diff --git a/resources/lib/backup.py b/resources/lib/backup.py
index 5e8a1654..d4c2c0b7 100644
--- a/resources/lib/backup.py
+++ b/resources/lib/backup.py
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ def run(self,mode=-1,progressOverride=False):
             #go through each of the user selected items and write them to the backup store
             if(utils.getSetting('backup_addons') == 'true'):
                 fileManager.addFile("-" + xbmc.translatePath('special://home/addons'))
+                fileManager.excludeFile(xbmc.translatePath('special://home/addons/packages'))
                 fileManager.walkTree(xbmc.translatePath('special://home/addons'))
 
             fileManager.addFile("-" + xbmc.translatePath('special://home/userdata'))
@@ -580,7 +581,8 @@ def _createResumeBackupFile(self):
 
 class FileManager:
     not_dir = ['.zip','.xsp','.rar']
-
+    exclude_dir = []
+    
     def __init__(self,vfs):
         self.vfs = vfs
         self.fileArray = []
@@ -595,20 +597,22 @@ def walkTree(self,directory):
         
             #create all the subdirs first
             for aDir in dirs:
-                dirPath = xbmc.translatePath(directory + "/" + aDir)
+                dirPath = xbmc.validatePath(xbmc.translatePath(directory + "/" + aDir))
                 file_ext = aDir.split('.')[-1]
-              
-                self.addFile("-" + dirPath)
 
-                #catch for "non directory" type files
-                shouldWalk = True
+                if(not dirPath in self.exclude_dir):
+                    
+                    self.addFile("-" + dirPath)
+
+                    #catch for "non directory" type files
+                    shouldWalk = True
 
-                for s in file_ext:
-                    if(s in self.not_dir):
-                        shouldWalk = False
+                    for s in file_ext:
+                        if(s in self.not_dir):
+                            shouldWalk = False
                 
-                if(shouldWalk):
-                    self.walkTree(dirPath)  
+                    if(shouldWalk):
+                        self.walkTree(dirPath)  
             
             #copy all the files
             for aFile in files:
@@ -625,6 +629,16 @@ def addFile(self,filename):
         utils.log("Add File: " + filename,xbmc.LOGDEBUG)
         self.fileArray.append(filename)
 
+    def excludeFile(self,filename):
+        try:
+            filename = filename.decode('UTF-8')
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            filename = filename.decode('ISO-8859-2')
+            
+        #write the full remote path name of this file
+        utils.log("Exclude File: " + filename,xbmc.LOGDEBUG)
+        self.exclude_dir.append(filename)
+
     def getFiles(self):
         result = self.fileArray
         self.fileArray = []