diff --git a/setup/start/sudoers b/setup/start/sudoers
index caf87c046..1434b192e 100644
--- a/setup/start/sudoers
+++ b/setup/start/sudoers
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/retire.sh
 Defaults!/home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/rmbackup.sh env_keep="HOME BOX_ENV"
 yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/rmbackup.sh
 
+Defaults!/home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/cpbackup.sh env_keep="HOME BOX_ENV"
+yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/cpbackup.sh
+
 Defaults!/home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/update.sh env_keep="HOME BOX_ENV"
 yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/update.sh
 
diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 5d0de949b..04422cf39 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ function copyLastBackup(app, manifest, prefix, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     var timestamp = (new Date()).toISOString().replace(/[T.]/g, '-').replace(/[:Z]/g,'');
-    var newBackupId = util.format('%s/app_%s_%s_v%s.tar.gz', prefix, app.id, timestamp, manifest.version);
+    var newBackupId = util.format('%s/app_%s_%s_v%s', prefix, app.id, timestamp, manifest.version);
 
     settings.getBackupConfig(function (error, backupConfig) {
         if (error) return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
diff --git a/src/scripts/cpbackup.sh b/src/scripts/cpbackup.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..3abac653a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/cpbackup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# This is part of the storage/filesystem backend!
+
+set -eu -o pipefail
+
+if [[ ${EUID} -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "This script should be run as root." > /dev/stderr
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ $# == 1 && "$1" == "--check" ]]; then
+    echo "OK"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+if [[ $# -lt 2 ]]; then
+    echo "Usage: cpbackup.sh <source> <destination>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# ensure destination path
+readonly DEST_PATH=$(dirname "${2}")
+mkdir -p "${DEST_PATH}"
+
+# copy the file
+cp "${1}" "${2}"
diff --git a/src/storage/filesystem.js b/src/storage/filesystem.js
index 0c46fdda7..8ca4c79ef 100644
--- a/src/storage/filesystem.js
+++ b/src/storage/filesystem.js
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     archiver = require('archiver');
 
 var FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER = '/var/backups';
-var RMBACKUP_CMD = path.join(__dirname, '../scripts/rmbackup.sh');
+var COPY_BACKUP_CMD = path.join(__dirname, '../scripts/cpbackup.sh');
+var REMOVE_BACKUP_CMD = path.join(__dirname, '../scripts/rmbackup.sh');
 
 function backup(apiConfig, backupId, sourceDirectories, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ function getDownloadStream(apiConfig, backupId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof backupId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    var backupFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, backupId);
+    var backupFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, backupId + '.tar.gz');
 
     debug('[%s] getDownloadStream: %s %s', backupId, backupId, backupFilePath);
 
@@ -170,8 +171,6 @@ function getAppRestoreConfig(apiConfig, backupId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof backupId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    callback = once(callback);
-
     var sourceFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, backupId + '.json');
 
     debug('[%s] getAppRestoreConfig: %s', backupId, sourceFilePath);
@@ -195,21 +194,19 @@ function copyBackup(apiConfig, oldBackupId, newBackupId, callback) {
 
     callback = once(callback);
 
-    var oldBackupFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, oldBackupId + '.tar.gz');
-    var newBackupFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, newBackupId + '.tar.gz');
+    var oldBackupFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, oldBackupId);
+    var newBackupFilePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, newBackupId);
 
-    // FIXME this most likely has a permissions issue as this process runs as yellowtent not root
-    mkdirp(path.dirname(newBackupFilePath), function (error) {
-        if (error) return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+    async.series([
+        shell.sudo.bind(null, 'copyBackup', [ COPY_BACKUP_CMD, oldBackupFilePath + '.tar.gz', newBackupFilePath + '.tar.gz' ]),
+        shell.sudo.bind(null, 'copyBackup', [ COPY_BACKUP_CMD, oldBackupFilePath + '.json', newBackupFilePath + '.json' ])
+    ], function (error) {
+        if (error) {
+            console.error('Unable to copy backup %s -> %s.', oldBackupFilePath, newBackupFilePath, safe.error);
+            return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+        }
 
-        var readStream = fs.createReadStream(oldBackupFilePath);
-        var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream(newBackupFilePath);
-
-        readStream.on('error', callback);
-        writeStream.on('error', callback);
-        writeStream.on('close', callback);
-
-        readStream.pipe(writeStream);
+        callback();
     });
 }
 
@@ -222,7 +219,7 @@ function removeBackup(apiConfig, backupId, appBackupIds, callback) {
     async.each([backupId].concat(appBackupIds), function (id, callback) {
         var filePath = path.join(apiConfig.backupFolder || FALLBACK_BACKUP_FOLDER, id + '.tar.gz');
 
-        shell.sudo('deleteBackup', [ RMBACKUP_CMD, filePath ], function (error) {
+        shell.sudo('deleteBackup', [ REMOVE_BACKUP_CMD, filePath ], function (error) {
             if (error) console.error('Unable to remove %s. Not fatal.', filePath, safe.error);
             callback();
         });
diff --git a/src/test/checkInstall b/src/test/checkInstall
index e3c745dcb..97c2a6923 100755
--- a/src/test/checkInstall
+++ b/src/test/checkInstall
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ scripts=("${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/rmappdir.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/backupbox.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/backupapp.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/rmbackup.sh" \
+         "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/cpbackup.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/restoreapp.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/reboot.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/update.sh" \