diff --git a/std/algorithm/iteration.d b/std/algorithm/iteration.d
index a5d1e51bd..4cbf903ee 100644
--- a/std/algorithm/iteration.d
+++ b/std/algorithm/iteration.d
@@ -6427,7 +6427,9 @@ $(DDSUBLINK spec/type,integer-promotions, integral promotion)).
 
 A seed may be passed to `sum`. Not only will this seed be used as an initial
 value, but its type will override all the above, and determine the algorithm
-and precision used for summation.
+and precision used for summation. If a seed is not passed, one is created with
+the value of `typeof(r.front + r.front)(0)`, or `typeof(r.front + r.front).zero`
+if no constructor exists that takes an int.
 
 Note that these specialized summing algorithms execute more primitive operations
 than vanilla summation. Therefore, if in certain cases maximum speed is required
@@ -6449,10 +6451,15 @@ if (isInputRange!R && !isInfinite!R && is(typeof(r.front + r.front)))
         alias Seed = typeof(E.init  + 0.0); //biggest of double/real
     else
         alias Seed = typeof(r.front + r.front);
-    static assert(is(typeof(Unqual!Seed(0))),
-        "Could not initiate an initial value for " ~ (Unqual!Seed).stringof
-        ~ ". Please supply an initial value manually.");
-    return sum(r, Unqual!Seed(0));
+    static if (is(typeof(Unqual!Seed(0))))
+        enum seedValue = Unqual!Seed(0);
+    else static if (is(typeof({ Unqual!Seed tmp = Seed.zero; })))
+        enum Unqual!Seed seedValue = Seed.zero;
+    else
+        static assert(false,
+            "Could not initiate an initial value for " ~ (Unqual!Seed).stringof
+            ~ ". Please supply an initial value manually.");
+    return sum(r, seedValue);
 }
 /// ditto
 auto sum(R, E)(R r, E seed)
@@ -6693,6 +6700,13 @@ private auto sumKahan(Result, R)(Result result, R r)
         assert(repeat(1.0, n).sum == n);
 }
 
+// Issue 19525
+@safe unittest
+{
+    import std.datetime : Duration, minutes;
+    assert([1.minutes].sum() == 1.minutes);
+}
+
 /**
 Finds the mean (colloquially known as the average) of a range.