diff --git a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_backup.py b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_backup.py
index af2573b..48700a4 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_backup.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_backup.py
@@ -33,10 +33,7 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         profile = io.StringIO()
         qvm_backup.write_backup_profile(profile, args)
         expected_profile = (
-            'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
-            'destination_vm: dom0\n'
-            'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-            '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
+            '{destination_path: /var/tmp, destination_vm: dom0, include: null}\n'
         )
         self.assertEqual(profile.getvalue(), expected_profile)
 
@@ -67,8 +64,7 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
             'destination_vm: dom0\n'
             'exclude: [vm1, vm2]\n'
-            'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-            '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
+            'include: null\n'
         )
         self.assertEqual(profile.getvalue(), expected_profile)
 
@@ -77,11 +73,7 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         profile = io.StringIO()
         qvm_backup.write_backup_profile(profile, args, passphrase='test123')
         expected_profile = (
-            'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
-            'destination_vm: dom0\n'
-            'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-            '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
-            'passphrase_text: test123\n'
+            '{destination_path: /var/tmp, destination_vm: dom0, include: null, passphrase_text: test123}\n'
         )
         self.assertEqual(profile.getvalue(), expected_profile)
 
@@ -101,10 +93,7 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             qvm_backup.main(['--save-profile', 'test-profile', '/var/tmp'],
                 app=self.app)
             expected_profile = (
-                'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
-                'destination_vm: dom0\n'
-                'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-                '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
+                '{destination_path: /var/tmp, destination_vm: dom0, include: null}\n'
             )
             with open(profile_path) as f:
                 self.assertEqual(expected_profile, f.read())
@@ -130,11 +119,8 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             qvm_backup.main(['--save-profile', 'test-profile', '/var/tmp'],
                 app=self.app)
             expected_profile = (
-                'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
-                'destination_vm: dom0\n'
-                'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-                '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
-                'passphrase_text: some password\n'
+                '{destination_path: /var/tmp, destination_vm: dom0, include: null, passphrase_text: some\n'
+                '    password}\n'
             )
             with open(profile_path) as f:
                 self.assertEqual(expected_profile, f.read())
@@ -194,8 +180,7 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
             'destination_vm: dom0\n'
             'exclude: [vm1]\n'
-            'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-            '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
+            'include: null\n'
             '# specify backup passphrase below\n'
             'passphrase_text: ...\n'
         )
@@ -225,11 +210,8 @@ class TC_00_qvm_backup(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
                     'test-profile', '/var/tmp'],
                     app=self.app)
             expected_profile = (
-                'destination_path: /var/tmp\n'
-                'destination_vm: dom0\n'
-                'include: [\'$type:AppVM\', \'$type:TemplateVM\', '
-                '\'$type:StandaloneVM\']\n'
-                'passphrase_text: other passphrase\n'
+                '{destination_path: /var/tmp, destination_vm: dom0, include: null, passphrase_text: other\n'
+                '    passphrase}\n'
             )
             with open(profile_path) as f:
                 self.assertEqual(expected_profile, f.read())
diff --git a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_backup.py b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_backup.py
index 0535dc1..088ce7d 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_backup.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_backup.py
@@ -94,11 +94,7 @@ def write_backup_profile(output_stream, args, passphrase=None):
     '''
 
     profile_data = {}
-    if args.vms:
-        profile_data['include'] = args.vms
-    else:
-        profile_data['include'] = [
-            '$type:AppVM', '$type:TemplateVM', '$type:StandaloneVM']
+    profile_data['include'] = args.vms or None
     if args.exclude_list:
         profile_data['exclude'] = args.exclude_list
     if passphrase: