diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 8a80fa3c..880e509d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ jobs:
       - run: yamllint --strict -c .yamllint .
 
       - run: ansible-lint
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/molecule.yml b/.github/workflows/molecule.yml
index 1ed46436..5eee674b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/molecule.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/molecule.yml
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ jobs:
         run: molecule test -- -e opencast_postgresql_password=123
         env:
           PY_COLORS: '1'
+
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3fe74c5b..f2edd647 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ Role Variables
 --------------
 
 - `opencast_postgresql_version`
-	- PostgreSQL major version to install (default: `12`)
+	- PostgreSQL major version to install (default: `16`)
 	- Enables CentOS AppStream
 - `opencast_postgresql_user:`
-	- Database user to create (default: `opencast`)
+	- Database user to create (default: `postgres`)
 - `opencast_postgresql_password`
 	- Databse password for user (_required_)
 - `opencast_postgresql_database`
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 74bd42ff..594ae6af 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 ---
-
 opencast_postgresql_version: 16
-opencast_postgresql_user: opencast
+opencast_postgresql_user: postgres
 opencast_postgresql_database: opencast
 opencast_postgresql_connection_hosts:
   - 127.0.0.1/32
   - ::1/128
+
+# === Database backup feature (disabled by default) ===
+database_backup_enabled: false
+database_backup_output_path: None
+database_backup_schedule: "*-*-* 05:00:00"  # Systemd OnCalendar format
+database_backup_keep: 7
+database_backup_dbs: []
+database_backup_owner: postgres
+database_backup_group: postgres
diff --git a/molecule/default/converge.yml b/molecule/default/converge.yml
index 23b7512f..0223844f 100644
--- a/molecule/default/converge.yml
+++ b/molecule/default/converge.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 - name: Converge
   hosts: all
   tasks:
-    - name: "Include opencast_postgresql"
+    - name: Include opencast_postgresql
       ansible.builtin.include_role:
         name: elan.opencast_postgresql
diff --git a/molecule/default/verify.yml b/molecule/default/verify.yml
index 39690b1e..7b4bc42d 100644
--- a/molecule/default/verify.yml
+++ b/molecule/default/verify.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 ---
-- name: Verify PostgreSQL Installation
+- name: Verify PostgreSQL & Backup Configuration
   hosts: all
   gather_facts: true
   vars_files:
     - ../../defaults/main.yml
 
   tasks:
+    # ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # Basic PostgreSQL installation
+    # ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     - name: Ensure PostgreSQL service is running on RedHat/CentOS
       ansible.builtin.systemd:
         name: "postgresql-{{ opencast_postgresql_version }}"
@@ -39,3 +42,57 @@
       ansible.builtin.debug:
         msg: "PostgreSQL version on {{ inventory_hostname }} (Debian): {{ psql_version_debian.stdout }}"
       when: ansible_os_family == "Debian"
+
+    # ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # Backup configuration (only when enabled)
+    # ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Verify backup configuration when enabled
+      when: database_backup_enabled | default(false)
+      block:
+        - name: Assert backups are enabled
+          ansible.builtin.assert:
+            that:
+              - database_backup_enabled | default(false)
+            fail_msg: "Backups are disabled; skipping backup verification."
+
+        - name: Ensure backup directory exists
+          ansible.builtin.stat:
+            path: "{{ database_backup_output_path }}"
+          register: backup_dir_stat
+
+        - name: Assert backup directory is present and writable
+          ansible.builtin.assert:
+            that:
+              - backup_dir_stat.stat.exists
+              - backup_dir_stat.stat.isdir
+            fail_msg: >
+              Backup directory {{ database_backup_output_path }}
+              is missing or not a directory.
+
+        - name: Check database-backup.service is installed and enabled
+          ansible.builtin.systemd:
+            name: database-backup.service
+            enabled: true
+            state: started
+
+        - name: Check database-backup.timer is installed and enabled
+          ansible.builtin.systemd:
+            name: database-backup.timer
+            enabled: true
+            state: started
+
+        - name: Slurp timer unit file for inspection
+          ansible.builtin.slurp:
+            path: /etc/systemd/system/database-backup.timer
+          register: timer_unit
+
+        - name: Assert OnCalendar line in timer unit matches schedule
+          ansible.builtin.assert:
+            that:
+              - "'OnCalendar={{ database_backup_schedule }}' in (timer_unit.content | b64decode)"
+            fail_msg: >
+              database-backup.timer does not contain
+              OnCalendar={{ database_backup_schedule }}.
+            success_msg: >
+              Timer unit file correctly contains
+              OnCalendar={{ database_backup_schedule }}.
diff --git a/tasks/backup.yml b/tasks/backup.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d65a0e43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/backup.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+- name: Fail if backup enabled but no output path given
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: "database_backup_output_path must be set when database_backup_enabled = true"
+  when:
+    - database_backup_enabled
+    - database_backup_output_path | length == 0
+
+- name: Ensure backup output directory exists
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ database_backup_output_path }}"
+    state: directory
+    owner: "{{ database_backup_owner }}"
+    group: "{{ database_backup_group }}"
+    mode: "0750"
+  when: database_backup_enabled
+
+- name: Install backup script
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: database-backup.sh.j2
+    dest: "{{ database_backup_output_path }}/database-backup.sh"
+    owner: "{{ database_backup_owner }}"
+    group: "{{ database_backup_group }}"
+    mode: "0750"
+  when: database_backup_enabled
+
+- name: Install systemd service unit
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: database-backup.service.j2
+    dest: /etc/systemd/system/database-backup.service
+    mode: "0644"
+  when: database_backup_enabled
+
+- name: Install systemd timer unit
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: database-backup.timer.j2
+    dest: /etc/systemd/system/database-backup.timer
+    mode: "0644"
+  when: database_backup_enabled
+
+- name: Reload systemd daemon (if timers changed)
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    daemon_reload: true
+  when: database_backup_enabled
+
+- name: Ensure backup timer is enabled and running
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    name: database-backup.timer
+    enabled: true
+    state: started
+  when: database_backup_enabled
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index f999592c..c7e44eba 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 ---
-###############################################################################
-# CentOS / RHEL
-###############################################################################
 
 - name: Install PostgreSQL PGDG repository (CentOS/RHEL)
   ansible.builtin.dnf:
@@ -145,3 +142,10 @@
   community.postgresql.postgresql_db:
     name: "{{ opencast_postgresql_database }}"
     owner: "{{ opencast_postgresql_user }}"
+
+###############################################################################
+# database backup
+###############################################################################
+- name: Include backup setup tasks
+  ansible.builtin.include_tasks: backup.yml
+  when: database_backup_enabled
diff --git a/templates/database-backup.service.j2 b/templates/database-backup.service.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f25ace8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/database-backup.service.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Opencast Database Backup
+After=network.target
+After=local-fs.target
+After=remote-fs.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+User={{ database_backup_owner }}    
+Group={{ database_backup_group }} 
+ExecStart={{ database_backup_output_path }}/database-backup.sh
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+
diff --git a/templates/database-backup.sh.j2 b/templates/database-backup.sh.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..220e4cef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/database-backup.sh.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# DATABASE="{{ opencast_postgresql_database }}"
+DBUSER="{{ database_backup_owner }}"
+OUTDIR="{{ database_backup_output_path }}"
+KEEP={{ database_backup_keep }}
+DBS=( {{ database_backup_dbs | join(" ") }} )
+TS=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
+
+# Export PostgreSQL password so pg_dump doesn't prompt
+export PGPASSWORD="{{opencast_postgresql_password}}"
+
+# Loop through each database name
+for DB in "${DBS[@]}"; do
+  echo "Backing up $DB → $OUTDIR/db-backup-${DB}-${TS}.dump.gz"
+
+  # Run pg_dump and compress into a .gz file
+  pg_dump -F c "$DB" \
+    | gzip > "${OUTDIR}/db-backup-${DB}-${TS}.dump.gz"
+
+  # Remove older dumps, keep only the newest $KEEP
+  ls -1t "${OUTDIR}/db-backup-${DB}-"*.dump.gz \
+    | tail -n +$((KEEP + 1)) \
+    | xargs -r rm --
+done
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/database-backup.timer.j2 b/templates/database-backup.timer.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..42355bdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/database-backup.timer.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Run database backup daily
+
+[Timer]
+OnCalendar={{ database_backup_schedule }}
+Persistent=true
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=timers.target
+