diff --git a/changes/bug20875 b/changes/bug20875
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bba2cbc12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug20875
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Minor bugfixes (download scheduling)
+    - Resolve a "bug" warning when considering a download schedule whose
+      delay had approached INT_MAX. Fixes 20875; bugfix on 0.2.9.5-alpha.
+
diff --git a/src/or/directory.c b/src/or/directory.c
index 65ddd7d583..f0affbd395 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.c
+++ b/src/or/directory.c
@@ -3988,10 +3988,12 @@ STATIC int
 next_random_exponential_delay(int delay, int max_delay)
 {
   /* Check preconditions */
+  if (BUG(max_delay < 0))
+    max_delay = 0;
   if (BUG(delay > max_delay))
     delay = max_delay;
-  if (BUG(delay == INT_MAX))
-    delay -= 1; /* prevent overflow */
+  if (delay == INT_MAX)
+    return INT_MAX; /* prevent overflow */
   if (BUG(delay < 0))
     delay = 0;