diff --git a/tests/admin_pages/test_settings.py b/tests/admin_pages/test_settings.py
index 9b4651da0..b1890792c 100644
--- a/tests/admin_pages/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/admin_pages/test_settings.py
@@ -383,6 +383,9 @@ def test_settings_export_import(pub):
     resp = resp.form.submit('submit')
     assert 'Unknown referenced objects [Unknown datasources: foobar]' in resp
 
+    # check a backup of settings has been created
+    assert [x for x in os.listdir(pub.app_dir) if x.startswith('config.pck.backup-')]
+
 
 def test_settings_user(pub):
     user = create_superuser(pub)
diff --git a/wcs/publisher.py b/wcs/publisher.py
index e4e45d3c4..e9b66618b 100644
--- a/wcs/publisher.py
+++ b/wcs/publisher.py
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@ import json
 import os
 import pickle
 import re
+import shutil
 import sys
 import traceback
 import zipfile
 from contextlib import ExitStack, contextmanager
 
 from django.utils.encoding import force_str
+from django.utils.timezone import localtime
 
 from . import custom_views, data_sources, formdef, sessions
 from .admin import RootDirectory as AdminRootDirectory
@@ -282,6 +284,12 @@ class WcsPublisher(QommonPublisher):
                 rv[key] = value
             return rv
 
+        now = localtime()
+        for filename in ('config.pck', 'config.json'):
+            filepath = os.path.join(self.app_dir, filename)
+            if os.path.exists(filepath):
+                shutil.copyfile(filepath, filepath + '.backup-%s' % now.strftime('%Y%m%d'))
+
         with zipfile.ZipFile(fd) as z:
             for f in z.namelist():
                 if f in ('.indexes', '.max_id'):