diff --git a/dashboard/public/views/backups.html b/dashboard/public/views/backups.html
index f1190a9f0..23fde7687 100644
--- a/dashboard/public/views/backups.html
+++ b/dashboard/public/views/backups.html
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@
         <h4 class="modal-title">{{ 'backups.restoreArchiveDialog.title' | tr }}</h4>
       </div>
       <div class="modal-body" style="padding: 0 15px">
-        <p ng-bind-html="'backups.restoreArchiveDialog.description' | tr:{ appId: archiveRestore.app.manifest.id, fqdn: archiveRestore.app.fqdn, creationTime: (archiveRestore.archive.creationTime | prettyLongDate) }"></p>
+        <p ng-bind-html="'backups.restoreArchiveDialog.description' | tr:{ appId: archiveRestore.manifest.id, fqdn: archiveRestore.fqdn, creationTime: (archiveRestore.archive.creationTime | prettyLongDate) }"></p>
         <form role="form" ng-submit="archiveRestore.submit()" autocomplete="off">
           <fieldset>
             <div class="form-group" ng-class="{ 'has-error': archiveRestore.error.location.fqdn === archiveRestore.subdomain + '.' + archiveRestore.domain.domain }">
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@
             </div>
 
             <div class="has-error text-center" ng-show="archiveRestore.error.secondaryDomain">{{ archiveRestore.error.secondaryDomain }}</div>
-            <div ng-repeat="(env, info) in archiveRestore.app.manifest.httpPorts">
+            <div ng-repeat="(env, info) in archiveRestore.manifest.httpPorts">
               <ng-form name="secondaryDomainInfo_form">
                 <div class="form-group" ng-class="{ 'has-error': (!secondaryDomainInfo_form.itemName{{$index}}.$dirty && archiveRestore.error.secondaryDomain) || (secondaryDomainInfo_form.itemName{{$index}}.$dirty && secondaryDomainInfo_form.itemName{{$index}}.$invalid) || (archiveRestore.error.location.fqdn === archiveRestore.secondaryDomains[env].subdomain + '.' + archiveRestore.secondaryDomains[env].domain.domain) }">
                   <label class="control-label" for="secondaryDomainInput{{env}}">
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@
   <div class="modal-dialog">
     <div class="modal-content">
       <div class="modal-header">
-        <h4 class="modal-title">{{ 'backups.deleteArchiveDialog.title' | tr:{ appTitle: archiveDelete.app.manifest.title, fqdn: archiveDelete.app.fqdn } }}</h4>
+        <h4 class="modal-title">{{ 'backups.deleteArchiveDialog.title' | tr:{ appTitle: archiveDelete.title, fqdn: archiveDelete.fqdn } }}</h4>
       </div>
       <div class="modal-body">
         <p>{{ 'backups.deleteArchiveDialog.description' | tr }}</p>
@@ -783,11 +783,12 @@
                 <td>
                   <img ng-src="{{ archive.iconUrl || 'img/appicon_fallback.png' }}" fallback-icon="img/appicon_fallback.png" onerror="imageErrorHandler(this)" height="48" width="48"/>
                 </td>
+                <!-- for pre-8.2 backups, appConfig can be null -->
                 <td class="hand elide-table-cell" style="text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;" ng-click="archiveRestore.show(archive)">
-                  {{ archive.appConfig.fqdn }}
+                  {{ archive.appConfig ? archive.appConfig.fqdn : '-' }}
                 </td>
                 <td class="hand elide-table-cell hide-mobile" style="text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;" ng-click="archiveRestore.show(archive)">
-                  <span uib-tooltip="{{ archive.appConfig.manifest.id }}@{{ archive.appConfig.manifest.version }}">{{ archive.appConfig.manifest.title }}</span>
+                  <span uib-tooltip="{{ archive.manifest.id }}@{{ archive.manifest.version }}">{{ archive.manifest.title }}</span>
                 </td>
                 <td class="hand elide-table-cell" style="text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;" ng-click="archiveRestore.show(archive)">
                   {{ archive.creationTime | prettyDate }}
diff --git a/dashboard/public/views/backups.js b/dashboard/public/views/backups.js
index 010946707..388bebfa1 100644
--- a/dashboard/public/views/backups.js
+++ b/dashboard/public/views/backups.js
@@ -290,13 +290,15 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('BackupsController', ['$scope', '$locat
         busy: false,
         error: {},
         archive: null,
-        app: null, // just for simpler access . it's a fake app object!
+        title: '',
+        fqdn: '',
 
         ask: function (archive) {
             $scope.archiveDelete.busy = false;
             $scope.archiveDelete.error = {};
             $scope.archiveDelete.archive = archive;
-            $scope.archiveDelete.app = archive.appConfig;
+            $scope.archiveDelete.title = archive.manifest.title;
+            $scope.archiveDelete.fqdn = archive.appConfig?.fqdn || '-';
             $('#archiveDeleteModal').modal('show');
         },
 
@@ -319,7 +321,9 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('BackupsController', ['$scope', '$locat
         error: {},
 
         archive: null,
-        app: null, // just for simpler access . it's a fake app object!
+        manifest: null,
+        appStoreId: '',
+        fqdn: '',
 
         subdomain: '',
         domain: null,
@@ -341,18 +345,26 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('BackupsController', ['$scope', '$locat
         show: function (archive) {
             $scope.archiveRestore.error = {};
             $scope.archiveRestore.archive = archive;
-            const manifest = archive.appConfig.manifest;
+            $scope.archiveRestore.manifest = archive.manifest;
 
-            $scope.archiveRestore.app = archive.appConfig;
-            $scope.archiveRestore.subdomain = $scope.archiveRestore.app.subdomain;
-            $scope.archiveRestore.domain = $scope.domains.find(function (d) { return $scope.archiveRestore.app.domain === d.domain; }); // try to pre-select the app's domain
+            const app = archive.appConfig || {
+                subdomain: '',
+                domain: $scope.domains[0].domain,
+                secondaryDomains: [],
+                portBindings: {}
+            }; // pre-8.2 backups do not have appConfig
+
+            $scope.archiveRestore.fqdn = archive.appConfig?.fqdn || '-';
+
+            $scope.archiveRestore.subdomain = app.subdomain;
+            $scope.archiveRestore.domain = $scope.domains.find(function (d) { return app.domain === d.domain; }); // try to pre-select the app's domain
 
             $scope.archiveRestore.needsOverwrite = false;
             $scope.archiveRestore.overwriteDns = false;
 
             $scope.archiveRestore.secondaryDomains = {};
 
-            var httpPorts = manifest.httpPorts || {};
+            var httpPorts = archive.manifest.httpPorts || {};
             for (var env2 in httpPorts) {
                 $scope.archiveRestore.secondaryDomains[env2] = {
                     subdomain: httpPorts[env2].defaultValue || '',
@@ -360,18 +372,18 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('BackupsController', ['$scope', '$locat
                 };
             }
             // now fill secondaryDomains with real values, if it exists
-            $scope.archiveRestore.app.secondaryDomains.forEach(function (sd) {
+            app.secondaryDomains.forEach(function (sd) {
                 $scope.archiveRestore.secondaryDomains[sd.environmentVariable] = {
                     subdomain: sd.subdomain,
                     domain: $scope.domains.find(function (d) { return sd.domain === d.domain; })
                 };
             });
 
-            $scope.archiveRestore.portInfo = angular.extend({}, manifest.tcpPorts, manifest.udpPorts);   // Portbinding map only for information
+            $scope.archiveRestore.portInfo = angular.extend({}, archive.manifest.tcpPorts, archive.manifest.udpPorts);   // Portbinding map only for information
             // set default ports
             for (var env in $scope.archiveRestore.portInfo) {
-                if ($scope.archiveRestore.app.portBindings[env]) { // was enabled in the app
-                    $scope.archiveRestore.ports[env] = $scope.archiveRestore.app.portBindings[env].hostPort;
+                if (app.portBindings[env]) { // was enabled in the app
+                    $scope.archiveRestore.ports[env] = app.portBindings[env].hostPort;
                     $scope.archiveRestore.portsEnabled[env] = true;
                 } else {
                     $scope.archiveRestore.ports[env] = $scope.archiveRestore.portInfo[env].defaultValue || 0;
diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index 8f0d1f3e2..03d192f74 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -2491,8 +2491,7 @@ async function unarchive(archive, data, auditSource) {
         domain = data.domain.toLowerCase(),
         overwriteDns = 'overwriteDns' in data ? data.overwriteDns : false;
 
-    const appConfig = backup.appConfig;
-    const { appStoreId, manifest } = appConfig;
+    const manifest = backup.manifest, appStoreId = backup.manifest.id;
 
     let error = validateSecondaryDomains(data.secondaryDomains || {}, manifest);
     if (error) throw error;
@@ -2514,7 +2513,8 @@ async function unarchive(archive, data, auditSource) {
 
     const appId = uuid.v4();
 
-    const dolly = _.pick(appConfig, 'memoryLimit', 'cpuQuota', 'crontab', 'reverseProxyConfig', 'env', 'servicesConfig',
+    // appConfig is null for pre-8.2 backups
+    const dolly = _.pick(backup.appConfig || {}, 'memoryLimit', 'cpuQuota', 'crontab', 'reverseProxyConfig', 'env', 'servicesConfig',
         'tags', 'label', 'enableMailbox', 'mailboxDisplayName', 'mailboxName', 'mailboxDomain', 'enableInbox', 'inboxName', 'inboxDomain', 'devices',
         'enableTurn', 'enableRedis', 'mounts', 'enableBackup', 'enableAutomaticUpdate', 'accessRestriction', 'operators', 'sso',
         'notes', 'checklist');
@@ -2526,7 +2526,8 @@ async function unarchive(archive, data, auditSource) {
         aliasDomains: [],
         mailboxDomain: data.domain, // archive's mailboxDomain may not exist
         runState: exports.RSTATE_RUNNING,
-        installationState: exports.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL
+        installationState: exports.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
+        sso: backup.appConfig ? backup.appConfig.sso : true // when no appConfig take a blind guess
     });
     obj.icon = (await archives.getIcons(archive.id))?.icon;
 
diff --git a/src/archives.js b/src/archives.js
index 5c0ac996c..d45e04d59 100644
--- a/src/archives.js
+++ b/src/archives.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const assert = require('assert'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     uuid = require('uuid');
 
-const ARCHIVE_FIELDS = [ 'archives.id', 'backupId', 'archives.creationTime', 'backups.remotePath', 'backups.appConfigJson', '(archives.icon IS NOT NULL) AS hasIcon', '(archives.appStoreIcon IS NOT NULL) AS hasAppStoreIcon' ];
+const ARCHIVE_FIELDS = [ 'archives.id', 'backupId', 'archives.creationTime', 'backups.remotePath', 'backups.manifestJson', 'backups.appConfigJson', '(archives.icon IS NOT NULL) AS hasIcon', '(archives.appStoreIcon IS NOT NULL) AS hasAppStoreIcon' ];
 
 function postProcess(result) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof result, 'object');
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ function postProcess(result) {
     result.appConfig = result.appConfigJson ? safe.JSON.parse(result.appConfigJson) : null;
     delete result.appConfigJson;
 
+    result.manifest = result.manifestJson ? safe.JSON.parse(result.manifestJson) : null;
+    delete result.manifestJson;
+
     result.iconUrl = result.hasIcon || result.hasAppStoreIcon  ? `/api/v1/archives/${result.id}/icon` : null;
 
     return result;
diff --git a/src/routes/test/archives-test.js b/src/routes/test/archives-test.js
index 8a2d7b9d9..54eea86ed 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/archives-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/archives-test.js
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ describe('Archives API', function () {
         expect(response.body.archives.length).to.be(1);
         expect(response.body.archives[0].id).to.be(archiveId);
         expect(response.body.archives[0].appConfig).to.eql(appBackup.appConfig);
+        expect(response.body.archives[0].manifest).to.eql(appBackup.manifest);
     });
 
     it('get valid archive', async function () {
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ describe('Archives API', function () {
             .query({ access_token: owner.token });
         expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(200);
         expect(response.body.appConfig).to.eql(appBackup.appConfig);
+        expect(response.body.manifest).to.eql(appBackup.manifest);
     });
 
     it('cannot get invalid archive', async function () {