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/api/admin.py b/qubes/api/admin.py
index 8b1f6596..b42d6479 100644
--- a/qubes/api/admin.py
+++ b/qubes/api/admin.py
@@ -1293,8 +1293,9 @@ class QubesAdminAPI(qubes.api.AbstractQubesAPI):
             dest_vm = profile_data['destination_vm']
             dest_path = profile_data['destination_path']
             include_vms = profile_data['include']
-            # convert old keywords to new keywords
-            include_vms = [vm.replace('$', '@') for vm in include_vms]
+            if include_vms is not None:
+                # convert old keywords to new keywords
+                include_vms = [vm.replace('$', '@') for vm in include_vms]
             exclude_vms = profile_data.get('exclude', [])
             # convert old keywords to new keywords
             exclude_vms = [vm.replace('$', '@') for vm in exclude_vms]
@@ -1339,14 +1340,17 @@ class QubesAdminAPI(qubes.api.AbstractQubesAPI):
                 'specify passphrase_text or passphrase_vm')
 
         # handle include
-        vms_to_backup = set(vm for vm in self.app.domains
-            if any(qubes.utils.match_vm_name_with_special(vm, name)
-                for name in include_vms))
+        if include_vms is None:
+            vms_to_backup = None
+        else:
+            vms_to_backup = set(vm for vm in self.app.domains
+                if any(qubes.utils.match_vm_name_with_special(vm, name)
+                    for name in include_vms))
 
-        # handle exclude
-        vms_to_backup.difference_update(vm for vm in self.app.domains
-            if any(qubes.utils.match_vm_name_with_special(vm, name)
-                for name in exclude_vms))
+            # handle exclude
+            vms_to_backup.difference_update(vm for vm in self.app.domains
+                if any(qubes.utils.match_vm_name_with_special(vm, name)
+                    for name in exclude_vms))
 
         kwargs = {
             'target_vm': dest_vm,
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
diff --git a/qubes/vm/adminvm.py b/qubes/vm/adminvm.py
index 39c174d2..2d044f67 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/adminvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/adminvm.py
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ class AdminVM(qubes.vm.BaseVM):
         default=(lambda self: self.app.default_dispvm),
         doc='Default VM to be used as Disposable VM for service calls.')
 
+    include_in_backups = qubes.property('include_in_backups',
+        default=True, type=bool,
+        doc='If this domain is to be included in default backup.')
+
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/qubes/vm/dispvm.py b/qubes/vm/dispvm.py
index b60279fb..4554998e 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/dispvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/dispvm.py
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ class DispVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
     auto_cleanup = qubes.property('auto_cleanup', type=bool, default=False,
         doc='automatically remove this VM upon shutdown')
 
+    include_in_backups = qubes.property('include_in_backups', type=bool,
+        default=(lambda self: not self.auto_cleanup),
+        doc='If this domain is to be included in default backup.')
+
     def __init__(self, app, xml, *args, **kwargs):
         self.volume_config = {
             'root': {