diff --git a/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php b/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php
index f62476713d1..8d94d6148f9 100644
--- a/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php
+++ b/classes/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridHandler.php
@@ -561,7 +561,11 @@ 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 4711ba55a9d..ae2aff6e760 100644
--- a/classes/publication/Repository.php
+++ b/classes/publication/Repository.php
@@ -152,19 +152,35 @@ public function version(Publication $publication): int
         return $newId;
     }
 
-    /** @copydoc \PKP\publication\Repository::setStatusOnPublish() */
+    /**
+    * Set the status and date of publication
+    *
+    * A publication's status and date of publication will be set depending
+    * on the issue it is assigned to. Publications in future issues should
+    * be set to `STATUS_SCHEDULED`. Otherwise, they should be set to
+    * `STATUS_PUBLISHED` and should inherit the date of publication from the
+    * issue, unless a date of publication has already been set.
+    *
+    * Usually, the date of publication will be set when the issue is
+    * published. In some unusual cases, a publication may be published
+    * without an issue. This may happen in a continuous publishing model
+    * where articles are published right away. In these cases, the date of
+    * publication should be set to the current date, unless a date of
+    * publication has already been set.
+    */
     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
-        // scheduled.
-        //
-        // If there is no assigned issue, the journal may 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')) {
-            $publication->setData('datePublished', null);
-            $publication->setData('status', Submission::STATUS_SCHEDULED);
+
+        if ($issue) {
+            if ($issue->getData('published')) {
+                $publication->setData('status', Submission::STATUS_PUBLISHED);
+                if (!$publication->getData('datePublished')) {
+                    $publication->setData('datePublished', $issue->getData('datePublished'));
+                }
+            } else {
+                $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 2e87da1dcf8..0f11f9f5edb 100644
--- a/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridRow.php
+++ b/controllers/grid/issues/IssueGridRow.php
@@ -63,16 +63,16 @@ 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()) {
                 $this->addAction(
                     new LinkAction(
                         'unpublish',
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public function initialize($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 1ce4a07f9aa..f3718205c01 100644
--- a/controllers/grid/issues/form/IssueForm.php
+++ b/controllers/grid/issues/form/IssueForm.php
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 use PKP\linkAction\LinkAction;
 use PKP\linkAction\request\RemoteActionConfirmationModal;
 use PKP\plugins\Hook;
+use PKP\validation\ValidatorFactory;
 
 class IssueForm extends Form
 {
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ public function __construct($issue = null)
             return !$showTitle || implode('', $form->getData('title')) != '' ? true : false;
         }));
         $this->addCheck(new \PKP\form\validation\FormValidatorRegExp($this, 'urlPath', 'optional', 'validator.alpha_dash_period', '/^[a-zA-Z0-9]+([\\.\\-_][a-zA-Z0-9]+)*$/'));
+
         $this->addCheck(new \PKP\form\validation\FormValidatorPost($this));
         $this->addCheck(new \PKP\form\validation\FormValidatorCSRF($this));
         $this->issue = $issue;
@@ -143,6 +145,29 @@ public function validate($callHooks = true)
             }
         }
 
+        // Note! The following datePublished validation is not triggered
+        // when JQuery DatePicker is enabled in the datePublished field.
+        // The datePicker will convert any invalid date into a valid yyyy-mm-dd
+        // date before the form data is submitted.
+
+        if ($this->getData('datePublished')) {
+            $validator = ValidatorFactory::make(
+                ['value' => $this->getData('datePublished')],
+                ['value' => ['required', 'date_format:Y-m-d']]
+            );
+
+            if (!$validator->passes()) {
+                $this->addError('datePublished', __('editor.issues.datePublished.invalid'));
+                $this->addErrorField('datePublished');
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Published issue has to have datePublished set
+        if (!$this->getData('datePublished') && ($this->issue && $this->issue->getPublished())) {
+            $this->addError('datePublished', __('editor.issues.datePublished.requiredWhenPublished'));
+            $this->addErrorField('datePublished');
+        }
+
         return parent::validate($callHooks);
     }
 
@@ -243,9 +268,16 @@ 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/editor.po b/locale/en/editor.po
index 723b6b9ca4a..a0e0e1a0f9f 100644
--- a/locale/en/editor.po
+++ b/locale/en/editor.po
@@ -120,6 +120,15 @@ 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.datePublished.invalid"
+msgstr "Date Published is not valid. The date must be in the format YYYY-MM-DD."
+
+msgid "editor.issues.datePublished.requiredWhenPublished"
+msgstr "Date Published is required 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 a31cb58cd60..35b6d1ca6f9 100644
--- a/templates/controllers/grid/issues/form/issueForm.tpl
+++ b/templates/controllers/grid/issues/form/issueForm.tpl
@@ -43,16 +43,16 @@
 		{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=$fbvStyles.size.SMALL class="datepicker"}
-				{/if}
+				{if !$issuePublished}
+			        {assign var=notPublishedDescription value="editor.issues.datePublished.notPublished.description"}
+			    {else}
+			        {assign var=notPublishedDescription value=""}
+			    {/if}
+				{fbvElement type="text" id="datePublished" value=$datePublished size=$fbvStyles.size.SMALL class="datepicker" autocomplete="off" label=$notPublishedDescription}
 			{/fbvFormSection}
 		{/fbvFormArea}
-	{/if}
-
 
 	{fbvFormArea id="identificationArea" title="editor.issues.identification"}
 		{fbvFormSection}