diff --git a/ipsframework/portalBridge.py b/ipsframework/portalBridge.py
index 8e297c60..b98b044a 100644
--- a/ipsframework/portalBridge.py
+++ b/ipsframework/portalBridge.py
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ def __init__(self):
             self.counter = 0
             self.monitor_file_name = ""
             self.portal_runid = None
+            self.parent_portal_runid = None
             self.sim_name = ''
             self.sim_root = ''
             self.monitor_file = None
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ def __init__(self, services, config):
         self.last_dump_time = time.time()
         self.write_to_htmldir = True
         self.html_dir = ""
+        self.first_portal_runid = None
 
     def init(self, timestamp=0.0, **keywords):
         """
@@ -222,6 +224,8 @@ def process_event(self, topicName, theEvent):
             portal_data['vizurl'] = sim_data.monitor_url
 
         portal_data['portal_runid'] = sim_data.portal_runid
+        if portal_data['eventtype'] == 'IPS_START' and 'parent_portal_runid' not in portal_data:
+            portal_data['parent_portal_runid'] = sim_data.parent_portal_runid
         portal_data['seqnum'] = sim_data.counter
 
         if 'trace' in portal_data:
@@ -486,6 +490,11 @@ def init_simulation(self, sim_name, sim_root):
             self.services.error('Simulation %s is not accessible', sim_name)
             return
 
+        if self.first_portal_runid:
+            sim_data.parent_portal_runid = self.first_portal_runid
+        else:
+            self.first_portal_runid = sim_data.portal_runid
+
         if sim_data.sim_root.strip() == '.':
             sim_data.sim_root = os.environ['IPS_INITIAL_CWD']
         sim_log_dir = os.path.join(sim_data.sim_root, 'simulation_log')
diff --git a/tests/multirun/basic_serial1.ips b/tests/multirun/basic_serial1.ips
index 6f39a372..8af9ff37 100644
--- a/tests/multirun/basic_serial1.ips
+++ b/tests/multirun/basic_serial1.ips
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ CURRENT_STATE =
 PRIOR_STATE = 
 NEXT_STATE = 
 CURRENT_EQDSK = 
-USE_PORTAL=False
+USE_PORTAL=True
 
 LOG_FILE = $SIM_ROOT/$SIM_NAME.log
 LOG_LEVEL = INFO                   # Possible values: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL
diff --git a/tests/multirun/basic_serial2.ips b/tests/multirun/basic_serial2.ips
index f77d021a..f1bb797d 100644
--- a/tests/multirun/basic_serial2.ips
+++ b/tests/multirun/basic_serial2.ips
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ CURRENT_STATE =
 PRIOR_STATE = 
 NEXT_STATE = 
 CURRENT_EQDSK = 
-USE_PORTAL=False
+USE_PORTAL=True
 
 LOG_FILE = $SIM_ROOT/$SIM_NAME.log
 LOG_LEVEL = INFO                   # Possible values: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL
diff --git a/tests/multirun/test_basic_serial.py b/tests/multirun/test_basic_serial.py
index ee9f0351..eb1f9dc2 100644
--- a/tests/multirun/test_basic_serial.py
+++ b/tests/multirun/test_basic_serial.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 import glob
+import json
 import pytest
 from ipsframework import Framework
 
@@ -204,6 +205,26 @@ def test_basic_serial_multi(tmpdir, capfd):
         for timestamp in ["3.40", "3.50", "3.60"]:
             assert f'workers_testing_{worker} INFO     Stepping Worker timestamp={timestamp}\n' in lines
 
+    # check that the parent_portal_runid is correctly set
+    serial1_json_files = glob.glob(str(tmpdir.join("test_basic_serial1_0").join("simulation_log").join("*.json")))
+    assert len(serial1_json_files) == 1
+    with open(serial1_json_files[0], 'r') as json_file:
+        serial1_lines = json_file.readlines()
+
+    serial1_IPS_START = json.loads(serial1_lines[0])
+    assert serial1_IPS_START['parent_portal_runid'] is None
+    serial1_portal_runid = serial1_IPS_START['portal_runid']
+
+    serial2_json_files = glob.glob(str(tmpdir.join("test_basic_serial2_0").join("simulation_log").join("*.json")))
+    assert len(serial2_json_files) == 1
+    with open(serial2_json_files[0], 'r') as json_file:
+        serial2_lines = json_file.readlines()
+
+    serial2_IPS_START = json.loads(serial2_lines[0])
+    assert serial2_IPS_START['parent_portal_runid'] == serial1_portal_runid
+    assert serial2_IPS_START['portal_runid'] is not None
+    assert serial2_IPS_START['portal_runid'] != serial1_portal_runid
+
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(not shutil.which('mpirun'), reason="requires mpirun")
 def test_basic_concurrent1(tmpdir, capfd):