diff --git a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/backup-export b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/backup-export
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..102ef082c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/backup-export
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+BASE_DIR="$2"
+
+cat;
+[[ -f $BASE_DIR/.sshcommand ]] && echo "$BASE_DIR/.sshcommand"
+[[ -f $BASE_DIR/.ssh/authorized_keys ]] && echo "$BASE_DIR/.ssh/authorized_keys"
+[[ -f $BASE_DIR/HOSTNAME ]] && echo "$BASE_DIR/HOSTNAME"
+[[ -f $BASE_DIR/VHOST ]] && echo "$BASE_DIR/VHOST"
diff --git a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/backup-import b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/backup-import
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a3f691d9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/backup-import
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+IMPORT_DIR="$2"
+TARGET_DIR="$3"
+
+[[ -f $IMPORT_DIR/.sshcommand ]] && mv $IMPORT_DIR/.sshcommand $TARGET_DIR/.sshcommand
+if [[ -f $IMPORT_DIR/.ssh/authorized_keys ]]; then
+    mkdir $TARGET_DIR/.ssh
+    mv $IMPORT_DIR/.ssh/authorized_keys $TARGET_DIR/.ssh/authorized_keys
+    chmod 0700 $TARGET_DIR/.ssh
+    chmod 0600 $TARGET_DIR/.ssh/*
+fi
+[[ -f $IMPORT_DIR/HOSTNAME ]] && mv $IMPORT_DIR/HOSTNAME $TARGET_DIR/HOSTNAME
+[[ -f $IMPORT_DIR/VHOST ]] && mv $IMPORT_DIR/VHOST $TARGET_DIR/VHOST
diff --git a/plugins/backup/commands b/plugins/backup/commands
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..635b44a8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/backup/commands
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+CURRENT_BACKUP_VERSION=1
+set -e; case "$1" in
+  backup:export)
+    OUTPUT_FILE="$2"
+    BACKUP_DIR="$DOKKU_ROOT"
+
+    BACKUP_TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+    BACKUP_TMP_FILE="$BACKUP_TMP_DIR/backup.tar"
+
+    pluginhook backup-export 1 $BACKUP_DIR | tar -cf $BACKUP_TMP_FILE --files-from -
+
+    pushd $BACKUP_DIR > /dev/null
+    ls -d */ | grep -oE '[^/]+' > "$BACKUP_TMP_DIR/.dokku_backup_apps"
+    popd > /dev/null
+
+    # we want to insert the files in the root of the tar
+    pushd $BACKUP_TMP_DIR > /dev/null
+    echo $CURRENT_BACKUP_VERSION > .dokku_backup_version
+    tar --append -f $BACKUP_TMP_FILE .dokku_backup_version
+    tar --append -f $BACKUP_TMP_FILE .dokku_backup_apps
+    popd > /dev/null
+
+    # if no file specified, output to stdout
+    if [[ -z $OUTPUT_FILE ]]; then
+        cat $BACKUP_TMP_FILE
+    else
+        mv $BACKUP_TMP_FILE $OUTPUT_FILE
+    fi
+
+    rm -rf $BACKUP_TMP_DIR
+    ;;
+
+  backup:import)
+    INPUT_FILE="$2"
+    [[ -z $INPUT_FILE ]] && INPUT_FILE="-"
+
+    BACKUP_TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+
+    tar xf $INPUT_FILE --directory=$BACKUP_TMP_DIR
+
+    if [[ ! -f $BACKUP_TMP_DIR/.dokku_backup_version ]]; then
+        echo "Unable to determine backup version"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    VERSION=$(< $BACKUP_TMP_DIR/.dokku_backup_version)
+    if [[ $VERSION -ne 1 ]]; then
+        echo "Unknown format version $VERSION"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    BACKUP_ROOT="$BACKUP_TMP_DIR""$DOKKU_ROOT"
+    TARGET_DIR="$DOKKU_ROOT"
+
+    # create all the app directories
+    while read app; do mkdir "$TARGET_DIR/$app"; done < $BACKUP_TMP_DIR/.dokku_backup_apps > /dev/null
+
+    # have the plugins import their stuff
+    pluginhook backup-import $VERSION "$BACKUP_ROOT" $TARGET_DIR "$BACKUP_TMP_DIR/.dokku_backup_apps"
+
+    rm -rf $BACKUP_TMP_DIR
+    ;;
+
+  help)
+    cat && cat<<EOF
+    backup:export [file]                            Export dokku configuration files
+    backup:import [file]                            Import dokku configuration files
+EOF
+    ;;
+
+esac
+cat
diff --git a/plugins/config/backup-export b/plugins/config/backup-export
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..50fab3235
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/config/backup-export
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+BASE_DIR="$2"
+
+cat; find $BASE_DIR -regex ".*/ENV"
diff --git a/plugins/config/backup-import b/plugins/config/backup-import
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..7face8b95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/config/backup-import
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+IMPORT_DIR="$2"
+TARGET_DIR="$3"
+
+cd $IMPORT_DIR
+for file in `find . -regex ".*/ENV"`; do
+    cp $file "$TARGET_DIR/$file"
+done
diff --git a/plugins/git/backup-import b/plugins/git/backup-import
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b7b0505b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/git/backup-import
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+IMPORT_DIR="$2"
+TARGET_DIR="$3"
+APPS="$4"
+
+while read APP; do 
+    APP_PATH="$TARGET_DIR/$APP"; 
+    git init --bare $APP_PATH > /dev/null
+    PRERECEIVE_HOOK="$APP_PATH/hooks/pre-receive"
+    cat > $PRERECEIVE_HOOK <<EOF
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e; set -o pipefail;
+cat | DOKKU_ROOT="$DOKKU_ROOT" dokku git-hook $APP
+EOF
+    chmod +x $PRERECEIVE_HOOK
+done < $APPS > /dev/null
diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/backup-export b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/backup-export
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e4dc88c8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/backup-export
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+BASE_DIR="$2"
+
+cat; find $BASE_DIR -regex ".*ssl/server\(.crt\|.key\)"; 
diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/backup-import b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/backup-import
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d31bb0b26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/backup-import
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+VERSION="$1"
+IMPORT_DIR="$2"
+TARGET_DIR="$3"
+
+cd $IMPORT_DIR
+
+for file in `find . -regex ".*ssl/server\(.crt\|.key\)"`; do
+    mkdir -p $(dirname $TARGET_DIR$file)
+    cp $file $TARGET_DIR$file
+done