diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
index 7ce4f52de..bf1e17a47 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/archiver"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/debug"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/filter"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/fs"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/repository"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/restic"
@@ -298,6 +299,11 @@ func collectRejectByNameFuncs(opts BackupOptions, repo *repository.Repository, t
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+
+		if valid, invalidPatterns := filter.ValidatePatterns(excludes); !valid {
+			return nil, errors.Fatalf("--exclude-file: invalid pattern(s) provided:\n%s", strings.Join(invalidPatterns, "\n"))
+		}
+
 		opts.Excludes = append(opts.Excludes, excludes...)
 	}
 
@@ -306,14 +312,27 @@ func collectRejectByNameFuncs(opts BackupOptions, repo *repository.Repository, t
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+
+		if valid, invalidPatterns := filter.ValidatePatterns(excludes); !valid {
+			return nil, errors.Fatalf("--iexclude-file: invalid pattern(s) provided:\n%s", strings.Join(invalidPatterns, "\n"))
+		}
+
 		opts.InsensitiveExcludes = append(opts.InsensitiveExcludes, excludes...)
 	}
 
 	if len(opts.InsensitiveExcludes) > 0 {
+		if valid, invalidPatterns := filter.ValidatePatterns(opts.InsensitiveExcludes); !valid {
+			return nil, errors.Fatalf("--iexclude: invalid pattern(s) provided:\n%s", strings.Join(invalidPatterns, "\n"))
+		}
+
 		fs = append(fs, rejectByInsensitivePattern(opts.InsensitiveExcludes))
 	}
 
 	if len(opts.Excludes) > 0 {
+		if valid, invalidPatterns := filter.ValidatePatterns(opts.Excludes); !valid {
+			return nil, errors.Fatalf("--exclude: invalid pattern(s) provided:\n%s", strings.Join(invalidPatterns, "\n"))
+		}
+
 		fs = append(fs, rejectByPattern(opts.Excludes))
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/filter/filter.go b/internal/filter/filter.go
index ddfa3ebaf..cfacb8cc5 100644
--- a/internal/filter/filter.go
+++ b/internal/filter/filter.go
@@ -220,6 +220,27 @@ func match(pattern Pattern, strs []string) (matched bool, err error) {
 	return false, nil
 }
 
+// ValidatePatterns validates a slice of patterns.
+// Returns true if all patterns are valid - false otherwise, along with the invalid patterns.
+func ValidatePatterns(patterns []string) (allValid bool, invalidPatterns []string) {
+	invalidPatterns = make([]string, 0)
+
+	for _, Pattern := range ParsePatterns(patterns) {
+		// Validate all pattern parts
+		for _, part := range Pattern.parts {
+			// Validate the pattern part by trying to match it against itself
+			if _, validErr := filepath.Match(part.pattern, part.pattern); validErr != nil {
+				invalidPatterns = append(invalidPatterns, Pattern.original)
+
+				// If a single part is invalid, stop processing this pattern
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return len(invalidPatterns) == 0, invalidPatterns
+}
+
 // ParsePatterns prepares a list of patterns for use with List.
 func ParsePatterns(pattern []string) []Pattern {
 	patpat := make([]Pattern, 0)