diff --git a/internal/archiver/archiver.go b/internal/archiver/archiver.go
index dda86c11e..37f1a378d 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/archiver.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/archiver.go
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ type Archiver struct {
 	// be in the snapshot after saving. s contains some statistics about this
 	// particular file/dir.
 	//
+	// Once reading a file has completed successfully (but not saving it yet),
+	// CompleteItem will be called with current == nil.
+	//
 	// CompleteItem may be called asynchronously from several different
 	// goroutines!
 	CompleteItem func(item string, previous, current *restic.Node, s ItemStats, d time.Duration)
@@ -431,6 +434,8 @@ func (arch *Archiver) Save(ctx context.Context, snPath, target string, previous
 		// Save will close the file, we don't need to do that
 		fn = arch.fileSaver.Save(ctx, snPath, target, file, fi, func() {
 			arch.StartFile(snPath)
+		}, func() {
+			arch.CompleteItem(snPath, nil, nil, ItemStats{}, 0)
 		}, func(node *restic.Node, stats ItemStats) {
 			arch.CompleteItem(snPath, previous, node, stats, time.Since(start))
 		})
diff --git a/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go b/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go
index 86b5386be..60859857e 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/archiver_test.go
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ func saveFile(t testing.TB, repo restic.Repository, filename string, filesystem
 	}
 
 	var (
+		completeReadingCallback bool
+
 		completeCallbackNode  *restic.Node
 		completeCallbackStats ItemStats
 		completeCallback      bool
@@ -60,6 +62,13 @@ func saveFile(t testing.TB, repo restic.Repository, filename string, filesystem
 		startCallback bool
 	)
 
+	completeReading := func() {
+		completeReadingCallback = true
+		if completeCallback {
+			t.Error("callbacks called in wrong order")
+		}
+	}
+
 	complete := func(node *restic.Node, stats ItemStats) {
 		completeCallback = true
 		completeCallbackNode = node
@@ -80,7 +89,7 @@ func saveFile(t testing.TB, repo restic.Repository, filename string, filesystem
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	res := arch.fileSaver.Save(ctx, "/", filename, file, fi, start, complete)
+	res := arch.fileSaver.Save(ctx, "/", filename, file, fi, start, completeReading, complete)
 
 	fnr := res.take(ctx)
 	if fnr.err != nil {
@@ -101,6 +110,10 @@ func saveFile(t testing.TB, repo restic.Repository, filename string, filesystem
 		t.Errorf("start callback did not happen")
 	}
 
+	if !completeReadingCallback {
+		t.Errorf("completeReading callback did not happen")
+	}
+
 	if !completeCallback {
 		t.Errorf("complete callback did not happen")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/archiver/file_saver.go b/internal/archiver/file_saver.go
index 1c9352ef2..c7303b929 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/file_saver.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/file_saver.go
@@ -67,17 +67,21 @@ func (s *FileSaver) TriggerShutdown() {
 type CompleteFunc func(*restic.Node, ItemStats)
 
 // Save stores the file f and returns the data once it has been completed. The
-// file is closed by Save.
-func (s *FileSaver) Save(ctx context.Context, snPath string, target string, file fs.File, fi os.FileInfo, start func(), complete CompleteFunc) FutureNode {
+// file is closed by Save. completeReading is only called if the file was read
+// successfully. complete is always called. If completeReading is called, then
+// this will always happen before calling complete.
+func (s *FileSaver) Save(ctx context.Context, snPath string, target string, file fs.File, fi os.FileInfo, start func(), completeReading func(), complete CompleteFunc) FutureNode {
 	fn, ch := newFutureNode()
 	job := saveFileJob{
-		snPath:   snPath,
-		target:   target,
-		file:     file,
-		fi:       fi,
-		start:    start,
-		complete: complete,
-		ch:       ch,
+		snPath: snPath,
+		target: target,
+		file:   file,
+		fi:     fi,
+		ch:     ch,
+
+		start:           start,
+		completeReading: completeReading,
+		complete:        complete,
 	}
 
 	select {
@@ -92,17 +96,19 @@ func (s *FileSaver) Save(ctx context.Context, snPath string, target string, file
 }
 
 type saveFileJob struct {
-	snPath   string
-	target   string
-	file     fs.File
-	fi       os.FileInfo
-	ch       chan<- futureNodeResult
-	complete CompleteFunc
-	start    func()
+	snPath string
+	target string
+	file   fs.File
+	fi     os.FileInfo
+	ch     chan<- futureNodeResult
+
+	start           func()
+	completeReading func()
+	complete        CompleteFunc
 }
 
 // saveFile stores the file f in the repo, then closes it.
-func (s *FileSaver) saveFile(ctx context.Context, chnker *chunker.Chunker, snPath string, target string, f fs.File, fi os.FileInfo, start func(), finish func(res futureNodeResult)) {
+func (s *FileSaver) saveFile(ctx context.Context, chnker *chunker.Chunker, snPath string, target string, f fs.File, fi os.FileInfo, start func(), finishReading func(), finish func(res futureNodeResult)) {
 	start()
 
 	fnr := futureNodeResult{
@@ -227,6 +233,7 @@ func (s *FileSaver) saveFile(ctx context.Context, chnker *chunker.Chunker, snPat
 	// after reaching the end of this method
 	remaining += idx + 1
 	lock.Unlock()
+	finishReading()
 	completeBlob()
 }
 
@@ -246,7 +253,11 @@ func (s *FileSaver) worker(ctx context.Context, jobs <-chan saveFileJob) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		s.saveFile(ctx, chnker, job.snPath, job.target, job.file, job.fi, job.start, func(res futureNodeResult) {
+		s.saveFile(ctx, chnker, job.snPath, job.target, job.file, job.fi, job.start, func() {
+			if job.completeReading != nil {
+				job.completeReading()
+			}
+		}, func(res futureNodeResult) {
 			if job.complete != nil {
 				job.complete(res.node, res.stats)
 			}
diff --git a/internal/archiver/file_saver_test.go b/internal/archiver/file_saver_test.go
index dde4356fc..e32250496 100644
--- a/internal/archiver/file_saver_test.go
+++ b/internal/archiver/file_saver_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func TestFileSaver(t *testing.T) {
 	defer cleanup()
 
 	startFn := func() {}
+	completeReadingFn := func() {}
 	completeFn := func(*restic.Node, ItemStats) {}
 
 	testFs := fs.Local{}
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ func TestFileSaver(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		ff := s.Save(ctx, filename, filename, f, fi, startFn, completeFn)
+		ff := s.Save(ctx, filename, filename, f, fi, startFn, completeReadingFn, completeFn)
 		results = append(results, ff)
 	}