diff --git a/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php b/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php
index ffeec182327..553c4c9c507 100644
--- a/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php
+++ b/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php
@@ -547,7 +547,11 @@ public function publishIssue($args, $request)
         }
 
         $issue->setPublished(1);
-        $issue->setDatePublished(Core::getCurrentDate());
+
+        // If no datePublished was given, use current date
+        if (!$issue->getData('datePublished')) {
+            $issue->setDatePublished(Core::getCurrentDate());
+        }
 
         // If subscriptions with delayed open access are enabled then
         // update open access date according to open access delay policy
diff --git a/classes/publication/Repository.php b/classes/publication/Repository.php
index 321070d0d65..54a64465a02 100644
--- a/classes/publication/Repository.php
+++ b/classes/publication/Repository.php
@@ -149,15 +149,29 @@ public function version(Publication $publication): int
     protected function setStatusOnPublish(Publication $publication)
     {
         // A publication may be scheduled in a future issue. In such cases,
-        // the `datePublished` should remain empty and the status should be set to
+        // the `datePublished` should remain empty (NULL) and the status should be set to
         // scheduled.
-        //
-        // If there is no assigned issue, the journal may be using a continuous
-        // publishing model in which articles are published right away.
+
+        // A publication may also be scheduled to an unpublished issue with an
+        // already set published date. In such cases the `datePublished` should
+        // be what the user has entered or fall back to the issue published date.
+        // Status should be set to scheduled.
+
+        // If there is no assigned issue or the issue is already published, use
+        // the current date if no `datePublished` is available. The journal may
+        // also be using a continuous publishing model in which articles
+        // are published right away.
+
         $issue = Repo::issue()->get($publication->getData('issueId'));
-        if ($issue && !$issue->getData('published')) {
+
+        if ($issue && !$issue->getData('published') && !$issue->getData('datePublished')) {
             $publication->setData('datePublished', null);
             $publication->setData('status', Submission::STATUS_SCHEDULED);
+        } elseif ($issue && !$issue->getData('published') && $issue->getData('datePublished')) {
+            if (!$publication->getData('datePublished')) {
+                $publication->setData('datePublished', $issue->getData('datePublished'));
+            }
+            $publication->setData('status', Submission::STATUS_SCHEDULED);
         } else {
             $publication->setData('status', Submission::STATUS_PUBLISHED);
             if (!$publication->getData('datePublished')) {
diff --git a/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridRow.php b/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridRow.php
index 7111da852ad..0d18ef34227 100644
--- a/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridRow.php
+++ b/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridRow.php
@@ -61,16 +61,16 @@ public function initialize($request, $template = null)
             $dispatcher = $request->getDispatcher();
             $this->addAction(
                 new LinkAction(
-                    $issue->getDatePublished() ? 'viewIssue' : 'previewIssue',
+                    $issue->getPublished() ? 'viewIssue' : 'previewIssue',
                     new OpenWindowAction(
                         $dispatcher->url($request, PKPApplication::ROUTE_PAGE, null, 'issue', 'view', [$issueId])
                     ),
-                    __($issue->getDatePublished() ? 'grid.action.viewIssue' : 'grid.action.previewIssue'),
+                    __($issue->getPublished() ? 'grid.action.viewIssue' : 'grid.action.previewIssue'),
                     'information'
                 )
             );
 
-            if ($issue->getDatePublished()) {
+            if ($issue->getPublished()) {
                 $this->addAction(
                     new LinkAction(
                         'unpublish',
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public function initialize($request, $template = null)
 
             $currentIssue = Repo::issue()->getCurrent($issue->getJournalId());
             $isCurrentIssue = $currentIssue != null && $issue->getId() == $currentIssue->getId();
-            if ($issue->getDatePublished() && !$isCurrentIssue) {
+            if ($issue->getPublished() && !$isCurrentIssue) {
                 $this->addAction(
                     new LinkAction(
                         'setCurrentIssue',
diff --git a/controllers/grid/issues/form/IssueForm.php b/controllers/grid/issues/form/IssueForm.php
index fc51f41fd93..231a4a18f93 100644
--- a/controllers/grid/issues/form/IssueForm.php
+++ b/controllers/grid/issues/form/IssueForm.php
@@ -241,9 +241,16 @@ public function execute(...$functionArgs)
         $issue->setVolume(empty($volume) ? null : $volume);
         $issue->setNumber(empty($number) ? null : $number);
         $issue->setYear(empty($year) ? null : $year);
-        if (!$isNewIssue) {
+
+        // If issue is not published, allow empty datePublished
+        if (!$this->getData('datePublished') && !$issue->getPublished()) {
+            $issue->setDatePublished(null);
+        }
+
+        if ($this->getData('datePublished')) {
             $issue->setDatePublished($this->getData('datePublished'));
         }
+
         $issue->setDescription($this->getData('description'), null); // Localized
         $issue->setShowVolume((int) $this->getData('showVolume'));
         $issue->setShowNumber((int) $this->getData('showNumber'));
diff --git a/locale/en_US/editor.po b/locale/en_US/editor.po
index 723b6b9ca4a..fb6d5e1b1d1 100644
--- a/locale/en_US/editor.po
+++ b/locale/en_US/editor.po
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ msgstr "Unpublished"
 msgid "editor.issues.datePublished"
 msgstr "Date Published"
 
+msgid "editor.issues.datePublished.notPublished.description"
+msgstr "Leave this empty and it will be set automatically when the issue is published."
+
 msgid "editor.issues.volumeRequired"
 msgstr "Volume is required and must be a positive, numeric value."
 
diff --git a/templates/controllers/grid/issues/form/issueForm.tpl b/templates/controllers/grid/issues/form/issueForm.tpl
index aa4d0f8c72f..45a6ef9b3ce 100644
--- a/templates/controllers/grid/issues/form/issueForm.tpl
+++ b/templates/controllers/grid/issues/form/issueForm.tpl
@@ -41,16 +41,15 @@
 		{assign var=issuePublished value=false}
 	{/if}
 
-	{if $issuePublished}
 		{fbvFormArea id="datePublishedArea" title="editor.issues.datePublished"}
 			{fbvFormSection}
 				{if $issuePublished}
 					{fbvElement type="text" id="datePublished" value=$datePublished size=$fbvStyles.size.SMALL class="datepicker"}
+				{else}
+					{fbvElement type="text" id="datePublished" value=$datePublished size=$fbvStyles.size.SMALL class="datepicker" label="editor.issues.datePublished.notPublished.description"}
 				{/if}
 			{/fbvFormSection}
 		{/fbvFormArea}
-	{/if}
-
 
 	{fbvFormArea id="identificationArea" title="editor.issues.identification"}
 		{fbvFormSection}