diff --git a/bin/named/statschannel.c b/bin/named/statschannel.c
index fdf39dd849..8b482e3a46 100644
--- a/bin/named/statschannel.c
+++ b/bin/named/statschannel.c
@@ -1647,8 +1647,9 @@ xfrin_xmlrender(dns_zone_t *zone, void *arg) {
 	TRY0(xmlTextWriterEndElement(writer));
 
 	TRY0(xmlTextWriterStartElement(writer, ISC_XMLCHAR "duration"));
-	if (is_running) {
-		isc_time_t start = dns_xfrin_getstarttime(xfr);
+	if (is_running || is_deferred || is_presoa || is_pending) {
+		isc_time_t start = is_running ? dns_xfrin_getstarttime(xfr)
+					      : dns_zone_getxfrintime(zone);
 		isc_time_t now = isc_time_now();
 		isc_time_t diff;
 		uint32_t sec;
@@ -2680,8 +2681,9 @@ xfrin_jsonrender(dns_zone_t *zone, void *arg) {
 		json_object_object_add(xfrinobj, "tsigkeyname", NULL);
 	}
 
-	if (is_running) {
-		isc_time_t start = dns_xfrin_getstarttime(xfr);
+	if (is_running || is_deferred || is_presoa || is_pending) {
+		isc_time_t start = is_running ? dns_xfrin_getstarttime(xfr)
+					      : dns_zone_getxfrintime(zone);
 		isc_time_t now = isc_time_now();
 		isc_time_t diff;
 		uint32_t sec;
diff --git a/doc/arm/reference.rst b/doc/arm/reference.rst
index ea4ae03c77..4f74713693 100644
--- a/doc/arm/reference.rst
+++ b/doc/arm/reference.rst
@@ -7582,7 +7582,8 @@ Incoming Zone Transfers
          ``Pending``
 	     The zone is flagged for a refresh, but the process is currently
 	     in the queue and will start shortly, or is in a waiting state
-	     because of rate-limiting, see :any:`serial-query-rate`.
+	     because of rate-limiting, see :any:`serial-query-rate`. The
+	     ``Duration (s)`` timer starts before entering this state.
 
          ``Refresh SOA``
 	     Sending a refresh SOA query to get the zone serial number, then
@@ -7590,16 +7591,19 @@ Incoming Zone Transfers
 	     the ``SOA Query`` and ``Got SOA`` states will be skipped.
 	     Otherwise, the zone transfer procedure can still be initiated,
 	     and the SOA request will be attempted using the same transport as
-	     the zone transfer.
+	     the zone transfer. The ``Duration (s)`` timer restarts before
+	     entering this state, and for each attempted primary server.
 
          ``Deferred``
 	     The zone is going to be refreshed, but the process was
 	     deferred due to quota, see :any:`transfers-in` and
-	     :any:`transfers-per-ns`.
+	     :any:`transfers-per-ns`. The ``Duration (s)`` timer restarts before
+	     entering this state.
 
          ``SOA Query``
 	     Sending SOA query to get the zone serial number, then
-	     follow with a zone transfer, if necessary.
+	     follow with a zone transfer, if necessary. The ``Duration (s)``
+	     timer restarts before entering this state.
 
          ``Got SOA``
 	     An answer for the SOA query from the previous step is
@@ -7607,7 +7611,8 @@ Incoming Zone Transfers
 
          ``Initial SOA``
 	     Waiting for the transfer to start, which is expected
-	     to begin with an initial SOA record.
+	     to begin with an initial SOA record. The ``Duration`` timer
+	     restarts before entering this state.
 
          ``First Data``
 	     Waiting for the first data record of the transfer.
@@ -7668,10 +7673,12 @@ Incoming Zone Transfers
 
    ``Duration (s)`` (``duration``)
       64 bit unsigned Integer. This is the time, in seconds, that
-      the transfer has been running so far. The clock starts after
-      the zone transfer process is initialized, and restarts shortly
-      after, when transport connection has been established and the
-      XFR request has been sent.
+      the current major state of the transfer process has been running so far.
+      The timer starts after the refresh SOA request is queued (before the
+      ``Pending`` state), then it restarts several times during the whole
+      process to indicate the duration of the current major state. See the
+      descriptions of the different states to find out the states, before which
+      this timer restarts.
 
    ``Messages Received`` (``nmsg``)
       64 bit unsigned Integer. This is the number of DNS messages
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
index c2ce8a7a5e..7df0f89a28 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
@@ -1479,6 +1479,20 @@ dns_zone_getsigresigninginterval(dns_zone_t *zone);
  * \li	'zone' to be a valid zone.
  */
 
+isc_time_t
+dns_zone_getxfrintime(const dns_zone_t *zone);
+/*%<
+ * Get the start time of the zone's latest major step before an incoming zone
+ * transfer is initiated. The time is set to the current time before the
+ * precursory SOA query is queued, then it gets reset when the query starts,
+ * when the query restarts (using another transport or another primary server),
+ * when an incoming zone transfer is initated and deferred, and, finally, when
+ * it gets started.
+ *
+ * Requires:
+ * \li	'zone' to be a valid zone.
+ */
+
 dns_transport_type_t
 dns_zone_getrequesttransporttype(dns_zone_t *zone);
 /*%<
diff --git a/lib/dns/zone.c b/lib/dns/zone.c
index fd4ab0546a..143e98d6b0 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/zone.c
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ struct dns_zone {
 	isc_time_t signingtime;
 	isc_time_t nsec3chaintime;
 	isc_time_t refreshkeytime;
+	isc_time_t xfrintime;
 	uint32_t refreshkeyinterval;
 	uint32_t refreshkeycount;
 	uint32_t refresh;
@@ -13870,6 +13871,10 @@ same_primary:
 	queue_soa_query(zone);
 
 detach:
+	if (do_queue_xfrin) {
+		/* Shows in the statistics channel the duration of the step. */
+		zone->xfrintime = isc_time_now();
+	}
 	UNLOCK_ZONE(zone);
 	if (do_queue_xfrin) {
 		queue_xfrin(zone);
@@ -13902,6 +13907,9 @@ queue_soa_query(dns_zone_t *zone) {
 	sq = isc_mem_get(zone->mctx, sizeof(*sq));
 	*sq = (struct soaquery){ .zone = NULL };
 
+	/* Shows in the statistics channel the duration of the current step. */
+	zone->xfrintime = isc_time_now();
+
 	/*
 	 * Attach so that we won't clean up until the event is delivered.
 	 */
@@ -14099,6 +14107,9 @@ again:
 			      isc_result_totext(result));
 		goto skip_primary;
 	} else {
+		/* Shows in the statistics channel the duration of the query. */
+		zone->xfrintime = isc_time_now();
+
 		if (isc_sockaddr_pf(&curraddr) == PF_INET) {
 			inc_stats(zone, dns_zonestatscounter_soaoutv4);
 		} else {
@@ -14122,6 +14133,10 @@ cleanup:
 	if (cancel) {
 		cancel_refresh(zone);
 	}
+	if (do_queue_xfrin) {
+		/* Shows in the statistics channel the duration of the step. */
+		zone->xfrintime = isc_time_now();
+	}
 	UNLOCK_ZONE(zone);
 	if (do_queue_xfrin) {
 		queue_xfrin(zone);
@@ -17573,6 +17588,13 @@ dns_zone_getsigresigninginterval(dns_zone_t *zone) {
 	return (zone->sigresigninginterval);
 }
 
+isc_time_t
+dns_zone_getxfrintime(const dns_zone_t *zone) {
+	REQUIRE(DNS_ZONE_VALID(zone));
+
+	return (zone->xfrintime);
+}
+
 static void
 queue_xfrin(dns_zone_t *zone) {
 	isc_result_t result;