The oxidation behavior of 308L weld metal (WM) with different surface state in the simulated nominal primary water of pressurized water reactor (PWR) was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyzer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After 480h immersion, a duplex oxide film composed of a Fe-rich outer layer (Fe3O4, Fe2O3 and a small amount of NiFe2O4, Ni(OH)(2), Cr(OH)(3) and (Ni, Fe)Cr2O4) and a Crrich inner layer (FeCr2O4 and NiCr2O4) can be formed on the 308L WM samples with different surface state. The surface state has no influence on the phase composition of the oxide films but obviously affects the thickness of the oxide films and the morphology of the oxides (number & size). With increasing the density of dislocations and subgrain boundaries in the cold-worked superficial layer, the thickness of the oxide film, the number and size of the oxides decrease. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.