diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 67a8fcbf5..d4675334b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
    values. 
  + Fixed bug #444, which made task shell unusable after canceling out of an
    undo command.
+ + Fixed bug #449, so the wait: attribute can be applied to a task at any
+   time, not just on add.
 
 ------ old releases ------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/command.cpp b/src/command.cpp
index fb10ba4f0..56e4ed14e 100644
--- a/src/command.cpp
+++ b/src/command.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,12 @@ int handleAdd (std::string &outs)
       context.task.setStatus (Task::recurring);
       context.task.set ("mask", "");
     }
+
+    // Tasks with a wait: date get a special status.
     else if (context.task.has ("wait"))
       context.task.setStatus (Task::waiting);
+
+    // By default, tasks are pending.
     else
       context.task.setStatus (Task::pending);
 
@@ -1335,7 +1339,8 @@ int handleDone (std::string &outs)
     bool nagged = false;
     foreach (task, tasks)
     {
-      if ((task->getStatus () == Task::pending) || (task->getStatus () == Task::waiting))
+      if (task->getStatus () == Task::pending ||
+          task->getStatus () == Task::waiting)
       {
         Task before (*task);
 
@@ -2298,9 +2303,15 @@ int deltaAttributes (Task& task)
       if (att->second.name () == "wait")
       {
         if (att->second.value () == "")
+        {
+          task.remove (att->first);
           task.setStatus (Task::pending);
+        }
         else
+        {
+          task.set (att->first, att->second.value ());
           task.setStatus (Task::waiting);
+        }
       }
 
       // Modifying dependencies requires adding/removing uuids.
diff --git a/src/import.cpp b/src/import.cpp
index 0c5fb95c5..7815de337 100644
--- a/src/import.cpp
+++ b/src/import.cpp
@@ -1075,6 +1075,7 @@ static std::string importCSV (const std::vector <std::string>& lines)
       {
         std::string value = lowerCase (unquoteText (trim (fields[f])));
 
+        // TODO What happened to "pending"?
              if (value == "recurring") task.setStatus (Task::recurring);
         else if (value == "deleted")   task.setStatus (Task::deleted);
         else if (value == "completed") task.setStatus (Task::completed);
diff --git a/src/tests/wait.t b/src/tests/wait.t
index a75c952d4..2f2ef76f5 100755
--- a/src/tests/wait.t
+++ b/src/tests/wait.t
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 use strict;
 use warnings;
-use Test::More tests => 9;
+use Test::More tests => 13;
 
 # Create the rc file.
 if (open my $fh, '>', 'wait.rc')
@@ -41,15 +41,25 @@ if (open my $fh, '>', 'wait.rc')
 }
 
 # Add a waiting task, check it is not there, wait, then check it is.
-qx{../task rc:wait.rc add -- yeswait};
-qx{../task rc:wait.rc add -- nowait};
-qx{../task rc:wait.rc 1 wait:1s};
+qx{../task rc:wait.rc add yeswait wait:2s};
+qx{../task rc:wait.rc add nowait};
 
 my $output = qx{../task rc:wait.rc ls};
 like ($output, qr/nowait/ms, 'non-waiting task visible');
 unlike ($output, qr/yeswait/ms, 'waiting task invisible');
 
-sleep 2;
+sleep 3;
+
+$output = qx{../task rc:wait.rc ls};
+like ($output, qr/nowait/ms, 'non-waiting task still visible');
+like ($output, qr/yeswait/ms, 'waiting task now visible');
+
+qx{../task rc:wait.rc 1 wait:2s};
+$output = qx{../task rc:wait.rc ls};
+like ($output, qr/nowait/ms, 'non-waiting task visible');
+unlike ($output, qr/yeswait/ms, 'waiting task invisible');
+
+sleep 3;
 
 $output = qx{../task rc:wait.rc ls};
 like ($output, qr/nowait/ms, 'non-waiting task still visible');