Synopsis The effect of deformation-induced martensitic transformation on the strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue behavior in type 304 metastable austenitic stainless steel at room temperature has been studied. The fatigue behavior in type 310 stable austenitic stainless steel has been also examined for comparison. The fatigue life (N f) of type 304 steel was markedly affected by the ca'-martensite formation. When the total strain range (AEt) was higher than 0.8 %, where the cr'-martensite formation started before the crack initiation, N f of type 304 steel was about 1/5 times shorter than that of type 310 steel, when compared at the same 4e (mean plastic strain range from first cycle to final cycle). This shorter N f of type 304 steel was attributed to the increase in d t (mean cyclic tensile stress) due to the a'-martensite formation and to the martensite acting as the preferential site of crack initiation. The degree of decrease in N f was larger when the ca'-martensite formation started in the strain hardening stage than in the saturated stress stage of fatigue process, in connection with the larger increase in at. At low det such as 0.6 where the a'-martensite formation started after the crack initiation, N f of type 304 steel was about 2 times longer than that of type 310 steel. This longer J 'f, o f type 304 steel was attributed to the suppression of crack propagation due to the a'-martensites fomed around the crack tip. The experimental data of N f fell in the range of factor of 2 of the predicted N f which were obtained on the basis of Tomkins' model by taking into consideration the increase in 6t due to the a'-martensite formation.