diff --git a/anthias_django/settings.py b/anthias_django/settings.py
index d8894620d..67d441b4b 100644
--- a/anthias_django/settings.py
+++ b/anthias_django/settings.py
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
     'django.contrib.sessions',
     'django.contrib.messages',
     'django.contrib.staticfiles',
+    'dbbackup',
 ]
 
 MIDDLEWARE = [
@@ -108,10 +109,6 @@
             else '/data/.screenly/screenly.db'
         ),
     },
-    'backup': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': '/data/.screenly/backup.db',
-    },
 }
 
 
@@ -179,3 +176,8 @@
     'TITLE': 'Anthias API',
     'VERSION': '1.2.0',
 }
+
+# `django-dbbackup` settings
+DBBACKUP_STORAGE = 'django.core.files.storage.FileSystemStorage'
+DBBACKUP_STORAGE_OPTIONS = {'location': '/data/.screenly/backups'}
+DBBACKUP_HOSTNAME = 'anthias'
diff --git a/bin/start_server.sh b/bin/start_server.sh
index ac78712e9..b7220a9cc 100755
--- a/bin/start_server.sh
+++ b/bin/start_server.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ ENVIRONMENT=${ENVIRONMENT:-production}
 mkdir -p \
     /data/.config \
     /data/.screenly \
+    /data/.screenly/backups \
     /data/screenly_assets
 
 cp -n /usr/src/app/ansible/roles/screenly/files/screenly.conf /data/.screenly/screenly.conf
@@ -16,12 +17,12 @@ echo "Running migration..."
 # database is not left in an inconsistent state if the migration fails.
 
 if [ -f /data/.screenly/screenly.db ]; then
-    cp /data/.screenly/screenly.db /data/.screenly/backup.db && \
-        cp /data/.screenly/screenly.db /data/.screenly/screenly.db.bak && \
-        ./manage.py migrate --fake-initial --database=backup && \
-        mv /data/.screenly/backup.db /data/.screenly/screenly.db
+    ./manage.py dbbackup --noinput --clean && \
+        ./manage.py migrate --fake-initial --noinput || \
+        ./manage.py dbrestore --noinput
 else
-    ./manage.py migrate
+    ./manage.py migrate && \
+        ./manage.py dbbackup --noinput --clean
 fi
 
 if [[ "$ENVIRONMENT" == "development" ]]; then
diff --git a/requirements/requirements.txt b/requirements/requirements.txt
index 48c04b5f4..f43ee8064 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ cryptography==3.3.2
 Cython==0.29.33
 Django==3.2.18
 djangorestframework==3.14.0
+django-dbbackup==4.2.1
 drf-spectacular==0.27.2
 future==0.18.3
 gevent-websocket==0.10.1
diff --git a/requirements/requirements.viewer.txt b/requirements/requirements.viewer.txt
index 7e3452877..d0724fe84 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements.viewer.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements.viewer.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ configparser==4.0.2
 cryptography==3.3.2
 Cython==0.29.33
 Django==3.2.18
+django-dbbackup==4.2.1
 drf-spectacular==0.27.2
 future==0.18.3
 idna==3.7