diff --git a/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidator.java b/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidator.java
index c8a4fb436594..631ed536cfbb 100644
--- a/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidator.java
+++ b/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidator.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public void validate(Reporter reporter, TrackerBundle bundle, Event event) {
     }
     validateExpiryPeriodType(reporter, event, program, bundle.getUser());
     validateCompletedDateIsSetOnlyForSupportedStatus(reporter, event);
-    validateCompletionExpiryDays(reporter, event, program, bundle.getUser());
+    validateCompletionExpiryDays(reporter, preheat, event, program, bundle.getUser());
   }
 
   private void validateCompletedDateIsSetOnlyForSupportedStatus(Reporter reporter, Event event) {
@@ -87,19 +87,58 @@ private void validateCompletedDateIsSetOnlyForSupportedStatus(Reporter reporter,
   }
 
   private void validateCompletionExpiryDays(
-      Reporter reporter, Event event, Program program, UserDetails user) {
-    if (event.getCompletedAt() == null || user.isAuthorized(Authorities.F_EDIT_EXPIRED.name())) {
+      Reporter reporter, TrackerPreheat preheat, Event event, Program program, UserDetails user) {
+    if (program.getCompleteEventsExpiryDays() == 0
+        || user.isAuthorized(Authorities.F_EDIT_EXPIRED.name())) {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (program.getCompleteEventsExpiryDays() > 0
-        && EventStatus.COMPLETED == event.getStatus()
-        && now()
-            .isAfter(event.getCompletedAt().plus(ofDays(program.getCompleteEventsExpiryDays())))) {
+    Instant completedAt = getCompletedDate(preheat, event);
+
+    if (completedAt != null
+        && now().isAfter(completedAt.plus(ofDays(program.getCompleteEventsExpiryDays())))) {
       reporter.addError(event, E1043, event);
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the completion date the expiry check should be anchored to, or {@code null} if the
+   * event is not completed.
+   *
+   * <p>When the event is already completed in the database, the persisted completion date is used.
+   * This makes the expiry check work even when the update payload does not include {@code
+   * completedAt}, and prevents the payload from resetting the expiry clock on an already completed
+   * event. Otherwise, when the payload itself completes the event, its completion date is used.
+   */
+  private Instant getCompletedDate(TrackerPreheat preheat, Event event) {
+    Date persistedCompletedDate = getPersistedCompletedDate(preheat, event);
+    if (persistedCompletedDate != null) {
+      return persistedCompletedDate.toInstant();
+    }
+
+    if (EventStatus.COMPLETED == event.getStatus()) {
+      return event.getCompletedAt();
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  private Date getPersistedCompletedDate(TrackerPreheat preheat, Event event) {
+    if (event instanceof TrackerEvent) {
+      org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.TrackerEvent persisted =
+          preheat.getTrackerEvent(event.getEvent());
+      return persisted != null && EventStatus.COMPLETED == persisted.getStatus()
+          ? persisted.getCompletedDate()
+          : null;
+    } else if (event instanceof SingleEvent) {
+      org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.SingleEvent persisted = preheat.getSingleEvent(event.getEvent());
+      return persisted != null && EventStatus.COMPLETED == persisted.getStatus()
+          ? persisted.getCompletedDate()
+          : null;
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
   private void validateExpiryPeriodType(
       Reporter reporter, Event event, Program program, UserDetails user) {
     PeriodType periodType = program.getExpiryPeriodType();
diff --git a/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidatorTest.java b/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidatorTest.java
index 4f2927726599..b4e659fcb8ce 100644
--- a/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidatorTest.java
+++ b/dhis-2/dhis-tracker/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/tracker/imports/validation/validator/event/DateValidatorTest.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.time.LocalDateTime;
 import java.time.ZoneOffset;
+import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import org.hisp.dhis.common.UID;
 import org.hisp.dhis.event.EventStatus;
@@ -196,6 +197,118 @@ void shouldFailWhenTrackerEventCompletedAtIsTooSoonAndEventIsCompleted() {
     assertHasError(reporter, event, E1043);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void shouldFailWhenTrackerEventCompletionHasExpiredEvenIfPayloadHasNoCompletedAt() {
+    when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
+    UID uid = UID.generate();
+    when(preheat.getTrackerEvent(uid)).thenReturn(completedTrackerEvent(sevenDaysAgo()));
+    Event event =
+        TrackerEvent.builder()
+            .event(uid)
+            .program(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))
+            .occurredAt(now())
+            .status(EventStatus.COMPLETED)
+            .build();
+
+    validator.validate(reporter, bundle, event);
+
+    assertHasError(reporter, event, E1043);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void shouldFailWhenTrackerEventCompletionHasExpiredEvenIfPayloadHasNoStatusNorCompletedAt() {
+    when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
+    UID uid = UID.generate();
+    when(preheat.getTrackerEvent(uid)).thenReturn(completedTrackerEvent(sevenDaysAgo()));
+    Event event =
+        TrackerEvent.builder()
+            .event(uid)
+            .program(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))
+            .occurredAt(now())
+            .build();
+
+    validator.validate(reporter, bundle, event);
+
+    assertHasError(reporter, event, E1043);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void shouldFailWhenSingleEventCompletionHasExpiredEvenIfPayloadHasNoCompletedAt() {
+    when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
+    UID uid = UID.generate();
+    when(preheat.getSingleEvent(uid)).thenReturn(completedSingleEvent(sevenDaysAgo()));
+    Event event =
+        SingleEvent.builder()
+            .event(uid)
+            .program(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))
+            .occurredAt(now())
+            .status(EventStatus.COMPLETED)
+            .build();
+
+    validator.validate(reporter, bundle, event);
+
+    assertHasError(reporter, event, E1043);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void shouldUsePersistedCompletionDateAndIgnorePayloadCompletedAtWhenAlreadyCompleted() {
+    when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
+    UID uid = UID.generate();
+    // event was completed in the database long ago (expired)...
+    when(preheat.getTrackerEvent(uid)).thenReturn(completedTrackerEvent(sevenDaysAgo()));
+    Event event =
+        TrackerEvent.builder()
+            .event(uid)
+            .program(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))
+            .occurredAt(now())
+            // ...so a fresh completedAt in the payload must not reset the expiry clock
+            .completedAt(now())
+            .status(EventStatus.COMPLETED)
+            .build();
+
+    validator.validate(reporter, bundle, event);
+
+    assertHasError(reporter, event, E1043);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void shouldPassWhenTrackerEventPersistedCompletionIsWithinExpiryDays() {
+    when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
+    UID uid = UID.generate();
+    when(preheat.getTrackerEvent(uid)).thenReturn(completedTrackerEvent(twoDaysAgo()));
+    Event event =
+        TrackerEvent.builder()
+            .event(uid)
+            .program(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))
+            .occurredAt(now())
+            .status(EventStatus.COMPLETED)
+            .build();
+
+    validator.validate(reporter, bundle, event);
+
+    assertIsEmpty(reporter.getErrors());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void shouldPassWhenPersistedCompletionHasExpiredButUserIsAuthorized() {
+    when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
+    UID uid = UID.generate();
+    UserDetails user = mock(UserDetails.class);
+    when(user.isAuthorized(Authorities.F_EDIT_EXPIRED.name())).thenReturn(true);
+    bundle.setUser(user);
+    Event event =
+        TrackerEvent.builder()
+            .event(uid)
+            .program(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))
+            .occurredAt(now())
+            .status(EventStatus.COMPLETED)
+            .build();
+
+    validator.validate(reporter, bundle, event);
+
+    assertIsEmpty(reporter.getErrors());
+  }
+
   @Test
   void shouldFailWhenTrackerEventOccurredAtAndScheduledAtAreNotPresent() {
     when(preheat.getProgram(MetadataIdentifier.ofUid(PROGRAM_ID))).thenReturn(getProgram(5));
@@ -292,6 +405,22 @@ private static Stream<Arguments> getEvents() {
     return Stream.of(Arguments.of(trackerEvent), Arguments.of(singleEvent));
   }
 
+  private static org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.TrackerEvent completedTrackerEvent(
+      Instant completedDate) {
+    org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.TrackerEvent event = new org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.TrackerEvent();
+    event.setStatus(EventStatus.COMPLETED);
+    event.setCompletedDate(Date.from(completedDate));
+    return event;
+  }
+
+  private static org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.SingleEvent completedSingleEvent(
+      Instant completedDate) {
+    org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.SingleEvent event = new org.hisp.dhis.tracker.model.SingleEvent();
+    event.setStatus(EventStatus.COMPLETED);
+    event.setCompletedDate(Date.from(completedDate));
+    return event;
+  }
+
   private Program getProgram(int expiryDays) {
     Program program = createProgram('A');
     program.setUid(PROGRAM_ID);
@@ -309,6 +438,10 @@ private static Instant sevenDaysAgo() {
     return LocalDateTime.now().minusDays(7).toInstant(ZoneOffset.UTC);
   }
 
+  private static Instant twoDaysAgo() {
+    return LocalDateTime.now().minusDays(2).toInstant(ZoneOffset.UTC);
+  }
+
   private Instant sevenDaysLater() {
     return LocalDateTime.now().plusDays(7).toInstant(ZoneOffset.UTC);
   }