diff --git a/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/backup.rb b/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/backup.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6f154a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/backup.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#
+# Cookbook:: kosmos-ejabberd
+# Recipe:: backup
+#
+# Copyright:: 2019, Kosmos, All Rights Reserved.
+#
+
+unless node.chef_environment == "development"
+  # backup the data dir and the config files
+  node.override["backup"]["archives"]["ejabberd"] = ["/opt/ejabberd", "/var/www/xmpp.kosmos.org"]
+  unless node["backup"]["postgresql"]["databases"].include? "ejabberd"
+    node.override["backup"]["postgresql"]["databases"] =
+      node["backup"]["postgresql"]["databases"].to_a << "ejabberd"
+  end
+  include_recipe "backup"
+end