diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 9adbd6bb4..3e3c809c3 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ function ensureBackup(auditSource, callback) {
                 return callback(null);
             }
 
-            tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, auditSource, callback);
+            tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, [], auditSource, callback);
         });
     });
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/backups.js b/src/routes/backups.js
index 4b9728662..504d7fcb3 100644
--- a/src/routes/backups.js
+++ b/src/routes/backups.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ function list(req, res, next) {
 function startBackup(req, res, next) {
     // note that cloudron.backup only waits for backup initiation and not for backup to complete
     // backup progress can be checked up ny polling the progress api call
-    tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, auditSource(req), function (error) {
+    tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, [], auditSource(req), function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === TasksError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
diff --git a/src/routes/sysadmin.js b/src/routes/sysadmin.js
index 74d228709..0daf1d1ca 100644
--- a/src/routes/sysadmin.js
+++ b/src/routes/sysadmin.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ function backup(req, res, next) {
     // note that cloudron.backup only waits for backup initiation and not for backup to complete
     // backup progress can be checked up ny polling the progress api call
     var auditSource = { userId: null, username: 'sysadmin' };
-    tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, auditSource, function (error) {
+    tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, [], auditSource, function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === TasksError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
diff --git a/src/tasks.js b/src/tasks.js
index 404bb04ed..9451c3ace 100644
--- a/src/tasks.js
+++ b/src/tasks.js
@@ -100,8 +100,9 @@ function clearProgress(id, callback) {
     setProgress(id, { percent: 0, message: 'Starting', result: '', errorMessage: '' }, callback);
 }
 
-function startTask(id, auditSource, callback) {
+function startTask(id, args, auditSource, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof id, 'string');
+    assert(Array.isArray(args));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof auditSource, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ function startTask(id, auditSource, callback) {
     clearProgress(id, NOOP_CALLBACK);
     eventlog.add(taskInfo.startEventId, auditSource, { });
 
-    gTasks[id] = child_process.fork(taskInfo.program, [ ], { stdio: [ 'pipe', fd, fd, 'ipc' ]});
+    gTasks[id] = child_process.fork(taskInfo.program, args, { stdio: [ 'pipe', fd, fd, 'ipc' ]});
     gTasks[id].once('exit', function (code, signal) {
         debug(`startTask: ${id} completed with code ${code} and signal ${signal}`);
 
diff --git a/src/test/backups-test.js b/src/test/backups-test.js
index aef78751e..47506e290 100644
--- a/src/test/backups-test.js
+++ b/src/test/backups-test.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ var async = require('async'),
     tasks = require('../tasks.js');
 
 function createBackup(callback) {
-    tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, { username: 'test' }, function (error) { // this call does not wait for the backup!
+    tasks.startTask(tasks.TASK_BACKUP, [], { username: 'test' }, function (error) { // this call does not wait for the backup!
         if (error) return callback(error);
 
         function waitForBackup() {