diff --git a/app/jobs/amend_backorder_job.rb b/app/jobs/amend_backorder_job.rb
index b4d2bf0506e..883bed53284 100644
--- a/app/jobs/amend_backorder_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/amend_backorder_job.rb
@@ -23,8 +23,16 @@ def perform(order)
   def amend_backorder(order)
     backorder = BackorderUpdater.new.amend_backorder(order)
 
-    user = order.distributor.owner
-    urls = nil # Not needed to send order. The backorder id is the URL.
-    FdcBackorderer.new(user, urls).send_order(backorder) if backorder
+    if backorder
+      user = order.distributor.owner
+      urls = nil # Not needed to send order. The backorder id is the URL.
+      FdcBackorderer.new(user, urls).send_order(backorder)
+    elsif !order.order_cycle.closed?
+
+      # We don't have an order to amend but the order cycle is or will open.
+      # We can assume that this job was triggered by an admin creating a new
+      # order or adding backorderable items to an order.
+      BackorderJob.new.place_backorder(order)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/services/backorder_updater.rb b/app/services/backorder_updater.rb
index bb163c8be0a..e0a4ec8febf 100644
--- a/app/services/backorder_updater.rb
+++ b/app/services/backorder_updater.rb
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def amend_backorder(order)
 
     backorder = orderer.find_open_order(order)
 
-    update(backorder, user, distributor, order_cycle)
+    update(backorder, user, distributor, order_cycle) if backorder
   end
 
   # Update a given backorder according to a distributor's order cycle.
diff --git a/spec/jobs/amend_backorder_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/amend_backorder_job_spec.rb
index bde82b0741b..3216b109da5 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/amend_backorder_job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/amend_backorder_job_spec.rb
@@ -130,5 +130,32 @@
         .to change { backorder.lines.count }.from(2).to(1)
         .and change { beans.reload.on_hand }.by(-12)
     end
+
+    it "creates a new order" do
+      stub_request(:get, catalog_url).to_return(body: catalog_json)
+
+      # Record the placed backorder:
+      backorder = nil
+      allow_any_instance_of(FdcBackorderer).to receive(:find_order) do |*_args|
+        backorder
+      end
+      allow_any_instance_of(FdcBackorderer).to receive(:send_order) do |*args|
+        backorder = args[1]
+      end
+
+      # Call amending before a backorder has been placed.
+      expect { subject.amend_backorder(order) }
+        .to change { backorder.present? }
+        .to(true)
+
+      # We ordered a case of 12 cans: -3 + 12 = 9
+      expect(beans.on_hand).to eq 9
+
+      # Stock controlled items don't change stock in backorder:
+      expect(chia_seed.on_hand).to eq 7
+
+      expect(backorder.lines[0].quantity).to eq 1 # beans
+      expect(backorder.lines[1].quantity).to eq 5 # chia
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/services/backorder_updater_spec.rb b/spec/services/backorder_updater_spec.rb
index 48aa125fdc2..3dace910760 100644
--- a/spec/services/backorder_updater_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/backorder_updater_spec.rb
@@ -107,6 +107,13 @@
         .to change { backorder.lines.count }.from(2).to(1)
         .and change { beans.reload.on_hand }.by(-12)
     end
+
+    it "skips updating if there's is no backorder" do
+      allow_any_instance_of(FdcBackorderer).to receive(:find_open_order)
+        .and_return(nil)
+
+      expect { subject.amend_backorder(order) }.not_to raise_error
+    end
   end
 
   describe "#distributed_linked_variants" do