diff --git a/src/calendar.c b/src/calendar.c
index daacd89d..117c727d 100644
--- a/src/calendar.c
+++ b/src/calendar.c
@@ -2509,8 +2509,12 @@ void WriteJSONTrigger(Trigger const *t, int include_tags)
     if (t->once != NO_ONCE) {
         PrintJSONKeyPairInt("once", t->once);
     }
-    if (t->scanfrom != NO_DATE) {
-        PrintJSONKeyPairDate("scanfrom", t->scanfrom);
+    if (t->scanfrom != NO_SCANFROM) {
+        if (t->scanfrom >= 0) {
+            PrintJSONKeyPairDate("scanfrom", t->scanfrom);
+        } else {
+            PrintJSONKeyPairInt("scanfrom", t->scanfrom);
+        }
     }
     PrintJSONKeyPairDate("from", t->from);
     PrintJSONKeyPairInt("priority", t->priority);
diff --git a/src/dorem.c b/src/dorem.c
index eb18ea9b..a867f117 100644
--- a/src/dorem.c
+++ b/src/dorem.c
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ static int todo_filtered(Trigger const *t)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int
+get_raw_scanfrom(Trigger const *t)
+{
+    if (t->scanfrom == NO_SCANFROM) return NO_SCANFROM;
+    if (t->scanfrom > 0) return t->scanfrom;
+    return DSEToday + t->scanfrom;
+}
+
 int
 get_scanfrom(Trigger const *t)
 {
@@ -65,15 +73,15 @@ get_scanfrom(Trigger const *t)
             return t->from;
         }
     }
-    if (t->scanfrom != NO_DATE) {
+    if (get_raw_scanfrom(t) != NO_SCANFROM) {
         if (t->complete_through != NO_DATE) {
-            if (t->complete_through+1 > t->scanfrom) {
+            if (t->complete_through+1 > get_raw_scanfrom(t)) {
                 return t->complete_through+1;
             } else {
-                return t->scanfrom;
+                return get_raw_scanfrom(t);
             }
         } else {
-            return t->scanfrom;
+            return get_raw_scanfrom(t);
         }
     }
     if (t->complete_through != NO_DATE) {
@@ -570,9 +578,8 @@ static int GetFullDate(ParsePtr s, char const *prefix, int *dse)
                 return E_DAY_TWICE;
             }
             *dse = tok.val;
-            /* Prevent further parsing of date */
-            FromDSE(*dse, &y, &m, &d);
-            break;
+            /* We're done here! */
+            return OK;
 
         default:
             if (tok.type == T_Illegal && tok.val < 0) {
@@ -635,7 +642,7 @@ int ParseRem(ParsePtr s, Trigger *trig, TimeTrig *tim)
     trig->addomit = 0;
     trig->noqueue = 0;
     trig->typ = NO_TYPE;
-    trig->scanfrom = NO_DATE;
+    trig->scanfrom = NO_SCANFROM;
     trig->from = NO_DATE;
     trig->priority = DefaultPrio;
     trig->sched[0] = 0;
@@ -1015,8 +1022,8 @@ int ParseRem(ParsePtr s, Trigger *trig, TimeTrig *tim)
             if (trig->until != NO_UNTIL && trig->until < trig->from) {
                 Wprint(tr("Warning: UNTIL/THROUGH date earlier than FROM date"));
             }
-        } else if (trig->scanfrom != NO_DATE) {
-            if (trig->until != NO_UNTIL && trig->until < trig->scanfrom) {
+        } else if (get_raw_scanfrom(trig) != NO_SCANFROM) {
+            if (trig->until != NO_UNTIL && trig->until < get_raw_scanfrom(trig)) {
                 Wprint(tr("Warning: UNTIL/THROUGH date earlier than SCANFROM date"));
             }
         }
@@ -1026,11 +1033,6 @@ int ParseRem(ParsePtr s, Trigger *trig, TimeTrig *tim)
         Wprint(tr("Warning: Useless use of UNTIL with fully-specified date and no *rep"));
     }
 
-    /* Set scanfrom to default if not set explicitly */
-    /* if (trig->scanfrom == NO_DATE) {
-        trig->scanfrom = DSEToday;
-    } */
-
     /* Check that any SCHED / WARN / OMITFUNC functions refer to
        their arguments */
     check_trigger_function(trig->sched, "SCHED");
@@ -1173,7 +1175,7 @@ static int ParseScanFrom(ParsePtr s, Trigger *t, int type)
         word = "FROM";
     }
 
-    if (t->scanfrom != NO_DATE) return E_SCAN_TWICE;
+    if (t->scanfrom != NO_SCANFROM) return E_SCAN_TWICE;
 
     while(1) {
         r = ParseToken(s, &buf);
@@ -1221,8 +1223,16 @@ static int ParseScanFrom(ParsePtr s, Trigger *t, int type)
                 Eprint("%s: %s", word, GetErr(E_DAY_TWICE));
                 return E_DAY_TWICE;
             }
-            FromDSE(tok.val, &y, &m, &d);
-            break;
+            t->scanfrom = tok.val;
+            if (type == FROM_TYPE) {
+                t->from = t->scanfrom;
+                if (t->scanfrom < DSEToday) {
+                    t->scanfrom = DSEToday;
+                }
+            } else {
+                t->from = NO_DATE;
+            }
+            return OK;
 
         case T_Back:
             DBufFree(&buf);
@@ -1242,15 +1252,14 @@ static int ParseScanFrom(ParsePtr s, Trigger *t, int type)
                 Eprint("%s: %s", word, GetErr(E_DAY_TWICE));
                 return E_DAY_TWICE;
             }
-            if (tok.val < 0) {
+            if (tok.val > 0) {
                 tok.val = -tok.val;
             }
-            FromDSE(DSEToday - tok.val, &y, &m, &d);
-            /* Don't purge reminders with a relative scanfrom */
+            t->scanfrom = tok.val;
             s->expr_happened = 1;
             nonconst_debug(s->nonconst_expr, tr("Relative SCANFROM counts as a non-constant expression"));
             s->nonconst_expr = 1;
-            break;
+            return OK;
 
         default:
             if (tok.type == T_Illegal && tok.val < 0) {
diff --git a/src/protos.h b/src/protos.h
index d4fe5c60..3b190518 100644
--- a/src/protos.h
+++ b/src/protos.h
@@ -291,4 +291,5 @@ void pop_excess_ifs(char const *fname);
 void SetCurrentFilename(char const *fname);
 char const *GetCurrentFilename(void);
 int get_scanfrom(Trigger const *t);
+int get_raw_scanfrom(Trigger const *t);
 void remove_trailing_newlines(DynamicBuffer *buf);
diff --git a/src/types.h b/src/types.h
index f68a7cd7..1586f98a 100644
--- a/src/types.h
+++ b/src/types.h
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ typedef Parser *ParsePtr;  /* Pointer to parser structure */
 #define AFTER_SKIP 3
 
 #define NO_TIME INT_MAX
+#define NO_SCANFROM INT_MIN
 
 #define NO_PRIORITY 5000 /* Default priority is midway between 0 and 9999 */