diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
index 873fce163..a899fb013 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
@@ -571,14 +571,6 @@ func runBackup(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, term *termstatus.Termina
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if !gopts.JSON {
-		progressPrinter.V("load index files")
-	}
-	err = repo.LoadIndex(gopts.ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	var parentSnapshotID *restic.ID
 	if !opts.Stdin {
 		parentSnapshotID, err = findParentSnapshot(gopts.ctx, repo, opts, targets, timeStamp)
@@ -595,6 +587,14 @@ func runBackup(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, term *termstatus.Termina
 		}
 	}
 
+	if !gopts.JSON {
+		progressPrinter.V("load index files")
+	}
+	err = repo.LoadIndex(gopts.ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	selectByNameFilter := func(item string) bool {
 		for _, reject := range rejectByNameFuncs {
 			if reject(item) {
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_diff.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_diff.go
index f83c87132..60a50a21f 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_diff.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_diff.go
@@ -334,10 +334,6 @@ func runDiff(opts DiffOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	if !gopts.NoLock {
 		lock, err := lockRepo(ctx, repo)
 		defer unlockRepo(lock)
@@ -360,6 +356,10 @@ func runDiff(opts DiffOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		Verbosef("comparing snapshot %v to %v:\n\n", sn1.ID().Str(), sn2.ID().Str())
 	}
 
+	if err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if sn1.Tree == nil {
 		return errors.Errorf("snapshot %v has nil tree", sn1.ID().Str())
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go
index 4449af5ce..cadc05476 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go
@@ -144,11 +144,6 @@ func runDump(opts DumpOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	var id restic.ID
 
 	if snapshotIDString == "latest" {
@@ -168,6 +163,11 @@ func runDump(opts DumpOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		Exitf(2, "loading snapshot %q failed: %v", snapshotIDString, err)
 	}
 
+	err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	tree, err := repo.LoadTree(ctx, *sn.Tree)
 	if err != nil {
 		Exitf(2, "loading tree for snapshot %q failed: %v", snapshotIDString, err)
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_prune.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_prune.go
index 76d7d7ea9..4bbd6d2fd 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_prune.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_prune.go
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ func runPruneWithRepo(opts PruneOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, repo *repository.R
 	}
 
 	Verbosef("loading indexes...\n")
+	// loading the index before the snapshots is ok, as we use an exclusive lock here
 	err := repo.LoadIndex(gopts.ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go
index 4d5818593..d2313e5c9 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go
@@ -110,11 +110,6 @@ func runRestore(opts RestoreOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	var id restic.ID
 
 	if snapshotIDString == "latest" {
@@ -129,6 +124,11 @@ func runRestore(opts RestoreOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	res, err := restorer.NewRestorer(ctx, repo, id)
 	if err != nil {
 		Exitf(2, "creating restorer failed: %v\n", err)
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_stats.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_stats.go
index deb649e26..32161bd03 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_stats.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_stats.go
@@ -86,10 +86,6 @@ func runStats(gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	if !gopts.NoLock {
 		lock, err := lockRepo(ctx, repo)
 		defer unlockRepo(lock)
@@ -98,6 +94,10 @@ func runStats(gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if err = repo.LoadIndex(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if !gopts.JSON {
 		Printf("scanning...\n")
 	}