diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index fa92c1680..0891de2ff 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -2046,7 +2046,6 @@
 * Add note that password reset and invite links expire in 24 hours
 
 [5.5.0]
-* **IMPORTANT:** DO NOT UPGRADE WITHOUT A BACKUP - PostgreSQL UPGRADE REQUIRES A VALID BACKUP.
 * postgresql: update to PostgreSQL 11
 * postgresql: add citext extension to whitelist for loomio
 * postgresql: add btree_gist,postgres_fdw extensions for gitlab
diff --git a/src/addons.js b/src/addons.js
index b4d34c812..d8538d809 100644
--- a/src/addons.js
+++ b/src/addons.js
@@ -749,6 +749,43 @@ function importDatabase(addon, callback) {
                 // not clear, if repair workflow should be part of addon or per-app
                 appdb.update(app.id, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message } }, iteratorCallback);
             });
+        }, function (error) {
+            safe.fs.unlinkSync(path.join(paths.ADDON_CONFIG_DIR, `exported-${addon}`)); // clean up for future migrations
+
+            callback(error);
+        });
+    });
+}
+
+function exportDatabase(addon, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof addon, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    debug(`exportDatabase: Exporting ${addon}`);
+
+    if (fs.existsSync(path.join(paths.ADDON_CONFIG_DIR, `exported-${addon}`))) {
+        debug(`exportDatabase: Already exported addon ${addon} in previous run`);
+        return callback(null);
+    }
+
+    appdb.getAll(function (error, apps) {
+        if (error) return callback(error);
+
+        async.eachSeries(apps, function iterator (app, iteratorCallback) {
+            if (!app.manifest.adddons || !(addon in app.manifest.addons)) return iteratorCallback(); // app doesn't use the addon
+
+            debug(`exportDatabase: Exporting addon ${addon} of app ${app.id}`);
+
+            ADDONS[addon].backup(app, app.manifest.addons[addon], function (error) {
+                if (error) {
+                    debug(`exportDatabase: Error exporting ${addon} of app ${app.id}.`, error);
+                    return iteratorCallback(error);
+                }
+
+                safe.fs.writeFileSync(path.join(paths.ADDON_CONFIG_DIR, `exported-${addon}`), '', 'utf8');
+
+                shell.sudo('exportDatabase', [ RMADDONDIR_CMD, addon ], {}, iteratorCallback);
+            });
         }, callback);
     });
 }
@@ -1131,7 +1168,7 @@ function startMysql(existingInfra, callback) {
     const upgrading = existingInfra.version !== 'none' && requiresUpgrade(existingInfra.images.mysql.tag, tag);
 
     if (upgrading) debug('startMysql: mysql will be upgraded');
-    const upgradeFunc = upgrading ? shell.sudo.bind(null, 'startMysql', [ RMADDONDIR_CMD, 'mysql' ], {}) : (next) => next();
+    const upgradeFunc = upgrading ? exportDatabase.bind(null, 'mysql') : (next) => next();
 
     upgradeFunc(function (error) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -1348,7 +1385,7 @@ function startPostgresql(existingInfra, callback) {
     const upgrading = existingInfra.version !== 'none' && requiresUpgrade(existingInfra.images.postgresql.tag, tag);
 
     if (upgrading) debug('startPostgresql: postgresql will be upgraded');
-    const upgradeFunc = upgrading ? shell.sudo.bind(null, 'startPostgresql', [ RMADDONDIR_CMD, 'postgresql' ], {}) : (next) => next();
+    const upgradeFunc = upgrading ? exportDatabase.bind(null, 'postgresql') : (next) => next();
 
     upgradeFunc(function (error) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -1562,7 +1599,7 @@ function startMongodb(existingInfra, callback) {
     const upgrading = existingInfra.version !== 'none' && requiresUpgrade(existingInfra.images.mongodb.tag, tag);
 
     if (upgrading) debug('startMongodb: mongodb will be upgraded');
-    const upgradeFunc = upgrading ? shell.sudo.bind(null, 'startMongodb', [ RMADDONDIR_CMD, 'mongodb' ], {}) : (next) => next();
+    const upgradeFunc = upgrading ? exportDatabase.bind(null, 'mongodb') : (next) => next();
 
     upgradeFunc(function (error) {
         if (error) return callback(error);