diff --git a/rattail_fabric/backup.py b/rattail_fabric/backup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b69b4c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rattail_fabric/backup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
+################################################################################
+#
+#  Rattail -- Retail Software Framework
+#  Copyright © 2010-2018 Lance Edgar
+#
+#  This file is part of Rattail.
+#
+#  Rattail is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+#  terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+#  Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+#  version.
+#
+#  Rattail is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+#  WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+#  FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more
+#  details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+#  Rattail.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+################################################################################
+"""
+Fabric library for Backup app
+"""
+
+from __future__ import unicode_literals, absolute_import
+
+import datetime
+
+from fabric.api import cd, sudo
+from fabric.contrib.files import exists
+
+from rattail_fabric import make_deploy, mkdir, python
+
+
+deploy_generic = make_deploy(__file__)
+
+
+def deploy_backup_app(deploy, envname, config=None, everything=None, crontab=None, user='rattail', runat=None):
+    """
+    Make an app which can run backups for the server.
+    """
+    if not config:
+        path = '{}/rattail.conf'.format(envname)
+        if deploy.local_exists(path):
+            config = path
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Must provide config path for backup app")
+
+    if not runat:
+        runat = datetime.time(0) # defaults to midnight
+
+    # virtualenv
+    python.mkvirtualenv(envname, python='/usr/bin/python3', upgrade_setuptools=False)
+    envpath = '/srv/envs/{}'.format(envname)
+    sudo('chown -R {}: {}'.format(user, envpath))
+    with cd(envpath):
+        mkdir('src', owner=user)
+        sudo('bin/pip install --upgrade pip', user=user)
+
+        # rattail
+        if not exists('src/rattail'):
+            sudo('git clone https://rattailproject.org/git/rattail.git src/rattail', user=user)
+        with cd('src/rattail'):
+            sudo('git pull', user=user)
+        sudo('bin/pip install --upgrade --upgrade-strategy eager --editable src/rattail', user=user)
+
+        # TODO: this should not be necessary
+        sudo('bin/pip install --upgrade --upgrade-strategy eager rattail[db]', user=user)
+
+        # config
+        sudo('bin/rattail make-appdir', user=user)
+        deploy(config, 'app/rattail.conf', owner=user, mode='0600')
+        sudo('bin/rattail -c app/rattail.conf make-config -T quiet -O app/', user=user)
+        sudo('bin/rattail -c app/rattail.conf make-config -T silent -O app/', user=user)
+
+    # backup-everything script
+    everything_context = {'envname': envname}
+    if everything:
+        deploy(everything, '/usr/local/bin/backup-everything', mode='0755', context=everything_context)
+    else:
+        deploy_generic('backup/backup-everything.mako', '/usr/local/bin/backup-everything', mode='0755',
+                       context=everything_context)
+
+    # crontab
+    crontab_context = {
+        'envname': envname,
+        'pretty_time': runat.strftime('%I:%M %p'),
+        'cron_time': runat.strftime('%M %H'),
+    }
+    if crontab:
+        deploy(crontab, '/etc/cron.d/backup', context=crontab_context)
+    else:
+        deploy_generic('backup/crontab.mako', '/etc/cron.d/backup', context=crontab_context)
diff --git a/rattail_fabric/core.py b/rattail_fabric/core.py
index ccf5b18..9ddf238 100644
--- a/rattail_fabric/core.py
+++ b/rattail_fabric/core.py
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@ class Deployer(object):
         from rattail_fabric.apache import deploy_conf
         deploy_conf(self, local_path, name, **kwargs)
 
+    def backup_app(self, envname='backup', *args, **kwargs):
+        from rattail_fabric.backup import deploy_backup_app
+        deploy_backup_app(self, envname, *args, **kwargs)
+
     def certbot_account(self, uuid, localdir='certbot/account'):
         """
         Deploy files to establish a certbot account on target server
diff --git a/rattail_fabric/deploy/backup/backup-everything.mako b/rattail_fabric/deploy/backup/backup-everything.mako
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..13dbd0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rattail_fabric/deploy/backup/backup-everything.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+
+if [ "$1" = "-v" -o "$1" = "--verbose" ]; then
+    VERBOSE='--verbose'
+    PROGRESS='--progress'
+    CONFIG='app/rattail.conf'
+else
+    VERBOSE=
+    PROGRESS=
+    CONFIG='app/silent.conf'
+fi
+
+
+cd /srv/envs/${envname}
+
+RATTAIL="bin/rattail --config=$CONFIG $PROGRESS"
+
+$RATTAIL backup
diff --git a/rattail_fabric/deploy/backup/crontab.mako b/rattail_fabric/deploy/backup/crontab.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43b10e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rattail_fabric/deploy/backup/crontab.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# -*- mode: conf; -*-
+
+# backup everything of importance at ${pretty_time}
+${'' if env.server_is_live else '# '}${cron_time} * * *  root  /usr/local/bin/backup-everything