diff --git a/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go b/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go
index 3d2514ed3..6c259ffa0 100644
--- a/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go
+++ b/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go
@@ -272,7 +272,13 @@ func readBackupFromStdin(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string)
 		return err
 	}
 
-	_, id, err := archiver.ArchiveReader(repo, newArchiveStdinProgress(gopts), os.Stdin, opts.StdinFilename, opts.Tags, opts.Hostname)
+	r := &archiver.Reader{
+		Repository: repo,
+		Tags:       opts.Tags,
+		Hostname:   opts.Hostname,
+	}
+
+	_, id, err := r.Archive(opts.StdinFilename, os.Stdin, newArchiveStdinProgress(gopts))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go
index 43beee69a..6ed72ab96 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go
@@ -11,15 +11,22 @@ import (
 	"github.com/restic/chunker"
 )
 
-// ArchiveReader reads from the reader and archives the data. Returned is the
-// resulting snapshot and its ID.
-func ArchiveReader(repo restic.Repository, p *restic.Progress, rd io.Reader, name string, tags []string, hostname string) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, error) {
+// Reader allows saving a stream of data to the repository.
+type Reader struct {
+	restic.Repository
+
+	Tags     []string
+	Hostname string
+}
+
+// Archive reads data from the reader and saves it to the repo.
+func (r *Reader) Archive(name string, rd io.Reader, p *restic.Progress) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, error) {
 	if name == "" {
 		return nil, restic.ID{}, errors.New("no filename given")
 	}
 
 	debug.Log("start archiving %s", name)
-	sn, err := restic.NewSnapshot([]string{name}, tags, hostname)
+	sn, err := restic.NewSnapshot([]string{name}, r.Tags, r.Hostname)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, restic.ID{}, err
 	}
@@ -27,6 +34,7 @@ func ArchiveReader(repo restic.Repository, p *restic.Progress, rd io.Reader, nam
 	p.Start()
 	defer p.Done()
 
+	repo := r.Repository
 	chnker := chunker.New(rd, repo.Config().ChunkerPolynomial)
 
 	ids := restic.IDs{}
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go
index bdcc2a1e8..a8ab18668 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go
@@ -79,7 +79,13 @@ func TestArchiveReader(t *testing.T) {
 
 	f := fakeFile(t, seed, size)
 
-	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, f, "fakefile", []string{"test"}, "localhost")
+	r := &Reader{
+		Repository: repo,
+		Hostname:   "localhost",
+		Tags:       []string{"test"},
+	}
+
+	sn, id, err := r.Archive("fakefile", f, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("ArchiveReader() returned error %v", err)
 	}
@@ -99,7 +105,13 @@ func TestArchiveReaderNull(t *testing.T) {
 	repo, cleanup := repository.TestRepository(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
-	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, bytes.NewReader(nil), "fakefile", nil, "localhost")
+	r := &Reader{
+		Repository: repo,
+		Hostname:   "localhost",
+		Tags:       []string{"test"},
+	}
+
+	sn, id, err := r.Archive("fakefile", bytes.NewReader(nil), nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("ArchiveReader() returned error %v", err)
 	}
@@ -134,7 +146,13 @@ func TestArchiveReaderError(t *testing.T) {
 	repo, cleanup := repository.TestRepository(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
-	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, errReader("error returned by reading stdin"), "fakefile", nil, "localhost")
+	r := &Reader{
+		Repository: repo,
+		Hostname:   "localhost",
+		Tags:       []string{"test"},
+	}
+
+	sn, id, err := r.Archive("fakefile", errReader("error returned by reading stdin"), nil)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected error not returned")
 	}
@@ -167,11 +185,17 @@ func BenchmarkArchiveReader(t *testing.B) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	r := &Reader{
+		Repository: repo,
+		Hostname:   "localhost",
+		Tags:       []string{"test"},
+	}
+
 	t.SetBytes(size)
 	t.ResetTimer()
 
 	for i := 0; i < t.N; i++ {
-		_, _, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, bytes.NewReader(buf), "fakefile", []string{"test"}, "localhost")
+		_, _, err := r.Archive("fakefile", bytes.NewReader(buf), nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}