diff --git a/internal/migrations/upgrade_repo_v2.go b/internal/migrations/upgrade_repo_v2.go
index 7f8f8111d..cf5ae8425 100644
--- a/internal/migrations/upgrade_repo_v2.go
+++ b/internal/migrations/upgrade_repo_v2.go
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ package migrations
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/restic"
 )
@@ -26,17 +30,19 @@ func (*UpgradeRepoV2) Check(ctx context.Context, repo restic.Repository) (bool,
 	return isV1, nil
 }
 
-func (*UpgradeRepoV2) Apply(ctx context.Context, repo restic.Repository) error {
-	cfg := repo.Config()
-	cfg.Version = 2
-
+func (*UpgradeRepoV2) upgrade(ctx context.Context, repo restic.Repository) error {
 	h := restic.Handle{Type: restic.ConfigFile}
 
+	// now remove the original file
 	err := repo.Backend().Remove(ctx, h)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("remove old config file failed: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("remove config failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// upgrade config
+	cfg := repo.Config()
+	cfg.Version = 2
+
 	_, err = repo.SaveJSONUnpacked(ctx, restic.ConfigFile, cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("save new config file failed: %w", err)
@@ -44,3 +50,44 @@ func (*UpgradeRepoV2) Apply(ctx context.Context, repo restic.Repository) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (m *UpgradeRepoV2) Apply(ctx context.Context, repo restic.Repository) error {
+	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "restic-migrate-upgrade-repo-v2-")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create temp dir failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	h := restic.Handle{Type: restic.ConfigFile}
+
+	// read raw config file and save it to a temp dir, just in case
+	var rawConfigFile []byte
+	err = repo.Backend().Load(ctx, h, 0, 0, func(rd io.Reader) (err error) {
+		rawConfigFile, err = ioutil.ReadAll(rd)
+		return err
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("load config file failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tempdir, "config.old"), rawConfigFile, 0600)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("write config file backup to %v failed: %w", tempdir, err)
+	}
+
+	// run the upgrade
+	err = m.upgrade(ctx, repo)
+	if err != nil {
+		// try contingency methods, reupload the original file
+		_ = repo.Backend().Remove(ctx, h)
+		uploadError := repo.Backend().Save(ctx, h, restic.NewByteReader(rawConfigFile, nil))
+		if uploadError != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error uploading config (%w), re-uploading old config filed failed as well (%v) but there is a backup in %v", err, uploadError, tempdir)
+		}
+
+		return fmt.Errorf("error uploading config (%w), re-uploadid old config, there is a backup in %v", err, tempdir)
+	}
+
+	_ = os.Remove(backupFileName)
+	_ = os.Remove(tempdir)
+	return nil
+}