diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/booklist.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/booklist.lua
index d8dc4a069..df22dae9a 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/booklist.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/booklist.lua
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ function BookList.setBookInfoCache(file, doc_settings)
         percent_finished = doc_settings:readSetting("percent_finished"),
     }
     local summary = doc_settings:readSetting("summary")
-    book_info.status = summary and summary.status or "reading"
+    book_info.status = summary and summary.status
+    if book_info.status == nil or BookList.getBookStatusString(book_info.status) == nil then
+        book_info.status = "reading"
+    end
     local pages = doc_settings:readSetting("doc_pages")
     if pages == nil then
         local stats = doc_settings:readSetting("stats")