To improve the modelling of the behaviour of steel profiles in the forming and quenching process, the influences of high-temperature plastic deformation and applied stress on the martensitic transformation were investigated in a B-bearing steel by dilatometric measurements and compression tests. The plastic deformation of austenite was found to enhance ferrite formation so significantly that the dilatation due to the low-temperature transformation decreases even at a cooling rate of 280°C/s. The presence of ferrite in the microstructure results in markedly lower hardness and flow stress than the completely martensitic microstructure. Possibilities to avoid ferrite formation have been discussed. Stress applied during the martensitic transformation increases diametric dilatation by as much as 200 % under axial compression, which seems to result from the preferred orientation of the martensite formed. However, subsequent to a hightemperature plastic deformation, the influence of applied stress remains much smaller.