diff --git a/woo-business-central/includes/class-wbc-product-sync.php b/woo-business-central/includes/class-wbc-product-sync.php
index 43f9983..eb9af90 100644
--- a/woo-business-central/includes/class-wbc-product-sync.php
+++ b/woo-business-central/includes/class-wbc-product-sync.php
@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@ class WBC_Product_Sync {
         try {
             $product->set_sku( $sku );
             $product->set_status( get_option( 'wbc_new_product_status', 'draft' ) === 'publish' ? 'publish' : 'draft' );
+            $product->set_manage_stock( true );
             $product->save();
         } catch ( Exception $e ) {
             WBC_Logger::error( 'ProductSync', 'Failed to create WooCommerce product from BC item', array(
@@ -561,9 +562,16 @@ class WBC_Product_Sync {
             if ( get_option( 'wbc_enable_stock_sync', 'yes' ) === 'yes' ) {
                 $stock = isset( $item['inventory'] ) ? (float) $item['inventory'] : 0;
                 $current_stock = (float) $product->get_stock_quantity();
+                $needs_manage_stock = ! $product->get_manage_stock();
 
-                if ( $stock !== $current_stock ) {
-                    if ( ! $product->get_manage_stock() ) {
+                // Also run this when stock management isn't on yet, even if the
+                // (defaulted, unmanaged) current value happens to already equal
+                // the BC value - otherwise a brand-new product with 0 BC stock
+                // never gets manage_stock enabled (0 !== 0 looks like "no
+                // change") and is left at WooCommerce's default stock_status
+                // of "instock" with no quantity tracked at all.
+                if ( $stock !== $current_stock || $needs_manage_stock ) {
+                    if ( $needs_manage_stock ) {
                         $product->set_manage_stock( true );
                     }