diff --git a/pbs-client/src/pxar_backup_stream.rs b/pbs-client/src/pxar_backup_stream.rs
index f322566f..cdbcdfec 100644
--- a/pbs-client/src/pxar_backup_stream.rs
+++ b/pbs-client/src/pxar_backup_stream.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use nix::sys::stat::Mode;
 use proxmox_async::blocking::TokioWriterAdapter;
 use proxmox_io::StdChannelWriter;
 
-use pbs_datastore::catalog::CatalogWriter;
+use pbs_datastore::catalog::{BackupCatalogWriter, CatalogWriter};
 
 use crate::inject_reused_chunks::InjectChunks;
 use crate::pxar::create::PxarWriters;
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ impl Drop for PxarBackupStream {
 impl PxarBackupStream {
     pub fn new<W: Write + Send + 'static>(
         dir: Dir,
-        catalog: Arc<Mutex<CatalogWriter<W>>>,
+        catalog: Option<Arc<Mutex<CatalogWriter<W>>>>,
         options: crate::pxar::PxarCreateOptions,
         boundaries: Option<mpsc::Sender<InjectChunks>>,
         separate_payload_stream: bool,
@@ -82,7 +82,10 @@ impl PxarBackupStream {
         let handler = async move {
             if let Err(err) = crate::pxar::create_archive(
                 dir,
-                PxarWriters::new(writer, Some(catalog)),
+                PxarWriters::new(
+                    writer,
+                    catalog.map(|c| c as Arc<Mutex<dyn BackupCatalogWriter + Send>>),
+                ),
                 crate::pxar::Flags::DEFAULT,
                 move |path| {
                     log::debug!("{:?}", path);
@@ -122,7 +125,7 @@ impl PxarBackupStream {
 
     pub fn open<W: Write + Send + 'static>(
         dirname: &Path,
-        catalog: Arc<Mutex<CatalogWriter<W>>>,
+        catalog: Option<Arc<Mutex<CatalogWriter<W>>>>,
         options: crate::pxar::PxarCreateOptions,
         boundaries: Option<mpsc::Sender<InjectChunks>>,
         separate_payload_stream: bool,
diff --git a/proxmox-backup-client/src/main.rs b/proxmox-backup-client/src/main.rs
index 09af912d..f1c7fbf9 100644
--- a/proxmox-backup-client/src/main.rs
+++ b/proxmox-backup-client/src/main.rs
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ async fn backup_directory<P: AsRef<Path>>(
     archive_name: &str,
     payload_target: Option<&str>,
     chunk_size: Option<usize>,
-    catalog: Arc<Mutex<CatalogWriter<TokioWriterAdapter<StdChannelWriter<Error>>>>>,
+    catalog: Option<Arc<Mutex<CatalogWriter<TokioWriterAdapter<StdChannelWriter<Error>>>>>>,
     pxar_create_options: pbs_client::pxar::PxarCreateOptions,
     upload_options: UploadOptions,
 ) -> Result<(BackupStats, Option<BackupStats>), Error> {
@@ -1059,19 +1059,20 @@ async fn create_backup(
                     };
 
                 // start catalog upload on first use
-                if catalog.is_none() {
+                if catalog.is_none() && !detection_mode.is_data() && !detection_mode.is_metadata() {
                     let catalog_upload_res =
                         spawn_catalog_upload(client.clone(), crypto.mode == CryptMode::Encrypt)?;
                     catalog = Some(catalog_upload_res.catalog_writer);
                     catalog_result_rx = Some(catalog_upload_res.result);
                 }
-                let catalog = catalog.as_ref().unwrap();
 
                 log_file("directory", &filename, &target);
-                catalog
-                    .lock()
-                    .unwrap()
-                    .start_directory(std::ffi::CString::new(target.as_str())?.as_c_str())?;
+                if let Some(catalog) = catalog.as_ref() {
+                    catalog
+                        .lock()
+                        .unwrap()
+                        .start_directory(std::ffi::CString::new(target.as_str())?.as_c_str())?;
+                }
 
                 let mut previous_ref = None;
                 let max_cache_size = if detection_mode.is_metadata() {
@@ -1139,7 +1140,7 @@ async fn create_backup(
                     &target,
                     payload_target.as_deref(),
                     chunk_size_opt,
-                    catalog.clone(),
+                    catalog.as_ref().cloned(),
                     pxar_options,
                     upload_options,
                 )
@@ -1155,7 +1156,9 @@ async fn create_backup(
                     )?;
                 }
                 manifest.add_file(target, stats.size, stats.csum, crypto.mode)?;
-                catalog.lock().unwrap().end_directory()?;
+                if let Some(catalog) = catalog.as_ref() {
+                    catalog.lock().unwrap().end_directory()?;
+                }
             }
             (BackupSpecificationType::IMAGE, false) => {
                 log_file("image", &filename, &target);