diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 39442e8fa..942868b8b 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -1024,12 +1024,13 @@ function startBackupTask(auditSource, callback) {
 
         eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_START, auditSource, { taskId });
 
-        tasks.startTask(taskId, { timeout: 12 * 60 * 60 * 1000 /* 12 hours */ }, function (error, result) {
+        tasks.startTask(taskId, { timeout: 12 * 60 * 60 * 1000 /* 12 hours */ }, function (error, backupId) {
             locker.unlock(locker.OP_FULL_BACKUP);
 
             const errorMessage = error ? error.message : '';
+            const timedOut = error ? error.code === tasks.ETIMEOUT : false;
 
-            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH, auditSource, { taskId: taskId, errorMessage: errorMessage, backupId: result });
+            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH, auditSource, { taskId, errorMessage, timedOut, backupId });
         });
 
         callback(null, taskId);
diff --git a/src/custom.js b/src/custom.js
index 885f84b03..4ae69d497 100644
--- a/src/custom.js
+++ b/src/custom.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const DEFAULT_SPEC = {
     },
     alerts: {
         email: '',
-        notifyCloudronAdmins: false
+        notifyCloudronAdmins: true
     },
     footer: {
         body: '&copy; 2019 [Cloudron](https://cloudron.io) [Forum <i class="fa fa-comments"></i>](https://forum.cloudron.io)'
diff --git a/src/notifications.js b/src/notifications.js
index 894fd7f27..e5b7a5c5e 100644
--- a/src/notifications.js
+++ b/src/notifications.js
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ function backupFailed(eventId, taskId, errorMessage, callback) {
 
     actionForAllAdmins([], function (admin, callback) {
         mailer.backupFailed(admin.email, errorMessage, `${settings.adminOrigin()}/logs.html?taskId=${taskId}`);
-        add(admin.id, eventId, 'Failed to backup', `Backup failed: ${errorMessage}. Logs are available [here](/logs.html?taskId=${taskId}). Will be retried in 4 hours`, callback);
+        add(admin.id, eventId, 'Backup failed', `Backup failed: ${errorMessage}. Logs are available [here](/logs.html?taskId=${taskId}). Will be retried in 4 hours`, callback);
     }, callback);
 }
 
@@ -379,8 +379,10 @@ function onEvent(id, action, source, data, callback) {
         return certificateRenewalError(id, data.domain, data.errorMessage, callback);
 
     case eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH:
-        if (!data.errorMessage || source.username !== 'cron') return callback();
-        return backupFailed(id, data.taskId, data.errorMessage, callback); // only notify for automated backups
+        if (!data.errorMessage) return callback();
+        if (source.username !== auditSource.CRON.username && !data.timedOut) return callback(); // manual stop by user
+
+        return backupFailed(id, data.taskId, data.errorMessage, callback); // only notify for automated backups or timedout
 
     case eventlog.ACTION_UPDATE_FINISH:
         return boxUpdated(data.oldVersion, data.newVersion, callback);