diff --git a/libtransmission/torrent-magnet.c b/libtransmission/torrent-magnet.c
index 090b4cf2c..4ebb1b6b3 100644
--- a/libtransmission/torrent-magnet.c
+++ b/libtransmission/torrent-magnet.c
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ void tr_torrentSetMetadataPiece(tr_torrent* tor, int piece, void const* data, in
             tor->incompleteMetadata = NULL;
             tor->isStopping = true;
             tor->magnetVerify = true;
-            tor->startAfterVerify = true;
+            tor->startAfterVerify = !tor->prefetchMagnetMetadata;
             tr_torrentMarkEdited(tor);
         }
         else /* drat. */
diff --git a/libtransmission/torrent.c b/libtransmission/torrent.c
index f10475bdd..ea8c5d372 100644
--- a/libtransmission/torrent.c
+++ b/libtransmission/torrent.c
@@ -1020,8 +1020,16 @@ static void torrentInit(tr_torrent* tor, tr_ctor const* ctor)
 
     if (isNewTorrent)
     {
-        tor->startAfterVerify = doStart;
-        tr_torrentVerify(tor, NULL, NULL);
+        if (!tr_torrentHasMetadata(tor) && !doStart)
+        {
+            tor->prefetchMagnetMetadata = true;
+            tr_torrentStartNow(tor);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            tor->startAfterVerify = doStart;
+            tr_torrentVerify(tor, NULL, NULL);
+        }
     }
     else if (doStart)
     {
@@ -2025,6 +2033,7 @@ void tr_torrentStop(tr_torrent* tor)
 
         tor->isRunning = false;
         tor->isStopping = false;
+        tor->prefetchMagnetMetadata = false;
         tr_torrentSetDirty(tor);
         tr_runInEventThread(tor->session, stopTorrent, tor);
 
diff --git a/libtransmission/torrent.h b/libtransmission/torrent.h
index bca6018d7..166a55c0d 100644
--- a/libtransmission/torrent.h
+++ b/libtransmission/torrent.h
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ struct tr_torrent
     bool isDirty;
     bool isQueued;
 
+    bool prefetchMagnetMetadata;
     bool magnetVerify;
 
     bool infoDictOffsetIsCached;