diff --git a/linux/system-config/tmpfiles-qubes.conf b/linux/system-config/tmpfiles-qubes.conf
index 834541f8..c3ca33b0 100644
--- a/linux/system-config/tmpfiles-qubes.conf
+++ b/linux/system-config/tmpfiles-qubes.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 d /var/run/qubes 2770 root qubes
 f /var/run/qubes/xl-lock 0660 root qubes
+f /var/run/qubes/empty 0444 root qubes
 d /var/run/xen-hotplug 0755 root root
diff --git a/qubes/backup.py b/qubes/backup.py
index a3b4f7aa..e3e6f1ec 100644
--- a/qubes/backup.py
+++ b/qubes/backup.py
@@ -381,6 +381,15 @@ class Backup(object):
             if os.path.exists(firewall_conf):
                 vm_files.append(self.FileToBackup(firewall_conf, subdir))
 
+            if not vm_files:
+                # subdir/ is needed in the tar file, otherwise restore
+                # of a (Disp)VM without any backed up files is going
+                # to fail. Adding a zero-sized file here happens to be
+                # more straightforward than adding an empty directory.
+                empty = self.FileToBackup("/var/run/qubes/empty", subdir)
+                assert empty.size == 0
+                vm_files.append(empty)
+
             files_to_backup[vm.qid] = self.VMToBackup(vm, vm_files, subdir)
 
         # Dom0 user home