                    LocalDate.fromDateFields(this.getInitDate()));
+            return true;
+        }
+        if (getDeadline() != null) {
+            constraint.finishNotLaterThan(
+                    LocalDate.fromDateFields(this.getDeadline()));
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
     }
 
     public Set<DirectCriterionRequirement> getDirectCriterionRequirement() {
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/Task.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/Task.java
index c64a7889f..4eaac1c89 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/Task.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/Task.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class Task extends TaskElement implements ITaskLeafConstraint {
     public static Task createTask(TaskSource taskSource) {
         Task task = new Task();
         OrderElement orderElement = taskSource.getOrderElement();
-        orderElement.applyStartConstraintIfNeededTo(task);
+        orderElement.applyStartConstraintTo(task);
         Task result = create(task, taskSource);
         result.initializeDates();
         return result;
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/TaskStartConstraint.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/TaskStartConstraint.java
index c4860d1ed..b0deec868 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/TaskStartConstraint.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/TaskStartConstraint.java
@@ -64,6 +64,22 @@ public class TaskStartConstraint {
         this.startConstraintType = StartConstraintType.START_NOT_EARLIER_THAN;
     }
 
+    public void finishNotLaterThan(LocalDate date) {
+        Validate.notNull(date);
+        this.constraintDate = date;
+        this.startConstraintType = StartConstraintType.FINISH_NOT_LATER_THAN;
+    }
+
+    public void asLateAsPossible() {
+        this.startConstraintType = StartConstraintType.AS_LATE_AS_POSSIBLE;
+        this.constraintDate = null;
+    }
+
+    public void asSoonAsPossible() {
+        this.startConstraintType = StartConstraintType.AS_SOON_AS_POSSIBLE;
+        this.constraintDate = null;
+    }
+
     public boolean isValid(StartConstraintType type, LocalDate value) {
         return type != null
                 && type.isAssociatedDateRequired() == (value != null);
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/planner/entities/TaskElementTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/planner/entities/TaskElementTest.java
index 751bb6584..7419631ce 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/planner/entities/TaskElementTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/planner/entities/TaskElementTest.java
@@ -222,8 +222,6 @@ public class TaskElementTest {
     public void ifNoParentWithStartDateTheStartConstraintIsSoonAsPossible() {
         OrderLine orderLine = OrderLine.create();
         addOrderTo(orderLine);
-        LocalDate deadline = new LocalDate(2007, 4, 4);
-        orderLine.setDeadline(asDate(deadline));
         TaskSource taskSource = asTaskSource(orderLine);
         Task task = Task.createTask(taskSource);
         assertThat(task.getStartConstraint(),
@@ -237,6 +235,18 @@ public class TaskElementTest {
         order.add(orderElement);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void ifTheOrderLineHasDeadlineTheStartConstraintIsNotLaterThan() {
+        OrderLine orderLine = OrderLine.create();
+        addOrderTo(orderLine);
+        LocalDate deadline = new LocalDate(2007, 4, 4);
+        orderLine.setDeadline(asDate(deadline));
+        TaskSource taskSource = asTaskSource(orderLine);
+        Task task = Task.createTask(taskSource);
+        assertThat(task.getStartConstraint(),
+                isOfType(StartConstraintType.FINISH_NOT_LATER_THAN));
+    }
+
     @Test
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public void ifSomeParentHasInitDateTheStartConstraintIsNotEarlierThan() {
@@ -246,8 +256,6 @@ public class TaskElementTest {
         group.setInitDate(asDate(initDate));
         OrderLine orderLine = OrderLine.create();
         group.add(orderLine);
-        LocalDate deadline = new LocalDate(2007, 4, 4);
-        orderLine.setDeadline(asDate(deadline));
         TaskSource taskSource = asTaskSource(orderLine);
         Task task = Task.createTask(taskSource);
         assertThat(task.getStartConstraint(), allOf(
@@ -262,8 +270,6 @@ public class TaskElementTest {
         Order order = orderLine.getOrder();
         Date initDate = asDate(new LocalDate(2005, 10, 5));
         order.setInitDate(initDate);
-        LocalDate deadline = new LocalDate(2007, 4, 4);
-        orderLine.setDeadline(asDate(deadline));
         TaskSource taskSource = asTaskSource(orderLine);
         Task task = Task.createTask(taskSource);
         assertThat(task.getStartConstraint(),