The main contributor to voltage drop observed on initial discharge of lithium-thionyl chloride cells is the resistance of the passive layer an the lithium anode, as can be determined from the Nyquist plot of a lithium-thionyl chloride cell. At extremely low discharge currents, initial voltage drop corresponds to the value found from the impedance measurements; at higher current, an empirical correction based on the experimental results is required. The dispersion in the values of the impedance parameters and thus in initial voltage drop of individual cells was analyzed. The condition of the lithium surface after assembly was shown not to be the only reason for high dispersion in impedance parameter values.