diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c
index af349107f..a35cf31e7 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c
@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ fwupd_device_flag_to_string (FwupdDeviceFlags device_flag)
 		return "skips-restart";
 	if (device_flag == FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_HAS_MULTIPLE_BRANCHES)
 		return "has-multiple-branches";
+	if (device_flag == FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_BACKUP_BEFORE_INSTALL)
+		return "backup-before-install";
 	if (device_flag == FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UNKNOWN)
 		return "unknown";
 	return NULL;
@@ -299,6 +301,8 @@ fwupd_device_flag_from_string (const gchar *device_flag)
 		return FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_SKIPS_RESTART;
 	if (g_strcmp0 (device_flag, "has-multiple-branches") == 0)
 		return FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_HAS_MULTIPLE_BRANCHES;
+	if (g_strcmp0 (device_flag, "backup-before-install") == 0)
+		return FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_BACKUP_BEFORE_INSTALL;
 	return FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UNKNOWN;
 }
 
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h
index 785a28a72..cda52db1f 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ typedef enum {
  * @FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN:		Device is updatable but should not be called by the client
  * @FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_SKIPS_RESTART:		Device relies upon activation or power cycle to load firmware
  * @FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_HAS_MULTIPLE_BRANCHES:	Device supports switching to a different stream of firmware
+ * @FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_BACKUP_BEFORE_INSTALL:	Device firmware should be saved before installing firmware
  *
  * The device flags.
  **/
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN	(1llu << 37)	/* Since: 1.4.1 */
 #define FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_SKIPS_RESTART		(1llu << 38)	/* Since: 1.5.0 */
 #define FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_HAS_MULTIPLE_BRANCHES	(1llu << 39)	/* Since: 1.5.0 */
+#define FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_BACKUP_BEFORE_INSTALL	(1llu << 40)	/* Since: 1.5.0 */
 #define FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UNKNOWN		G_MAXUINT64	/* Since: 0.7.3 */
 typedef guint64 FwupdDeviceFlags;
 
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
index 027884de9..f7df74d68 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
@@ -1052,6 +1052,32 @@ fu_plugin_device_write_firmware (FuPlugin *self, FuDevice *device,
 	locker = fu_device_locker_new (device, error);
 	if (locker == NULL)
 		return FALSE;
+
+	/* back the old firmware up to /var/lib/fwupd */
+	if (fu_device_has_flag (device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_BACKUP_BEFORE_INSTALL)) {
+		g_autoptr(GBytes) fw_old = NULL;
+		g_autofree gchar *path = NULL;
+		g_autofree gchar *fn = NULL;
+		g_autofree gchar *localstatedir = NULL;
+
+		fw_old = fu_device_dump_firmware (device, error);
+		if (fw_old == NULL) {
+			g_prefix_error (error, "failed to backup old firmware: ");
+			return FALSE;
+		}
+		localstatedir = fu_common_get_path (FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_PKG);
+		fn = g_strdup_printf ("%s.bin", fu_device_get_version (device));
+		path = g_build_filename (localstatedir,
+					 "backup",
+					 fu_device_get_id (device),
+					 fu_device_get_serial (device) != NULL ?
+						fu_device_get_serial (device) :
+						"default",
+					 fn, NULL);
+		if (!fu_common_set_contents_bytes (path, fw_old, error))
+			return FALSE;
+	}
+
 	return fu_device_write_firmware (device, fw, flags, error);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fu-util-common.c b/src/fu-util-common.c
index c0cc85d1e..3daf56e3b 100644
--- a/src/fu-util-common.c
+++ b/src/fu-util-common.c
@@ -1077,6 +1077,10 @@ fu_util_device_flag_to_string (guint64 device_flag)
 		/* TRANSLATORS: there is more than one supplier of the firmware */
 		return _("Device supports switching to a different branch of firmware");
 	}
+	if (device_flag == FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_BACKUP_BEFORE_INSTALL) {
+		/* TRANSLATORS: save the old firmware to disk before installing the new one */
+		return _("Device will backup firmware before installing");
+	}
 	if (device_flag == FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_MD_SET_NAME) {
 		/* skip */
 		return NULL;