diff --git a/homeassistant/components/recorder/backup.py b/homeassistant/components/recorder/backup.py
index d47cbe92bd4..eeebe328007 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/recorder/backup.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/recorder/backup.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from logging import getLogger
 
-from homeassistant.core import HomeAssistant
+from homeassistant.core import CoreState, HomeAssistant
 from homeassistant.exceptions import HomeAssistantError
 
 from .util import async_migration_in_progress, get_instance
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ async def async_pre_backup(hass: HomeAssistant) -> None:
     """Perform operations before a backup starts."""
     _LOGGER.info("Backup start notification, locking database for writes")
     instance = get_instance(hass)
+    if hass.state is not CoreState.running:
+        raise HomeAssistantError("Home Assistant is not running")
     if async_migration_in_progress(hass):
         raise HomeAssistantError("Database migration in progress")
     await instance.lock_database()
diff --git a/tests/components/recorder/test_backup.py b/tests/components/recorder/test_backup.py
index 08fbef01bdd..bed9e88fcbf 100644
--- a/tests/components/recorder/test_backup.py
+++ b/tests/components/recorder/test_backup.py
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 """Test backup platform for the Recorder integration."""
 
+from contextlib import AbstractContextManager, nullcontext as does_not_raise
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 
 from homeassistant.components.recorder import Recorder
 from homeassistant.components.recorder.backup import async_post_backup, async_pre_backup
-from homeassistant.core import HomeAssistant
+from homeassistant.core import CoreState, HomeAssistant
 from homeassistant.exceptions import HomeAssistantError
 
 
@@ -19,6 +20,41 @@ async def test_async_pre_backup(recorder_mock: Recorder, hass: HomeAssistant) ->
         assert lock_mock.called
 
 
+RAISES_HASS_NOT_RUNNING = pytest.raises(
+    HomeAssistantError, match="Home Assistant is not running"
+)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("core_state", "expected_result", "lock_calls"),
+    [
+        (CoreState.final_write, RAISES_HASS_NOT_RUNNING, 0),
+        (CoreState.not_running, RAISES_HASS_NOT_RUNNING, 0),
+        (CoreState.running, does_not_raise(), 1),
+        (CoreState.starting, RAISES_HASS_NOT_RUNNING, 0),
+        (CoreState.stopped, RAISES_HASS_NOT_RUNNING, 0),
+        (CoreState.stopping, RAISES_HASS_NOT_RUNNING, 0),
+    ],
+)
+async def test_async_pre_backup_core_state(
+    recorder_mock: Recorder,
+    hass: HomeAssistant,
+    core_state: CoreState,
+    expected_result: AbstractContextManager,
+    lock_calls: int,
+) -> None:
+    """Test pre backup in different core states."""
+    hass.set_state(core_state)
+    with (  # pylint: disable=confusing-with-statement
+        patch(
+            "homeassistant.components.recorder.core.Recorder.lock_database"
+        ) as lock_mock,
+        expected_result,
+    ):
+        await async_pre_backup(hass)
+    assert len(lock_mock.mock_calls) == lock_calls
+
+
 async def test_async_pre_backup_with_timeout(
     recorder_mock: Recorder, hass: HomeAssistant
 ) -> None: