diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user/backup.ex b/lib/pleroma/user/backup.ex
index 97b8718c1..cb9a40ba1 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user/backup.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user/backup.ex
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User.Backup do
   import Ecto.Query
   import Pleroma.Web.Gettext
 
+  require Logger
   require Pleroma.Constants
 
   alias Pleroma.Activity
@@ -130,48 +131,79 @@ def process(%__MODULE__{} = backup) do
 
     current_pid = self()
 
-    Task.Supervisor.async_nolink(
-      Pleroma.TaskSupervisor,
-      fn ->
-        with {:ok, zip_file} <- export(backup, current_pid),
-             {:ok, %{size: size}} <- File.stat(zip_file),
-             {:ok, _upload} <- upload(backup, zip_file) do
-          backup
-          |> cast(
-            %{
-              file_size: size,
-              processed: true,
-              state: :complete
-            },
-            [:file_size, :processed, :state]
-          )
-          |> Repo.update()
+    task =
+      Task.Supervisor.async_nolink(
+        Pleroma.TaskSupervisor,
+        __MODULE__,
+        :do_process,
+        [backup, current_pid]
+      )
 
-          send(current_pid, :completed)
-        end
-      end
-    )
-
-    wait_backup(backup, backup.processed_number)
+    wait_backup(backup, backup.processed_number, task)
   end
 
-  defp wait_backup(backup, current_processed) do
+  def do_process(backup, current_pid) do
+    with {:ok, zip_file} <- export(backup, current_pid),
+         {:ok, %{size: size}} <- File.stat(zip_file),
+         {:ok, _upload} <- upload(backup, zip_file) do
+      backup
+      |> cast(
+        %{
+          file_size: size,
+          processed: true,
+          state: :complete
+        },
+        [:file_size, :processed, :state]
+      )
+      |> Repo.update()
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp wait_backup(backup, current_processed, task) do
     receive do
       {:progress, new_processed} ->
         total_processed = current_processed + new_processed
 
         set_state(backup, :running, total_processed)
-        wait_backup(backup, total_processed)
+        wait_backup(backup, total_processed, task)
 
-      :completed ->
-        {:ok, get(backup.id)}
+      {:DOWN, _ref, _proc, _pid, reason} ->
+        backup = get(backup.id)
+
+        if reason != :normal do
+          Logger.error("Backup #{backup.id} process ended abnormally: #{inspect(reason)}")
+
+          {:ok, backup} = set_state(backup, :failed)
+
+          {:error,
+           %{
+             backup: backup,
+             reason: :exit,
+             details: reason
+           }}
+        else
+          {:ok, backup}
+        end
     after
-      30_000 -> set_state(backup, :failed)
+      30_000 ->
+        Logger.error(
+          "Backup #{backup.id} timed out after no response for 30 seconds, terminating"
+        )
+
+        Task.Supervisor.terminate_child(Pleroma.TaskSupervisor, task.pid)
+
+        {:ok, backup} = set_state(backup, :failed)
+
+        {:error,
+         %{
+           backup: backup,
+           reason: :timeout
+         }}
     end
   end
 
   @files ['actor.json', 'outbox.json', 'likes.json', 'bookmarks.json']
-  def export(%__MODULE__{} = backup, caller_pid \\ nil) do
+  def export(%__MODULE__{} = backup, caller_pid) do
     backup = Repo.preload(backup, :user)
     name = String.trim_trailing(backup.file_name, ".zip")
     dir = dir(name)
@@ -243,7 +275,12 @@ defp write(query, dir, name, fun, caller_pid) do
         query
         |> Pleroma.Repo.chunk_stream(100)
         |> Enum.reduce(0, fn i, acc ->
-          with {:ok, data} <- fun.(i),
+          with {:ok, data} <-
+                 (try do
+                    fun.(i)
+                  rescue
+                    e -> {:error, e}
+                  end),
                {:ok, str} <- Jason.encode(data),
                :ok <- IO.write(file, str <> ",\n") do
             if should_report?(acc + 1) do
@@ -252,7 +289,15 @@ defp write(query, dir, name, fun, caller_pid) do
 
             acc + 1
           else
-            _ -> acc
+            {:error, e} ->
+              Logger.warn(
+                "Error processing backup item: #{inspect(e)}\n The item is: #{inspect(i)}"
+              )
+
+              acc
+
+            _ ->
+              acc
           end
         end)
 
diff --git a/test/pleroma/user/backup_test.exs b/test/pleroma/user/backup_test.exs
index a536b4a4a..066bf6ba8 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/user/backup_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/user/backup_test.exs
@@ -270,6 +270,56 @@ test "it counts the correct number processed" do
     Backup.delete(backup)
   end
 
+  test "it handles errors" do
+    user = insert(:user, %{nickname: "cofe", name: "Cofe", ap_id: "http://cofe.io/users/cofe"})
+
+    Enum.map(1..120, fn i ->
+      {:ok, _status} = CommonAPI.post(user, %{status: "status #{i}"})
+    end)
+
+    assert {:ok, backup} = user |> Backup.new() |> Repo.insert()
+
+    with_mock Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Transmogrifier,
+              [:passthrough],
+              prepare_outgoing: fn data ->
+                object =
+                  data["object"]
+                  |> Pleroma.Object.normalize(fetch: false)
+                  |> Map.get(:data)
+
+                data = data |> Map.put("object", object)
+
+                if String.contains?(data["object"]["content"], "119"),
+                  do: raise(%Postgrex.Error{}),
+                  else: {:ok, data}
+              end do
+      {:ok, backup} = Backup.process(backup)
+      assert backup.processed
+      assert backup.state == :complete
+      assert backup.processed_number == 1 + 119
+
+      Backup.delete(backup)
+    end
+  end
+
+  test "it handles unrecoverable exceptions" do
+    user = insert(:user, %{nickname: "cofe", name: "Cofe", ap_id: "http://cofe.io/users/cofe"})
+
+    assert {:ok, backup} = user |> Backup.new() |> Repo.insert()
+
+    with_mock Backup, [:passthrough], do_process: fn _, _ -> raise "mock exception" end do
+      {:error, %{backup: backup, reason: :exit}} = Backup.process(backup)
+
+      assert backup.state == :failed
+    end
+
+    with_mock Backup, [:passthrough], do_process: fn _, _ -> Process.sleep(:timer.seconds(32)) end do
+      {:error, %{backup: backup, reason: :timeout}} = Backup.process(backup)
+
+      assert backup.state == :failed
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "it uploads and deletes a backup archive" do
     setup do
       clear_config([Pleroma.Upload, :base_url], "https://s3.amazonaws.com")