diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/pull-5119 b/changelog/unreleased/pull-5119
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..731e3ecd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/pull-5119
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Enhancement: Include backup start and end in JSON output
+
+The JSON output of the backup command now also includes the timestamps
+of the `backup_start` and `backup_end` times.
+
+https://github.com/restic/restic/pull/5119
diff --git a/doc/075_scripting.rst b/doc/075_scripting.rst
index de7b9d1cd..88fc1f35b 100644
--- a/doc/075_scripting.rst
+++ b/doc/075_scripting.rst
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ Summary is the last output line in a successful backup.
 +---------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
 | ``total_bytes_processed`` | Total number of bytes processed                         |
 +---------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
+| ``backup_start``          | Time at which the backup was started                    |
++---------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
+| ``backup_end``            | Time at which the backup was completed                  |
++---------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
 | ``total_duration``        | Total time it took for the operation to complete        |
 +---------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
 | ``snapshot_id``           | ID of the new snapshot. Field is omitted if snapshot    |
diff --git a/internal/archiver/archiver.go b/internal/archiver/archiver.go
index d8f0157b1..f7a9f2750 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/archiver.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/archiver.go
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ type ChangeStats struct {
 }
 
 type Summary struct {
+	BackupStart    time.Time
+	BackupEnd      time.Time
 	Files, Dirs    ChangeStats
 	ProcessedBytes uint64
 	ItemStats
@@ -811,7 +813,9 @@ func (arch *Archiver) stopWorkers() {
 
 // Snapshot saves several targets and returns a snapshot.
 func (arch *Archiver) Snapshot(ctx context.Context, targets []string, opts SnapshotOptions) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, *Summary, error) {
-	arch.summary = &Summary{}
+	arch.summary = &Summary{
+		BackupStart: opts.BackupStart,
+	}
 
 	cleanTargets, err := resolveRelativeTargets(arch.FS, targets)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -894,9 +898,10 @@ func (arch *Archiver) Snapshot(ctx context.Context, targets []string, opts Snaps
 		sn.Parent = opts.ParentSnapshot.ID()
 	}
 	sn.Tree = &rootTreeID
+	arch.summary.BackupEnd = time.Now()
 	sn.Summary = &restic.SnapshotSummary{
-		BackupStart: opts.BackupStart,
-		BackupEnd:   time.Now(),
+		BackupStart: arch.summary.BackupStart,
+		BackupEnd:   arch.summary.BackupEnd,
 
 		FilesNew:            arch.summary.Files.New,
 		FilesChanged:        arch.summary.Files.Changed,
diff --git a/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go b/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go
index d4f15c80b..97d27dc64 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go
@@ -1692,14 +1692,17 @@ func (f MockFile) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
 }
 
 func checkSnapshotStats(t *testing.T, sn *restic.Snapshot, stat Summary) {
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.New, sn.Summary.FilesNew)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.Changed, sn.Summary.FilesChanged)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.Unchanged, sn.Summary.FilesUnmodified)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Dirs.New, sn.Summary.DirsNew)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Dirs.Changed, sn.Summary.DirsChanged)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Dirs.Unchanged, sn.Summary.DirsUnmodified)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.ProcessedBytes, sn.Summary.TotalBytesProcessed)
-	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.New+stat.Files.Changed+stat.Files.Unchanged, sn.Summary.TotalFilesProcessed)
+	t.Helper()
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.BackupStart, sn.Summary.BackupStart, "BackupStart")
+	// BackupEnd is set to time.Now() and can't be compared to a fixed value
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.New, sn.Summary.FilesNew, "FilesNew")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.Changed, sn.Summary.FilesChanged, "FilesChanged")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.Unchanged, sn.Summary.FilesUnmodified, "FilesUnmodified")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Dirs.New, sn.Summary.DirsNew, "DirsNew")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Dirs.Changed, sn.Summary.DirsChanged, "DirsChanged")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Dirs.Unchanged, sn.Summary.DirsUnmodified, "DirsUnmodified")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.ProcessedBytes, sn.Summary.TotalBytesProcessed, "TotalBytesProcessed")
+	rtest.Equals(t, stat.Files.New+stat.Files.Changed+stat.Files.Unchanged, sn.Summary.TotalFilesProcessed, "TotalFilesProcessed")
 	bothZeroOrNeither(t, uint64(stat.DataBlobs), uint64(sn.Summary.DataBlobs))
 	bothZeroOrNeither(t, uint64(stat.TreeBlobs), uint64(sn.Summary.TreeBlobs))
 	bothZeroOrNeither(t, uint64(stat.DataSize+stat.TreeSize), uint64(sn.Summary.DataAdded))
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/json.go b/internal/ui/backup/json.go
index f4a76afd7..79da353eb 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/json.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/json.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (b *JSONProgress) ReportTotal(start time.Time, s archiver.ScanStats) {
 }
 
 // Finish prints the finishing messages.
-func (b *JSONProgress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *archiver.Summary, dryRun bool) {
+func (b *JSONProgress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, summary *archiver.Summary, dryRun bool) {
 	id := ""
 	// empty if snapshot creation was skipped
 	if !snapshotID.IsNull() {
@@ -182,7 +182,9 @@ func (b *JSONProgress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *ar
 		DataAddedPacked:     summary.ItemStats.DataSizeInRepo + summary.ItemStats.TreeSizeInRepo,
 		TotalFilesProcessed: summary.Files.New + summary.Files.Changed + summary.Files.Unchanged,
 		TotalBytesProcessed: summary.ProcessedBytes,
-		TotalDuration:       time.Since(start).Seconds(),
+		BackupStart:         summary.BackupStart,
+		BackupEnd:           summary.BackupEnd,
+		TotalDuration:       summary.BackupEnd.Sub(summary.BackupStart).Seconds(),
 		SnapshotID:          id,
 		DryRun:              dryRun,
 	})
@@ -229,20 +231,22 @@ type verboseUpdate struct {
 }
 
 type summaryOutput struct {
-	MessageType         string  `json:"message_type"` // "summary"
-	FilesNew            uint    `json:"files_new"`
-	FilesChanged        uint    `json:"files_changed"`
-	FilesUnmodified     uint    `json:"files_unmodified"`
-	DirsNew             uint    `json:"dirs_new"`
-	DirsChanged         uint    `json:"dirs_changed"`
-	DirsUnmodified      uint    `json:"dirs_unmodified"`
-	DataBlobs           int     `json:"data_blobs"`
-	TreeBlobs           int     `json:"tree_blobs"`
-	DataAdded           uint64  `json:"data_added"`
-	DataAddedPacked     uint64  `json:"data_added_packed"`
-	TotalFilesProcessed uint    `json:"total_files_processed"`
-	TotalBytesProcessed uint64  `json:"total_bytes_processed"`
-	TotalDuration       float64 `json:"total_duration"` // in seconds
-	SnapshotID          string  `json:"snapshot_id,omitempty"`
-	DryRun              bool    `json:"dry_run,omitempty"`
+	MessageType         string    `json:"message_type"` // "summary"
+	FilesNew            uint      `json:"files_new"`
+	FilesChanged        uint      `json:"files_changed"`
+	FilesUnmodified     uint      `json:"files_unmodified"`
+	DirsNew             uint      `json:"dirs_new"`
+	DirsChanged         uint      `json:"dirs_changed"`
+	DirsUnmodified      uint      `json:"dirs_unmodified"`
+	DataBlobs           int       `json:"data_blobs"`
+	TreeBlobs           int       `json:"tree_blobs"`
+	DataAdded           uint64    `json:"data_added"`
+	DataAddedPacked     uint64    `json:"data_added_packed"`
+	TotalFilesProcessed uint      `json:"total_files_processed"`
+	TotalBytesProcessed uint64    `json:"total_bytes_processed"`
+	TotalDuration       float64   `json:"total_duration"` // in seconds
+	BackupStart         time.Time `json:"backup_start"`
+	BackupEnd           time.Time `json:"backup_end"`
+	SnapshotID          string    `json:"snapshot_id,omitempty"`
+	DryRun              bool      `json:"dry_run,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/progress.go b/internal/ui/backup/progress.go
index 24640d71f..318d30435 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/progress.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/progress.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type ProgressPrinter interface {
 	ScannerError(item string, err error) error
 	CompleteItem(messageType string, item string, s archiver.ItemStats, d time.Duration)
 	ReportTotal(start time.Time, s archiver.ScanStats)
-	Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *archiver.Summary, dryRun bool)
+	Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, summary *archiver.Summary, dryRun bool)
 	Reset()
 
 	P(msg string, args ...interface{})
@@ -173,5 +173,5 @@ func (p *Progress) ReportTotal(item string, s archiver.ScanStats) {
 func (p *Progress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, summary *archiver.Summary, dryrun bool) {
 	// wait for the status update goroutine to shut down
 	p.Updater.Done()
-	p.printer.Finish(snapshotID, p.start, summary, dryrun)
+	p.printer.Finish(snapshotID, summary, dryrun)
 }
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/progress_test.go b/internal/ui/backup/progress_test.go
index 512fbab26..60e754b4a 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/progress_test.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/progress_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (p *mockPrinter) CompleteItem(messageType string, _ string, _ archiver.Item
 }
 
 func (p *mockPrinter) ReportTotal(_ time.Time, _ archiver.ScanStats) {}
-func (p *mockPrinter) Finish(id restic.ID, _ time.Time, _ *archiver.Summary, _ bool) {
+func (p *mockPrinter) Finish(id restic.ID, _ *archiver.Summary, _ bool) {
 	p.Lock()
 	defer p.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/text.go b/internal/ui/backup/text.go
index 097f0d0d8..efd7ffdfe 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/text.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/text.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func (b *TextProgress) Reset() {
 }
 
 // Finish prints the finishing messages.
-func (b *TextProgress) Finish(id restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *archiver.Summary, dryRun bool) {
+func (b *TextProgress) Finish(id restic.ID, summary *archiver.Summary, dryRun bool) {
 	b.P("\n")
 	b.P("Files:       %5d new, %5d changed, %5d unmodified\n", summary.Files.New, summary.Files.Changed, summary.Files.Unchanged)
 	b.P("Dirs:        %5d new, %5d changed, %5d unmodified\n", summary.Dirs.New, summary.Dirs.Changed, summary.Dirs.Unchanged)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func (b *TextProgress) Finish(id restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *archiver.S
 	b.P("processed %v files, %v in %s",
 		summary.Files.New+summary.Files.Changed+summary.Files.Unchanged,
 		ui.FormatBytes(summary.ProcessedBytes),
-		ui.FormatDuration(time.Since(start)),
+		ui.FormatDuration(summary.BackupEnd.Sub(summary.BackupStart)),
 	)
 
 	if !dryRun {