diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 6549cfb0c..a93ec1b4d 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # EpiNow2 (development version)
 
+## Model changes
+
+- A bug was fixed where the initial growth was never estimated (i.e. the prior mean was always zero). By @sbfnk in #853 and reviewed by @seabbs.
+
 # EpiNow2 1.6.1
 
 ## Model changes
diff --git a/R/create.R b/R/create.R
index 6e0cf94e1..1309fd508 100644
--- a/R/create.R
+++ b/R/create.R
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ create_stan_data <- function(data, seeding_time,
   if (stan_data$seeding_time > 1 && nrow(first_week) > 1) {
     safe_lm <- purrr::safely(stats::lm)
     stan_data$prior_growth <- safe_lm(log(confirm) ~ t,
-      stan_data = first_week
+      data = first_week
     )[[1]]
     stan_data$prior_growth <- ifelse(is.null(stan_data$prior_growth), 0,
       stan_data$prior_growth$coefficients[2]