diff --git a/internal/archiver/archiver.go b/internal/archiver/archiver.go
index 2fd170a3a..bc74bd75f 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/archiver.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/archiver.go
@@ -548,13 +548,7 @@ func (arch *Archiver) SaveTree(ctx context.Context, snPath string, atree *Tree,
 	futureNodes := make(map[string]FutureNode)
 
 	// iterate over the nodes of atree in lexicographic (=deterministic) order
-	names := make([]string, 0, len(atree.Nodes))
-	for name := range atree.Nodes {
-		names = append(names, name)
-	}
-	sort.Strings(names)
-
-	for _, name := range names {
+	for _, name := range atree.NodeNames() {
 		subatree := atree.Nodes[name]
 
 		// test if context has been cancelled
@@ -563,7 +557,7 @@ func (arch *Archiver) SaveTree(ctx context.Context, snPath string, atree *Tree,
 		}
 
 		// this is a leaf node
-		if subatree.Path != "" {
+		if subatree.Leaf() {
 			fn, excluded, err := arch.Save(ctx, join(snPath, name), subatree.Path, previous.Find(name))
 
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/archiver/tree.go b/internal/archiver/tree.go
index 04c0a8e33..16a78ee70 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/tree.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/tree.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package archiver
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/debug"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
@@ -199,6 +200,24 @@ func (t Tree) String() string {
 	return formatTree(t, "")
 }
 
+// Leaf returns true if this is a leaf node, which means Path is set to a
+// non-empty string and the contents of Path should be inserted at this point
+// in the tree.
+func (t Tree) Leaf() bool {
+	return t.Path != ""
+}
+
+// NodeNames returns the sorted list of subtree names.
+func (t Tree) NodeNames() []string {
+	// iterate over the nodes of atree in lexicographic (=deterministic) order
+	names := make([]string, 0, len(t.Nodes))
+	for name := range t.Nodes {
+		names = append(names, name)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(names)
+	return names
+}
+
 // formatTree returns a text representation of the tree t.
 func formatTree(t Tree, indent string) (s string) {
 	for name, node := range t.Nodes {