diff --git a/dependencymanager/core/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/dm/DependencyManager.java b/dependencymanager/core/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/dm/DependencyManager.java
index 17e1ad0..aaf8c0c 100644
--- a/dependencymanager/core/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/dm/DependencyManager.java
+++ b/dependencymanager/core/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/dm/DependencyManager.java
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@
 import org.apache.felix.dm.impl.index.MultiPropertyExactFilter;
 import org.apache.felix.dm.impl.index.ServiceRegistryCache;
 import org.apache.felix.dm.impl.metatype.PropertyMetaDataImpl;
+import org.osgi.framework.Bundle;
 import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
+import org.osgi.framework.BundleException;
 import org.osgi.framework.FrameworkUtil;
 
 /**
@@ -89,18 +91,30 @@
     static {
         String index = System.getProperty(SERVICEREGISTRY_CACHE_INDICES);
         if (index != null) {
-            m_serviceRegistryCache = new ServiceRegistryCache(FrameworkUtil.getBundle(DependencyManager.class).getBundleContext());
-            m_serviceRegistryCache.open(); // TODO close it somewhere
-            String[] props = index.split(";");
-            for (int i = 0; i < props.length; i++) {
-                if (props[i].equals("*aspect*")) {
-                    m_serviceRegistryCache.addFilterIndex(new AspectFilterIndex());
+            Bundle bundle = FrameworkUtil.getBundle(DependencyManager.class);
+            try {
+                if (bundle.getState() != Bundle.ACTIVE) {
+                    bundle.start();
                 }
-                else {
-                    String[] propList = props[i].split(",");
-                    m_serviceRegistryCache.addFilterIndex(new MultiPropertyExactFilter(propList));
+                BundleContext bundleContext = bundle.getBundleContext();
+                
+                m_serviceRegistryCache = new ServiceRegistryCache(bundleContext);
+                m_serviceRegistryCache.open(); // TODO close it somewhere
+                String[] props = index.split(";");
+                for (int i = 0; i < props.length; i++) {
+                    if (props[i].equals("*aspect*")) {
+                        m_serviceRegistryCache.addFilterIndex(new AspectFilterIndex());
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        String[] propList = props[i].split(",");
+                        m_serviceRegistryCache.addFilterIndex(new MultiPropertyExactFilter(propList));
+                    }
                 }
             }
+            catch (BundleException e) {
+                // if we cannot start ourselves, we cannot use the indices
+                // TODO we might want to warn people about this
+            }
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/dependencymanager/test/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/dm/test/FELIX3008_FilterIndexStartupTest.java b/dependencymanager/test/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/dm/test/FELIX3008_FilterIndexStartupTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2be6917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dependencymanager/test/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/dm/test/FELIX3008_FilterIndexStartupTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+ * distributed with this work for additional information
+ * regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+ * to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+ * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ * with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+package org.apache.felix.dm.test;
+//import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.waitForFrameworkStartupFor;
+//import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.container.def.PaxRunnerOptions.vmOption;
+
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.mavenBundle;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.options;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.provision;
+import junit.framework.Assert;
+
+import org.apache.felix.dm.Component;
+import org.apache.felix.dm.DependencyManager;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.ops4j.pax.exam.Option;
+import org.ops4j.pax.exam.junit.Configuration;
+import org.ops4j.pax.exam.junit.JUnit4TestRunner;
+import org.osgi.framework.Bundle;
+import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
+
+
+@RunWith(JUnit4TestRunner.class)
+public class FELIX3008_FilterIndexStartupTest extends Base {
+    @Configuration
+    public static Option[] configuration() {
+        return options(
+            //vmOption( "-Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=y,address=5005" ),
+            //waitForFrameworkStartupFor(Long.MAX_VALUE),
+            provision(
+                mavenBundle().groupId("org.osgi").artifactId("org.osgi.compendium").version(Base.OSGI_SPEC_VERSION),
+                mavenBundle().groupId("org.apache.felix").artifactId("org.apache.felix.dependencymanager").versionAsInProject().noStart()
+            )
+        );
+    }
+    
+    @Test
+    public void testNormalStart(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
+        System.setProperty("org.apache.felix.dependencymanager.filterindex", "objectClass");
+        DependencyManager m = new DependencyManager(context);
+        // helper class that ensures certain steps get executed in sequence
+        Ensure e = new Ensure();
+        // create a provider
+        Provider provider = new Provider();
+        // activate it
+        Component p = m.createComponent()
+            .setInterface(Service.class.getName(), null)
+            .setImplementation(provider);
+        
+        Consumer consumer = new Consumer(e);
+        Component c = m.createComponent()
+            .setImplementation(consumer)
+            .add(m.createServiceDependency()
+                .setService(Service.class)
+                .setRequired(true)
+                );
+        
+        m.add(p);
+        m.add(c);
+        e.waitForStep(1, 5000);
+        m.remove(p);
+        e.waitForStep(2, 5000);
+        m.remove(c);
+        
+        Assert.assertEquals("Dependency manager bundle should be active.", Bundle.ACTIVE, context.getBundle().getState());
+    }
+
+    public static class Consumer {
+        volatile Service m_service;
+        private final Ensure m_ensure;
+        
+        public Consumer(Ensure e) {
+            m_ensure = e;
+        }
+
+        public void start() {
+            System.out.println("start");
+            m_ensure.step(1);
+        }
+        
+        public void stop() {
+            System.out.println("stop");
+            m_ensure.step(2);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    public static interface Service {
+    }
+    
+    public static class Provider implements Service {
+    }
+}