diff --git a/taskchampion/src/task/status.rs b/taskchampion/src/task/status.rs
index 958fbc1c1..2b2afb6ba 100644
--- a/taskchampion/src/task/status.rs
+++ b/taskchampion/src/task/status.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-/// The status of a task.  The default status in "Pending".
+/// The status of a task, as defined by the task data model.
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Clone, strum_macros::Display)]
 pub enum Status {
     Pending,
     Completed,
     Deleted,
+    /// Unknown signifies a status in the task DB that was not
+    /// recognized.  This supports forward-compatibility if a
+    /// new status is added.  Tasks with unknown status should
+    /// be ignored (but not deleted).
+    Unknown(String),
 }
 
 impl Status {
@@ -14,7 +19,7 @@ impl Status {
             "pending" => Status::Pending,
             "completed" => Status::Completed,
             "deleted" => Status::Deleted,
-            _ => Status::Pending,
+            v => Status::Unknown(v.to_string()),
         }
     }
 
@@ -24,6 +29,7 @@ impl Status {
             Status::Pending => "pending",
             Status::Completed => "completed",
             Status::Deleted => "deleted",
+            Status::Unknown(v) => v.as_ref(),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -38,6 +44,7 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(Status::Pending.to_taskmap(), "pending");
         assert_eq!(Status::Completed.to_taskmap(), "completed");
         assert_eq!(Status::Deleted.to_taskmap(), "deleted");
+        assert_eq!(Status::Unknown("wishful".into()).to_taskmap(), "wishful");
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -45,7 +52,10 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(Status::from_taskmap("pending"), Status::Pending);
         assert_eq!(Status::from_taskmap("completed"), Status::Completed);
         assert_eq!(Status::from_taskmap("deleted"), Status::Deleted);
-        assert_eq!(Status::from_taskmap("something-else"), Status::Pending);
+        assert_eq!(
+            Status::from_taskmap("something-else"),
+            Status::Unknown("something-else".into())
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -53,5 +63,6 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(format!("{}", Status::Pending), "Pending");
         assert_eq!(format!("{}", Status::Completed), "Completed");
         assert_eq!(format!("{}", Status::Deleted), "Deleted");
+        assert_eq!(format!("{}", Status::Unknown("wishful".into())), "Unknown");
     }
 }