diff --git a/app/models/ci/stage.rb b/app/models/ci/stage.rb
index 4ee972fa68d..754c37518b3 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/stage.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/stage.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ module Ci
     validates :pipeline, presence: true, unless: :importing?
     validates :name, presence: true, unless: :importing?
 
+    after_initialize do |stage|
+      self.status = DEFAULT_STATUS if self.status.nil?
+    end
+
     state_machine :status, initial: :created do
       event :enqueue do
         transition created: :pending
diff --git a/spec/models/ci/stage_spec.rb b/spec/models/ci/stage_spec.rb
index 74c9d6145e2..586d073eb5e 100644
--- a/spec/models/ci/stage_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/ci/stage_spec.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,17 @@ describe Ci::Stage, :models do
         expect(stage.status).to eq 'success'
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when stage status is not defined' do
+      before do
+        stage.update_column(:status, nil)
+      end
+
+      it 'sets the default value' do
+        expect(described_class.find(stage.id).status)
+          .to eq 'created'
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'update_status' do