diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
index ab9ee41f052..019eecad8a1 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_backup.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ type BackupOptions struct {
 	ExcludeLargerThan       string
 	Stdin                   bool
 	StdinFilename           string
+	SummaryFilename         string
 	Tags                    restic.TagLists
 	Host                    string
 	FilesFrom               []string
@@ -115,6 +117,7 @@ func init() {
 	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.ExcludeLargerThan, "exclude-larger-than", "", "max `size` of the files to be backed up (allowed suffixes: k/K, m/M, g/G, t/T)")
 	f.BoolVar(&backupOptions.Stdin, "stdin", false, "read backup from stdin")
 	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.StdinFilename, "stdin-filename", "stdin", "`filename` to use when reading from stdin")
+	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.SummaryFilename, "summary-filename", "", "`filename` to append summary data to")
 	f.Var(&backupOptions.Tags, "tag", "add `tags` for the new snapshot in the format `tag[,tag,...]` (can be specified multiple times)")
 
 	f.StringVarP(&backupOptions.Host, "host", "H", "", "set the `hostname` for the snapshot manually. To prevent an expensive rescan use the \"parent\" flag")
@@ -710,7 +713,21 @@ func runBackup(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, term *termstatus.Termina
 	if !gopts.JSON && !opts.DryRun {
 		progressPrinter.P("snapshot %s saved\n", id.Str())
 	}
-	if !success {
+	if opts.SummaryFilename != "" {
+		sf, err := os.OpenFile(opts.SummaryFilename, os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0666)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Errorf("%s: appending to summary failed: %v", opts.SummaryFilename, err)
+		}
+		buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+		if err := json.NewEncoder(buf).Encode(progressReporter.FinishSummary(id)); err != nil {
+			return errors.Errorf("encoding summary failed: %v", err)
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(sf, "%s", buf.String())
+		if err := sf.Close(); err != nil {
+			return errors.Errorf("%s: closing file failed: %v", opts.SummaryFilename, err)
+		}
+	}
+        if !success {
 		return ErrInvalidSourceData
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/json.go b/internal/ui/backup/json.go
index fcc200b2a9b..db692461e75 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/json.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/json.go
@@ -172,7 +172,12 @@ func (b *JSONProgress) ReportTotal(item string, start time.Time, s archiver.Scan
 
 // Finish prints the finishing messages.
 func (b *JSONProgress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Summary, dryRun bool) {
-	b.print(summaryOutput{
+	b.print(b.FinishSummary(snapshotID, start, summary, dryRun))
+}
+
+// FinishSummary returns the summary as a struct
+func (b *JSONProgress) FinishSummary(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Summary, dryRun bool) summaryOutput {
+	return summaryOutput{
 		MessageType:         "summary",
 		FilesNew:            summary.Files.New,
 		FilesChanged:        summary.Files.Changed,
@@ -188,7 +193,7 @@ func (b *JSONProgress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Su
 		TotalDuration:       time.Since(start).Seconds(),
 		SnapshotID:          snapshotID.Str(),
 		DryRun:              dryRun,
-	})
+	}
 }
 
 // Reset no-op
@@ -225,20 +230,3 @@ type verboseUpdate struct {
 	TotalFiles   uint    `json:"total_files"`
 }
 
-type summaryOutput struct {
-	MessageType         string  `json:"message_type"` // "summary"
-	FilesNew            uint    `json:"files_new"`
-	FilesChanged        uint    `json:"files_changed"`
-	FilesUnmodified     uint    `json:"files_unmodified"`
-	DirsNew             uint    `json:"dirs_new"`
-	DirsChanged         uint    `json:"dirs_changed"`
-	DirsUnmodified      uint    `json:"dirs_unmodified"`
-	DataBlobs           int     `json:"data_blobs"`
-	TreeBlobs           int     `json:"tree_blobs"`
-	DataAdded           uint64  `json:"data_added"`
-	TotalFilesProcessed uint    `json:"total_files_processed"`
-	TotalBytesProcessed uint64  `json:"total_bytes_processed"`
-	TotalDuration       float64 `json:"total_duration"` // in seconds
-	SnapshotID          string  `json:"snapshot_id"`
-	DryRun              bool    `json:"dry_run,omitempty"`
-}
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/progress.go b/internal/ui/backup/progress.go
index 781ac289b18..981c3872ee1 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/progress.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/progress.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ type ProgressPrinter interface {
 	CompleteItem(messageType string, item string, previous, current *restic.Node, s archiver.ItemStats, d time.Duration)
 	ReportTotal(item string, start time.Time, s archiver.ScanStats)
 	Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Summary, dryRun bool)
+	FinishSummary(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Summary, dryRun bool) summaryOutput
 	Reset()
 
 	// ui.StdioWrapper
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ type ProgressReporter interface {
 	Run(ctx context.Context) error
 	Error(item string, fi os.FileInfo, err error) error
 	Finish(snapshotID restic.ID)
+	FinishSummary(snapshotID restic.ID) summaryOutput
 }
 
 type Summary struct {
@@ -312,6 +314,11 @@ func (p *Progress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID) {
 	<-p.closed
 	p.printer.Finish(snapshotID, p.start, p.summary, p.dry)
 }
+func (p *Progress) FinishSummary(snapshotID restic.ID) summaryOutput {
+	// wait for the status update goroutine to shut down
+	<-p.closed
+	return p.printer.FinishSummary(snapshotID, p.start, p.summary, p.dry)
+}
 
 // SetMinUpdatePause sets b.MinUpdatePause. It satisfies the
 // ArchiveProgressReporter interface.
@@ -323,3 +330,20 @@ func (p *Progress) SetMinUpdatePause(d time.Duration) {
 func (p *Progress) SetDryRun() {
 	p.dry = true
 }
+type summaryOutput struct {
+	MessageType         string  `json:"message_type"` // "summary"
+	FilesNew            uint    `json:"files_new"`
+	FilesChanged        uint    `json:"files_changed"`
+	FilesUnmodified     uint    `json:"files_unmodified"`
+	DirsNew             uint    `json:"dirs_new"`
+	DirsChanged         uint    `json:"dirs_changed"`
+	DirsUnmodified      uint    `json:"dirs_unmodified"`
+	DataBlobs           int     `json:"data_blobs"`
+	TreeBlobs           int     `json:"tree_blobs"`
+	DataAdded           uint64  `json:"data_added"`
+	TotalFilesProcessed uint    `json:"total_files_processed"`
+	TotalBytesProcessed uint64  `json:"total_bytes_processed"`
+	TotalDuration       float64 `json:"total_duration"` // in seconds
+	SnapshotID          string  `json:"snapshot_id"`
+	DryRun              bool    `json:"dry_run,omitempty"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/backup/text.go b/internal/ui/backup/text.go
index 998805865f1..8b242328ad0 100644
--- a/internal/ui/backup/text.go
+++ b/internal/ui/backup/text.go
@@ -186,3 +186,25 @@ func (b *TextProgress) Finish(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Su
 		formatDuration(time.Since(start)),
 	)
 }
+
+// Return finishing stats in a struct.
+func (b *TextProgress) FinishSummary(snapshotID restic.ID, start time.Time, summary *Summary, dryRun bool) summaryOutput {
+	return summaryOutput{
+		MessageType:         "summary",
+		FilesNew:            summary.Files.New,
+		FilesChanged:        summary.Files.Changed,
+		FilesUnmodified:     summary.Files.Unchanged,
+		DirsNew:             summary.Dirs.New,
+		DirsChanged:         summary.Dirs.Changed,
+		DirsUnmodified:      summary.Dirs.Unchanged,
+		DataBlobs:           summary.ItemStats.DataBlobs,
+		TreeBlobs:           summary.ItemStats.TreeBlobs,
+		DataAdded:           summary.ItemStats.DataSize + summary.ItemStats.TreeSize,
+		TotalFilesProcessed: summary.Files.New + summary.Files.Changed + summary.Files.Unchanged,
+		TotalBytesProcessed: summary.ProcessedBytes,
+		TotalDuration:       time.Since(start).Seconds(),
+		SnapshotID:          snapshotID.Str(),
+		DryRun:              dryRun,
+	}
+}
+