diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS b/CONTRIBUTORS
index 4efd3f4f..ef7ddf5f 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS
@@ -2449,6 +2449,8 @@ Christoph Haubrich <christoph1.haubrich@arcor.de>
  for reporting an unnecessary double call to Display() in cMenuRecording::RefreshRecording()
  for reporting too much memory being allocated in the cImage constructors
  for making the 'Edit path' dialog also show the total size of all recordings in that path
+ for suggesting to make cRecordingInfo::Errors() return -1 for old recordings, and
+ reporting a missing 'const'
 
 Pekka Mauno <pekka.mauno@iki.fi>
  for fixing cSchedule::GetFollowingEvent() in case there is currently no present
diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index 42bb0bc4..444c44ed 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -9705,3 +9705,8 @@ Video Disk Recorder Revision History
   no longer available. You can add 'DEPRECATED_SKIN_SETITEMEVENT=1' when compiling in
   order to restore this functionality. However, it is recommended to use the function
   with the TimerActive parameter instead.
+
+2021-05-23:
+
+- cRecordingInfo::Errors() now returns -1 for old recordings; added a missing 'const'
+  (suggested by Christoph Haubrich).
diff --git a/recorder.c b/recorder.c
index 47dd6a5b..21d99b44 100644
--- a/recorder.c
+++ b/recorder.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: recorder.c 5.1 2021/05/19 11:22:20 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: recorder.c 5.2 2021/05/23 15:03:17 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "recorder.h"
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ cRecorder::cRecorder(const char *FileName, const cChannel *Channel, int Priority
   recordingName = strdup(FileName);
   recordingInfo = new cRecordingInfo(recordingName);
   recordingInfo->Read();
-  oldErrors = recordingInfo->Errors(); // in case this is a re-started recording
+  oldErrors = max(0, recordingInfo->Errors()); // in case this is a re-started recording
   errors = oldErrors;
   firstIframeSeen = false;
 
diff --git a/recording.c b/recording.c
index 36a2e483..574e0bdf 100644
--- a/recording.c
+++ b/recording.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: recording.c 5.7 2021/05/19 11:22:20 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: recording.c 5.8 2021/05/23 15:03:17 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "recording.h"
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ cRecordingInfo::cRecordingInfo(const cChannel *Channel, const cEvent *Event)
   priority = MAXPRIORITY;
   lifetime = MAXLIFETIME;
   fileName = NULL;
-  errors = 0;
+  errors = -1;
   if (Channel) {
      // Since the EPG data's component records can carry only a single
      // language code, let's see whether the channel's PID data has
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ cRecordingInfo::cRecordingInfo(const char *FileName)
   ownEvent = new cEvent(0);
   event = ownEvent;
   aux = NULL;
-  errors = 0;
+  errors = -1;
   framesPerSecond = DEFAULTFRAMESPERSECOND;
   priority = MAXPRIORITY;
   lifetime = MAXLIFETIME;
@@ -1202,7 +1202,9 @@ bool cRecording::WriteInfo(const char *OtherFileName)
      // Let's keep the error counter if this is a re-started recording:
      cRecordingInfo ExistingInfo(FileName());
      if (ExistingInfo.Read())
-        info->SetErrors(ExistingInfo.Errors());
+        info->SetErrors(max(0, ExistingInfo.Errors()));
+     else
+        info->SetErrors(0);
      }
   else {
      // This is an edited recording, so let's clear the error counter:
diff --git a/recording.h b/recording.h
index 34f097fa..4d7d8a6c 100644
--- a/recording.h
+++ b/recording.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: recording.h 5.4 2021/05/19 11:22:20 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: recording.h 5.5 2021/05/23 15:03:17 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef __RECORDING_H
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public:
   double FramesPerSecond(void) const { return framesPerSecond; }
   void SetFramesPerSecond(double FramesPerSecond);
   void SetFileName(const char *FileName);
-  int Errors(void) { return errors; }
+  int Errors(void) const { return errors; } // returns -1 if undefined
   void SetErrors(int Errors);
   bool Write(FILE *f, const char *Prefix = "") const;
   bool Read(void);