diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug22607_set_issues_renewals_default_to_zero.perl b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug22607_set_issues_renewals_default_to_zero.perl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be7157fff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug22607_set_issues_renewals_default_to_zero.perl
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+$DBversion = 'XXX'; # will be replaced by the RM
+if( CheckVersion( $DBversion ) ) {
+
+    $dbh->do( "UPDATE issues SET renewals = 0 WHERE renewals IS NULL" );
+    $dbh->do( "UPDATE old_issues SET renewals = 0 WHERE renewals IS NULL" );
+
+    $dbh->do( "ALTER TABLE issues MODIFY COLUMN renewals tinyint(4) NOT NULL default 0");
+    $dbh->do( "ALTER TABLE old_issues MODIFY COLUMN renewals tinyint(4) NOT NULL default 0");
+
+    # Always end with this (adjust the bug info)
+    SetVersion( $DBversion );
+    print "Upgrade to $DBversion done (Bug XXXXX - Set default value of issues.renewals to 0)\n";
+}
diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql b/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql
index 2feb824b78..54d02c4bd0 100644
--- a/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql
@@ -1761,7 +1761,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `issues` ( -- information related to check outs or issues
   `branchcode` varchar(10) default NULL, -- foreign key, linking to the branches table for the location the item was checked out
   `returndate` datetime default NULL, -- date the item was returned, will be NULL until moved to old_issues
   `lastreneweddate` datetime default NULL, -- date the item was last renewed
-  `renewals` tinyint(4) default NULL, -- lists the number of times the item was renewed
+  `renewals` tinyint(4) NOT NULL default 0, -- lists the number of times the item was renewed
   `auto_renew` BOOLEAN default FALSE, -- automatic renewal
   `auto_renew_error` varchar(32) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci DEFAULT NULL, -- automatic renewal error
   `timestamp` timestamp NOT NULL default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, -- the date and time this record was last touched
@@ -1793,7 +1793,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `old_issues` ( -- lists items that were checked out and have been r
   `branchcode` varchar(10) default NULL, -- foreign key, linking to the branches table for the location the item was checked out
   `returndate` datetime default NULL, -- date the item was returned
   `lastreneweddate` datetime default NULL, -- date the item was last renewed
-  `renewals` tinyint(4) default NULL, -- lists the number of times the item was renewed
+  `renewals` tinyint(4) NOT NULL default 0, -- lists the number of times the item was renewed
   `auto_renew` BOOLEAN default FALSE, -- automatic renewal
   `auto_renew_error` varchar(32) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci DEFAULT NULL, -- automatic renewal error
   `timestamp` timestamp NOT NULL default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, -- the date and time this record was last touched