diff --git a/models/actions/run.go b/models/actions/run.go
index 27958d6fb6..bce356c0e2 100644
--- a/models/actions/run.go
+++ b/models/actions/run.go
@@ -153,7 +153,11 @@ func (run *ActionRun) LoadRepo(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 func (run *ActionRun) Duration() time.Duration {
-	return calculateDuration(run.Started, run.Stopped, run.Status) + run.PreviousDuration
+	d := calculateDuration(run.Started, run.Stopped, run.Status, run.Updated) + run.PreviousDuration
+	if d < 0 {
+		return 0
+	}
+	return d
 }
 
 func (run *ActionRun) GetPushEventPayload() (*api.PushPayload, error) {
diff --git a/models/actions/run_job.go b/models/actions/run_job.go
index f89f4e9f87..d1e5d1e938 100644
--- a/models/actions/run_job.go
+++ b/models/actions/run_job.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func (job *ActionRunJob) Duration() time.Duration {
-	return calculateDuration(job.Started, job.Stopped, job.Status)
+	return calculateDuration(job.Started, job.Stopped, job.Status, job.Updated)
 }
 
 func (job *ActionRunJob) LoadRun(ctx context.Context) error {
diff --git a/models/actions/run_test.go b/models/actions/run_test.go
index bd2b92f4f6..e1c884518f 100644
--- a/models/actions/run_test.go
+++ b/models/actions/run_test.go
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ package actions
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/db"
 	repo_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/repo"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/unittest"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/timeutil"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -33,3 +35,13 @@ func TestUpdateRepoRunsNumbers(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 5, repo.NumActionRuns)
 	assert.Equal(t, 3, repo.NumClosedActionRuns)
 }
+
+func TestActionRun_Duration_NonNegative(t *testing.T) {
+	run := &ActionRun{
+		Started:          timeutil.TimeStamp(100),
+		Stopped:          timeutil.TimeStamp(200),
+		Status:           StatusSuccess,
+		PreviousDuration: -time.Hour,
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Duration(0), run.Duration())
+}
diff --git a/models/actions/task.go b/models/actions/task.go
index e092d6fbbd..77139ddcea 100644
--- a/models/actions/task.go
+++ b/models/actions/task.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func (task *ActionTask) Duration() time.Duration {
-	return calculateDuration(task.Started, task.Stopped, task.Status)
+	return calculateDuration(task.Started, task.Stopped, task.Status, task.Updated)
 }
 
 func (task *ActionTask) IsStopped() bool {
diff --git a/models/actions/task_step.go b/models/actions/task_step.go
index 03ffbf1931..3b477d8483 100644
--- a/models/actions/task_step.go
+++ b/models/actions/task_step.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type ActionTaskStep struct {
 }
 
 func (step *ActionTaskStep) Duration() time.Duration {
-	return calculateDuration(step.Started, step.Stopped, step.Status)
+	return calculateDuration(step.Started, step.Stopped, step.Status, step.Updated)
 }
 
 func init() {
diff --git a/models/actions/utils.go b/models/actions/utils.go
index f6ba661ae3..1101a36cfc 100644
--- a/models/actions/utils.go
+++ b/models/actions/utils.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	auth_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/auth"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/timeutil"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 )
@@ -72,13 +73,25 @@ func (indexes *LogIndexes) ToDB() ([]byte, error) {
 
 var timeSince = time.Since
 
-func calculateDuration(started, stopped timeutil.TimeStamp, status Status) time.Duration {
+// calculateDuration computes wall time for a run, job, task, or step. When status is terminal
+// but stopped is missing or inconsistent with started, fallbackEnd (typically the row Updated
+// time) is used so duration still reflects approximate elapsed time instead of 0 or a negative.
+func calculateDuration(started, stopped timeutil.TimeStamp, status Status, fallbackEnd timeutil.TimeStamp) time.Duration {
 	if started == 0 {
 		return 0
 	}
 	s := started.AsTime()
 	if status.IsDone() {
-		return stopped.AsTime().Sub(s)
+		end := stopped
+		if stopped.IsZero() || stopped < started {
+			if !fallbackEnd.IsZero() && fallbackEnd >= started {
+				end = fallbackEnd
+			} else {
+				log.Trace("actions: invalid duration timestamps (started=%d, stopped=%d, fallbackEnd=%d, status=%s)", started, stopped, fallbackEnd, status)
+				return 0
+			}
+		}
+		return end.AsTime().Sub(s)
 	}
 	return timeSince(s).Truncate(time.Second)
 }
diff --git a/models/actions/utils_test.go b/models/actions/utils_test.go
index 98c048d4ef..2f7e7da360 100644
--- a/models/actions/utils_test.go
+++ b/models/actions/utils_test.go
@@ -45,9 +45,10 @@ func Test_calculateDuration(t *testing.T) {
 		return timeutil.TimeStamp(1000).AsTime().Sub(t)
 	}
 	type args struct {
-		started timeutil.TimeStamp
-		stopped timeutil.TimeStamp
-		status  Status
+		started     timeutil.TimeStamp
+		stopped     timeutil.TimeStamp
+		status      Status
+		fallbackEnd timeutil.TimeStamp
 	}
 	tests := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -81,10 +82,48 @@ func Test_calculateDuration(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: 100 * time.Second,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "done_stopped_zero_no_fallback",
+			args: args{
+				started: 500,
+				stopped: 0,
+				status:  StatusSuccess,
+			},
+			want: 0,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "done_stopped_zero_uses_fallback",
+			args: args{
+				started:     500,
+				stopped:     0,
+				status:      StatusSuccess,
+				fallbackEnd: 600,
+			},
+			want: 100 * time.Second,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "done_stopped_before_started_no_fallback",
+			args: args{
+				started: 600,
+				stopped: 550,
+				status:  StatusSuccess,
+			},
+			want: 0,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "done_stopped_before_started_uses_fallback",
+			args: args{
+				started:     600,
+				stopped:     550,
+				status:      StatusSuccess,
+				fallbackEnd: 650,
+			},
+			want: 50 * time.Second,
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			assert.Equalf(t, tt.want, calculateDuration(tt.args.started, tt.args.stopped, tt.args.status), "calculateDuration(%v, %v, %v)", tt.args.started, tt.args.stopped, tt.args.status)
+			assert.Equalf(t, tt.want, calculateDuration(tt.args.started, tt.args.stopped, tt.args.status, tt.args.fallbackEnd), "calculateDuration(%v, %v, %v, %v)", tt.args.started, tt.args.stopped, tt.args.status, tt.args.fallbackEnd)
 		})
 	}
 }