diff --git a/src/MathOptLazy.jl b/src/MathOptLazy.jl
index 509f3d7..c666178 100644
--- a/src/MathOptLazy.jl
+++ b/src/MathOptLazy.jl
@@ -407,17 +407,17 @@ end
 
 ### MOI.optimize!
 
-function _get_start(model, x)
-    if !MOI.supports(model, MOI.VariablePrimalStart(), MOI.VariableIndex)
-        return nothing
-    end
-    return Dict(xi => MOI.get(model, MOI.VariablePrimalStart(), xi) for xi in x)
-end
-
 function MOI.optimize!(model::Optimizer)
     needs_solve = true
     x = MOI.get(model, MOI.ListOfVariableIndices())
-    start = _get_start(model, x)
+    # TODO(odow): if the solver supports VariablePrimalStart, we will update the
+    # primal starts during the solve process. This is destructive and in-place.
+    # That is, we will overwrite any start set by the user. We can't restore the
+    # start at the end of the loop because this may invalidate the inner
+    # solver's solution. To fix properly, we should cache the start in
+    # ::Optimizer, but this is a hassle and no one probably cares. Revisit this
+    # decision if it ever becomes a problem.
+    start = MOI.supports(model, MOI.VariablePrimalStart(), MOI.VariableIndex)
     while needs_solve
         needs_solve = false
         MOI.optimize!(model.inner)
@@ -428,18 +428,13 @@ function MOI.optimize!(model::Optimizer)
                 constraints_added += _add_if_necessary(model, v, X)
             end
             needs_solve = constraints_added > 0
-            if start !== nothing
+            if start && needs_solve
                 for (xi, v) in X
                     MOI.set(model, MOI.VariablePrimalStart(), xi, v)
                 end
             end
         end
     end
-    if start !== nothing
-        for (xi, v) in start
-            MOI.set(model, MOI.VariablePrimalStart(), xi, v)
-        end
-    end
     return
 end