diff --git a/lib/tasks/backfill_stuck_needs_changes.rake b/lib/tasks/backfill_stuck_needs_changes.rake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0203f613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tasks/backfill_stuck_needs_changes.rake
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Before #683, Project#return_for_changes only allowed the under_review -> needs_changes
+# transition. A project that was approved, then later returned by YSWS and
+# sent back by Shipwrights on the same ship event, couldn't make that
+# transition from :approved, so it got stuck showing an unclickable
+# "Changes requested" badge forever. #683 fixed the transition going
+# forward; this repairs projects that got stuck before it merged.
+#
+# dry run:  bin/rails backfill:stuck_needs_changes
+# to apply: bin/rails backfill:stuck_needs_changes DRY_RUN=false
+
+namespace :backfill do
+  desc "Move projects stuck on 'approved' with a returned ship event into 'needs_changes'"
+  task stuck_needs_changes: :environment do
+    dry_run = ENV.fetch("DRY_RUN", "true") != "false"
+
+    puts dry_run ? "[DRY RUN] No changes will be written." : "Writing changes to the database."
+    puts
+
+    count = 0
+
+    Project.where(ship_status: "approved").find_each do |project|
+      ship_event = project.last_ship_event
+
+      next unless ship_event&.certification_status == "returned"
+
+      unless project.may_return_for_changes?
+        puts "  [SKIP] Project ##{project.id} \"#{project.title}\", can't return_for_changes from #{project.ship_status}"
+        next
+      end
+
+      puts "  [FIX] Project ##{project.id} \"#{project.title}\", ship event ##{ship_event.id}: approved → needs_changes"
+
+      project.return_for_changes! unless dry_run
+
+      count += 1
+    end
+
+    puts
+    puts "#{dry_run ? 'Would fix' : 'Fixed'} #{count} project(s)."
+    puts "Run with DRY_RUN=false to apply." if dry_run
+  end
+end