diff --git a/backup.md b/backup.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..862c054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backup.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+This is the script I use for routine backups of a pleroma server where I don't have access to the hypervisor.  We need a few things:
+- The pgsql database dumped to a file
+- The contents of /opt/pleroma, mostly the uploads directory
+- And it doesn't hurt to grab all of /etc to make sure we've got the latest nginx config and anything else that could make restoring to a new server easier.
+
+```
+#!/bin/bash
+cd /opt/pleroma
+echo Backup started at $(date)
+sudo -Hu postgres pg_dump -d pleroma --format=custom -f /var/tmp/pleroma.pgsql
+rsync -e "ssh -i $HOME/.ssh/backup_rsa -p 22" -avzh /opt/pleroma /etc /var/tmp/pleroma.pgsql  pleroma-backup@server.example.com:/data
+rm -f /var/tmp/pleroma.pgsql
+```
+
+For restoring the database and files, the easiest way I've found to do so is installing a fresh copy of pleroma of the same or later version and then restoring the backed up copy over top of it.
+
+```
+sudo -Hu pleroma git clone -b develop https://git.pleroma.social/pleroma/pleroma /opt/pleroma
+sudo -Hu pleroma mix deps.get
+sudo -Hu pleroma MIX_ENV=prod mix pleroma.instance gen
+sudo -Hu postgres psql -c 'DROP DATABASE pleroma;';
+sudo -Hu postgres psql -c 'DROP USER pleroma;'
+sudo -Hu postgres psql -f config/setup_db.psql
+sudo -Hu postgres pg_restore -d pleroma -v /opt/pleroma/backup.pgsql -j 5
+sudo -Hu pleroma MIX_ENV=prod mix ecto.migrate
+sudo -Hu postgres vacuumdb --all --analyze-in-stages
+sudo -Hu pleroma MIX_ENV=prod mix pleroma.frontend install pleroma-fe
+systemctl start pleroma
+```
+After that, the uploads directory, custom emoji, and theme will need to go back in place, but it should be 99% working.
\ No newline at end of file