diff --git a/flexget/components/series/db.py b/flexget/components/series/db.py
index 452dafd6df..5526d21088 100644
--- a/flexget/components/series/db.py
+++ b/flexget/components/series/db.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 )
 from flexget.utils.tools import parse_episode_identifier
 
-SCHEMA_VER = 14
+SCHEMA_VER = 15
 logger = logger.bind(name='series.db')
 Base = db_schema.versioned_base('series', SCHEMA_VER)
 
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ class Episode(Base):
 
     season = Column(Integer)
     number = Column(Integer)
+    special = Column(Boolean, default=False)
 
     identified_by = Column(String)
     series_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey('series.id'), nullable=False)
@@ -315,6 +316,10 @@ def is_premiere(self):
             return 'Season Premiere'
         return False
 
+    @property
+    def is_special(self):
+        return self.identified_by == 'special' or self.special
+
     @property
     def downloaded_releases(self):
         return [release for release in self.releases if release.downloaded]
@@ -407,6 +412,7 @@ def to_dict(self):
             'season': self.season,
             'identified_by': self.identified_by,
             'number': self.number,
+            'special': self.special,
             'series_id': self.series_id,
             'first_seen': self.first_seen,
             'premiere': self.is_premiere,
@@ -717,6 +723,11 @@ def upgrade(ver, session):
         # New season_releases table, added by "create_all"
         logger.info('Adding season_releases table')
         ver = 14
+    if ver == 14:
+        # New season_releases table, added by "create_all"
+        logger.info('Adding special column to series_episodes table')
+        table_add_column('series_episodes', 'special', Boolean, session)
+        ver = 15
     return ver
 
 
@@ -1464,6 +1475,7 @@ def store_parser(session, parser, series=None, quality=None):
                 elif parser.id_type == 'sequence':
                     episode.season = 0
                     episode.number = parser.id + ix
+                episode.special = parser.special
                 series.episodes.append(episode)  # pylint:disable=E1103
                 logger.debug('-> added `{}`', episode)
             session.flush()
diff --git a/flexget/components/series/series.py b/flexget/components/series/series.py
index 7a1b0d7d7e..2f81fbcc46 100644
--- a/flexget/components/series/series.py
+++ b/flexget/components/series/series.py
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ def _exclude_season_on_accept(
                     continue
 
             # skip special episodes if special handling has been turned off
-            if not config.get('specials', True) and entity.identified_by == 'special':
+            if not config.get('specials', True) and entity.is_special:
                 logger.debug('Skipping special episode as support is turned off.')
                 continue
 
diff --git a/flexget/utils/parsers/series.py b/flexget/utils/parsers/series.py
index 04f9d5bcf6..ef8999549d 100644
--- a/flexget/utils/parsers/series.py
+++ b/flexget/utils/parsers/series.py
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ def parse(self, data=None, field=None, quality=None):
                 data_parts.remove(part)
             elif part in self.specials:
                 self.special = True
+                self.special_title = True
                 data_parts.remove(part)
 
         data_stripped = ' '.join(data_parts).strip()
@@ -381,6 +382,9 @@ def parse(self, data=None, field=None, quality=None):
                 self.id = (self.season, self.episode)
                 self.id_type = 'ep'
                 self.valid = True
+                if self.season == 0 and self.episode > 0:
+                    self.special = True
+                    self.special_season = True
                 if not (self.special and self.prefer_specials):
                     return
             else: