OBJECTIVE To compare the lifetime personality dysfunction of geriatric patients having late and early onset of major depression. METHODS Group comparisons. METHODS Inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit and hospital-based geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic. METHODS Volunteer sample of recovered elderly depressives with history of early onset of major depression (age < 60) (n = 16) and history of late onset of major depression (age > 60) (n = 14). MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURE: Personality Disorder Examination, containing diagnostic and dimensional scores for DSM-III-R personality disorders. RESULTS The two groups had similar demographic profiles and levels of depression after treatment. Early onset subjects had significantly higher mean dimensional scores in the avoidant, dependent, and not otherwise specified NOS personality disorders, and higher dimensional scores with a trend toward significance in 6 additional personality disorders. CONCLUSIONS Early onset geriatric depressives may have more lifetime personality dysfunction than late onset subjects. Greater personality dysfunction in early onset subjects may reflect postdepressive changes, predisposition, or a low grade depressive subtype.