diff --git a/app/controllers/versions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/versions_controller.rb
index e5bdfe34f84..597afd6e51c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/versions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/versions_controller.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ class VersionsController < ApplicationController
 
   def index
     set_page
+    @oldest_version_date = @rubygem.versions.oldest_authored_at
     @versions = @rubygem.versions.by_position.page(@page).per(Gemcutter::VERSIONS_PER_PAGE)
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/version.rb b/app/models/version.rb
index 32e61390acc..5e9bc1abe29 100644
--- a/app/models/version.rb
+++ b/app/models/version.rb
@@ -212,6 +212,19 @@ def rely_on_built_at?
     built_at && built_at <= RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE
   end
 
+  def self.oldest_authored_at
+    minimum(
+      <<~SQL.squish
+        CASE WHEN DATE(created_at) = '#{RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE}'
+            AND built_at <= created_at THEN
+            built_at
+        ELSE
+            created_at
+        END
+      SQL
+    )
+  end
+
   def refresh_rubygem_indexed
     rubygem.refresh_indexed!
   end
diff --git a/app/views/versions/index.html.erb b/app/views/versions/index.html.erb
index 94620b1f37d..3a8a919d373 100644
--- a/app/views/versions/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/versions/index.html.erb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <p><%= t('.not_hosted_notice') %></p>
   </div>
 <% else %>
-  <h3 class="t-list__heading"><%= t('.versions_since', :count => @versions.total_count, :since => nice_date_for(@versions.map(&:authored_at).min)) %>:</h3>
+  <h3 class="t-list__heading"><%= t('.versions_since', :count => @versions.total_count, :since => nice_date_for(@oldest_version_date)) %>:</h3>
   <div class="versions">
     <ul class="t-list__items">
       <%= render @versions %>
diff --git a/test/functional/versions_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/versions_controller_test.rb
index b7308c1912b..c9b2879644f 100644
--- a/test/functional/versions_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/versions_controller_test.rb
@@ -114,27 +114,37 @@ class VersionsControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
       end
 
       assert_select ".gem__version__date sup", text: "*", count: 1
+
+      assert_select ".t-list__heading", text: /1 version since January 01, 2000/, count: 1
     end
   end
 
   context "on GET to index" do
     setup do
       @rubygem = create(:rubygem)
-      create(:version, number: "1.1.2", rubygem: @rubygem)
+      @oldest_created_at = Date.parse("2010-01-01")
+      create(:version, number: "1.1.2", rubygem: @rubygem, position: 0)
+      create(:version, number: "1.1.1", rubygem: @rubygem, position: 1, created_at: @oldest_created_at)
     end
 
     should "get paginated result" do
-      # first page includes the only version
-      get :index, params: { rubygem_id: @rubygem.name }
-
-      assert_response :success
-      assert page.has_content?("1.1.2")
-
-      # second page does not include the only version
-      get :index, params: { rubygem_id: @rubygem.name, page: 2 }
-
-      assert_response :success
-      refute page.has_content?("1.1.2")
+      stub_const(Gemcutter, :VERSIONS_PER_PAGE, 1) do
+        # first page only includes the version at position 0
+        get :index, params: { rubygem_id: @rubygem.name }
+
+        assert_response :success
+        assert page.has_content?("1.1.2")
+        refute page.has_content?("1.1.1")
+        assert_select ".t-list__heading", text: /2 versions since January 01, 2010/, count: 1
+
+        # second page only includes the version at position 1
+        get :index, params: { rubygem_id: @rubygem.name, page: 2 }
+
+        assert_response :success
+        refute page.has_content?("1.1.2")
+        assert page.has_content?("1.1.1")
+        assert_select ".t-list__heading", text: /2 versions since January 01, 2010/, count: 1
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/models/version_test.rb b/test/models/version_test.rb
index 11bad71a8bb..d332ad8b174 100644
--- a/test/models/version_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/version_test.rb
@@ -242,6 +242,25 @@ class VersionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       end
     end
 
+    context ".oldest_authored_at scope" do
+      setup do
+        @built_at = Version::RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE - 60.days
+        @version.update(built_at: @built_at, created_at: Version::RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE)
+        _newer_version = create(:version, rubygem: @version.rubygem)
+      end
+
+      should "return the built_at of the oldest version when created_at is the same as RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE" do
+        assert_equal @built_at, Version.oldest_authored_at
+      end
+
+      should "return the created_at of the oldest version when created_at is not the same as RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE" do
+        created_at = Version::RUBYGEMS_IMPORT_DATE + 1.day
+        @version.update(created_at: created_at)
+
+        assert_equal created_at, Version.oldest_authored_at
+      end
+    end
+
     should "have a rubygems version" do
       @version.update(required_rubygems_version: @required_rubygems_version)
       new_version = Version.find(@version.id)