diff --git a/libtransmission/torrent.cc b/libtransmission/torrent.cc
index 0303fe1e5..20f3fe0c6 100644
--- a/libtransmission/torrent.cc
+++ b/libtransmission/torrent.cc
@@ -712,7 +712,6 @@ void tr_torrent::start_in_session_thread()
     time_t const now = tr_time();
 
     is_running_ = true;
-    completeness_ = completion_.status();
     date_started_ = now;
     mark_changed();
     error().clear();
@@ -947,8 +946,8 @@ void tr_torrent::on_metainfo_completed()
     else
     {
         completion_.set_has_all();
-        date_done_ = date_added_;
         recheck_completeness();
+        date_done_ = date_added_; // Must be after recheck_completeness()
 
         if (start_when_stable_)
         {
@@ -967,6 +966,8 @@ void tr_torrent::init(tr_ctor const& ctor)
     TR_ASSERT(session != nullptr);
     auto const lock = unique_lock();
 
+    auto const now_sec = tr_time();
+
     queue_position_ = std::size(session->torrents());
 
     on_metainfo_updated();
@@ -1000,7 +1001,7 @@ void tr_torrent::init(tr_ctor const& ctor)
 
     mark_changed();
 
-    date_added_ = tr_time(); // this is a default that will be overwritten by the resume file
+    date_added_ = now_sec; // this is a default that will be overwritten by the resume file
 
     tr_resume::fields_t loaded = {};
 
@@ -1100,6 +1101,12 @@ void tr_torrent::init(tr_ctor const& ctor)
     {
         set_local_error_if_files_disappeared(this, has_any_local_data);
     }
+
+    // Recover from the bug reported at https://github.com/transmission/transmission/issues/6899
+    if (is_done() && date_done_ == time_t{})
+    {
+        date_done_ = now_sec;
+    }
 }
 
 void tr_torrent::set_metainfo(tr_torrent_metainfo tm)
@@ -1853,15 +1860,12 @@ void tr_torrent::recheck_completeness()
         bool const recent_change = bytes_downloaded_.during_this_session() != 0U;
         bool const was_running = is_running();
 
-        if (recent_change)
-        {
-            tr_logAddTraceTor(
-                this,
-                fmt::format(
-                    "State changed from {} to {}",
-                    get_completion_string(completeness_),
-                    get_completion_string(new_completeness)));
-        }
+        tr_logAddTraceTor(
+            this,
+            fmt::format(
+                "State changed from {} to {}",
+                get_completion_string(completeness_),
+                get_completion_string(new_completeness)));
 
         completeness_ = new_completeness;
         session->close_torrent_files(id());
@@ -1870,10 +1874,12 @@ void tr_torrent::recheck_completeness()
         {
             if (recent_change)
             {
+                // https://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0003.html
+                // ...and one using completed is sent when the download is complete.
+                // No completed is sent if the file was complete when started.
                 tr_announcerTorrentCompleted(this);
-                mark_changed();
-                date_done_ = tr_time();
             }
+            date_done_ = tr_time();
 
             if (current_dir() == incomplete_dir())
             {
@@ -1886,6 +1892,7 @@ void tr_torrent::recheck_completeness()
         session->onTorrentCompletenessChanged(this, completeness_, was_running);
 
         set_dirty();
+        mark_changed();
 
         if (is_done())
         {
@@ -2314,8 +2321,8 @@ void tr_torrent::set_download_dir(std::string_view path, bool is_new_torrent)
         else
         {
             completion_.set_has_all();
-            date_done_ = date_added_;
             recheck_completeness();
+            date_done_ = date_added_; // Must be after recheck_completeness()
         }
     }
     else if (error_.error_type() == TR_STAT_LOCAL_ERROR && !set_local_error_if_files_disappeared(this))
diff --git a/libtransmission/torrent.h b/libtransmission/torrent.h
index d6e50fe1b..8aa51207a 100644
--- a/libtransmission/torrent.h
+++ b/libtransmission/torrent.h
@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ private:
             {
                 n_secs += date_done_ - date_started_;
             }
-            else if (date_done_ == 0)
+            else if (date_done_ == time_t{})
             {
                 n_secs += now - date_started_;
             }
@@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ private:
             {
                 n_secs += now - date_done_;
             }
-            else if (date_done_ != 0)
+            else if (date_done_ != time_t{})
             {
                 n_secs += now - date_started_;
             }