diff --git a/src/server/backups.rs b/src/server/backups.rs
index 37e6021..e5fd4de 100644
--- a/src/server/backups.rs
+++ b/src/server/backups.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ pub struct BackupManager {
     world_dir: PathBuf,
     max_backups: u64,
     start_time: Option<chrono::DateTime<chrono::Local>>,
+    files: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)>
 }
 
 impl BackupManager {
@@ -33,9 +34,40 @@ impl BackupManager {
             world_dir,
             max_backups,
             start_time: None,
+            files: Vec::new()
         }
     }
 
+    fn set_files_to_backup(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let mut dirs = vec![
+            (PathBuf::from("worlds"), self.world_dir.clone()),
+            (PathBuf::from("config"), self.config_dir.clone()),
+        ];
+        self.files.clear();
+
+        while let Some((path_in_tar, path)) = dirs.pop() {
+            for res in path.read_dir()? {
+                let entry = res?;
+
+                if entry.file_name() == "cache" {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                let new_path_in_tar = path_in_tar.join(entry.file_name());
+
+                // All dirs get expanded recursively, while all files get returned as output
+                // NOTE: does this remove empty directories from backups? Is this a problem?
+                if entry.file_type()?.is_dir() {
+                    dirs.push((new_path_in_tar, entry.path()));
+                } else {
+                    self.files.push((new_path_in_tar, entry.path()));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     pub fn create_archive(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
         let start_time = chrono::offset::Local::now();
         self.start_time = Some(start_time);
@@ -46,22 +78,10 @@ impl BackupManager {
         let enc = GzEncoder::new(tar_gz, Compression::default());
         let mut tar = tar::Builder::new(enc);
 
-        tar.append_dir_all("worlds", &self.world_dir)?;
+        self.set_files_to_backup()?;
 
-        // Add all files from the config directory that aren't the cache
-        for entry in self
-            .config_dir
-            .read_dir()?
-            .filter_map(|e| e.ok())
-            .filter(|e| e.file_name() != "cache")
-        {
-            let tar_path = Path::new("config").join(entry.file_name());
-
-            if entry.file_type()?.is_dir() {
-                tar.append_dir_all(tar_path, entry.path())?;
-            } else {
-                tar.append_path_with_name(entry.path(), tar_path)?;
-            }
+        for (path_in_tar, path) in &self.files {
+            tar.append_path_with_name(path, path_in_tar)?;
         }
 
         // TODO re-add this info file in some way