diff --git a/.github/workflows/basic.yml b/.github/workflows/basic.yml
index 176bab0..6664a0d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/basic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/basic.yml
@@ -139,3 +139,23 @@ jobs:
         run: cd output/local && docker compose up -d
       - name: Wait for LAVA 2023.10 to be started
         run: sh .github/workflows/wait-for-docker.sh
+  test-backup:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - name: test valid and invalid usage of backup.sh
+        run: |
+          ./backup.sh -n && exit 1
+          ./backup.sh -h || exit 1
+          ./backup.sh --help || exit 1
+      - run: ./lavalab-gen.py boards-ci2.yaml
+      - name: Build lava-docker
+        run: cd output/local && docker compose build
+      - name: Wait for LAVA to be started
+        run: sh .github/workflows/wait-for-docker.sh
+      - name: Run backup
+        run: ./backup.sh -n central
+      - name: Check backup
+        run: |
+          pwd
+          ls -l backup-latest
diff --git a/backup.sh b/backup.sh
index 2f5f748..685baa1 100755
--- a/backup.sh
+++ b/backup.sh
@@ -1,17 +1,46 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+DOCKERNAME=master
 BACKUP_DIR="backup-$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M)"
 # use /tmp by default on host (this is used by tar)
 TMPDIR=${TMPDIR:-/tmp}
 export TMPDIR
 
+usage() {
+	echo "$0 [-h|--help] [-n dockername]"
+}
+
+while [ $# -ge 1 ]
+do
+	case $1 in
+	-h)
+		usage
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	--help)
+		usage
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-n)
+		shift
+		DOCKERNAME=$1
+		shift
+	;;
+	*)
+		usage
+		exit 1
+	;;
+	esac
+done
+
 mkdir -p $TMPDIR
 
 mkdir $BACKUP_DIR
 cp boards.yaml $BACKUP_DIR
 
-DOCKERID=$(docker ps |grep master | cut -d' ' -f1)
+DOCKERID=$(docker ps |grep "$DOCKERNAME" | cut -d' ' -f1)
 if [ -z "$DOCKERID" ];then
+	echo "ERROR: unable to find docker named $DOCKERNAME"
 	exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/boards-ci-testbackup.yaml b/boards-ci-testbackup.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ab6cc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/boards-ci-testbackup.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+masters:
+  - name: central
+    host: local
+    users:
+      - name: admin
+        token: tokenforci
+        password: passwordforci
+        superuser: true
+        staff: true
+    tokens:
+      - username: admin
+        token: dfjdfkfkdjfkdsjfslforci
+        description: no description
+
+slaves:
+  - name: lab-ci-0
+    host: local
+    remote_master: central
+    remote_user: admin
+    use_overlay_server: false
+    use_tftp: false
+    raw_devices:
+      - '/dev/bus/usb'
+
+boards:
+  - name: qemu-01
+    type: qemu