diff --git a/common/djangoapps/course_modes/migrations/0002_coursemode_expiration_datetime_is_explicit.py b/common/djangoapps/course_modes/migrations/0002_coursemode_expiration_datetime_is_explicit.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ea6a60134212f2798782c94ed18bdee075e68e2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/course_modes/migrations/0002_coursemode_expiration_datetime_is_explicit.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('course_modes', '0001_initial'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='coursemode',
+            name='expiration_datetime_is_explicit',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/course_modes/models.py b/common/djangoapps/course_modes/models.py
index 55d0148edbdfe6ffaad282ad7c2497b02a55dc15..2c43d80ceee7a476a164e48a2f954b6f39e66e4d 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/course_modes/models.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/course_modes/models.py
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ class CourseMode(models.Model):
         ),
     )
 
+    # The system prefers to set this automatically based on default settings. But
+    # if the field is set manually we want a way to indicate that so we don't
+    # overwrite the manual setting of the field.
+    expiration_datetime_is_explicit = models.BooleanField(default=True)
+
     # DEPRECATED: the `expiration_date` field has been replaced by `expiration_datetime`
     expiration_date = models.DateField(default=None, null=True, blank=True)
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/migrations/0002_auto_20151124_1024.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/migrations/0002_auto_20151124_1024.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f8def88eef11c35fe48252f476f8160071080638
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/migrations/0002_auto_20151124_1024.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('verify_student', '0001_initial'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='historicalverificationdeadline',
+            name='deadline_is_explicit',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='verificationdeadline',
+            name='deadline_is_explicit',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/models.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/models.py
index 0db3f3e50e0d5ee8d750c90888313b2b48e969be..2b42ce05dbe7155a19505009ecb07866de95a8fb 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/models.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/models.py
@@ -955,6 +955,11 @@ class VerificationDeadline(TimeStampedModel):
         )
     )
 
+    # The system prefers to set this automatically based on default settings. But
+    # if the field is set manually we want a way to indicate that so we don't
+    # overwrite the manual setting of the field.
+    deadline_is_explicit = models.BooleanField(default=True)
+
     # Maintain a history of changes to deadlines for auditing purposes
     history = HistoricalRecords()