diff --git a/pkg/backup/backup.go b/pkg/backup/backup.go
index 18a5657d5..d97232a85 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/backup.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/backup.go
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ type kubernetesBackupper struct {
 	podCommandExecutor     podexec.PodCommandExecutor
 	resticBackupperFactory restic.BackupperFactory
 	resticTimeout          time.Duration
+	defaultRestic          bool
 }
 
 type resolvedAction struct {
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ func NewKubernetesBackupper(
 	podCommandExecutor podexec.PodCommandExecutor,
 	resticBackupperFactory restic.BackupperFactory,
 	resticTimeout time.Duration,
+	defaultRestic bool,
 ) (Backupper, error) {
 	return &kubernetesBackupper{
 		backupClient:           backupClient,
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ func NewKubernetesBackupper(
 		podCommandExecutor:     podCommandExecutor,
 		resticBackupperFactory: resticBackupperFactory,
 		resticTimeout:          resticTimeout,
+		defaultRestic:          defaultRestic,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -240,6 +243,11 @@ func (kb *kubernetesBackupper) Backup(log logrus.FieldLogger, backupRequest *Req
 	log.Infof("Including resources: %s", backupRequest.ResourceIncludesExcludes.IncludesString())
 	log.Infof("Excluding resources: %s", backupRequest.ResourceIncludesExcludes.ExcludesString())
 
+	if backupRequest.Backup.Spec.DefaultRestic == nil {
+		backupRequest.Backup.Spec.DefaultRestic = &kb.defaultRestic
+	}
+	log.Infof("Backing up all pod volumes using restic: %t", *backupRequest.Backup.Spec.DefaultRestic)
+
 	var err error
 	backupRequest.ResourceHooks, err = getResourceHooks(backupRequest.Spec.Hooks.Resources, kb.discoveryHelper)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/server/server.go b/pkg/cmd/server/server.go
index 6861f4ce1..44a2728d4 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/server/server.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/server/server.go
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ type serverConfig struct {
 	profilerAddress                                                         string
 	formatFlag                                                              *logging.FormatFlag
 	defaultResticMaintenanceFrequency                                       time.Duration
+	defaultRestic                                                           bool
 }
 
 type controllerRunInfo struct {
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ func NewCommand(f client.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 			resourceTerminatingTimeout:        defaultResourceTerminatingTimeout,
 			formatFlag:                        logging.NewFormatFlag(),
 			defaultResticMaintenanceFrequency: restic.DefaultMaintenanceFrequency,
+			defaultRestic:                     restic.DefaultRestic,
 		}
 	)
 
@@ -213,6 +215,7 @@ func NewCommand(f client.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 	command.Flags().DurationVar(&config.resourceTerminatingTimeout, "terminating-resource-timeout", config.resourceTerminatingTimeout, "how long to wait on persistent volumes and namespaces to terminate during a restore before timing out")
 	command.Flags().DurationVar(&config.defaultBackupTTL, "default-backup-ttl", config.defaultBackupTTL, "how long to wait by default before backups can be garbage collected")
 	command.Flags().DurationVar(&config.defaultResticMaintenanceFrequency, "default-restic-prune-frequency", config.defaultResticMaintenanceFrequency, "how often 'restic prune' is run for restic repositories by default")
+	command.Flags().BoolVar(&config.defaultRestic, "default-restic", config.defaultRestic, "backup all volumes with restic by default")
 
 	return command
 }
@@ -637,6 +640,7 @@ func (s *server) runControllers(defaultVolumeSnapshotLocations map[string]string
 			podexec.NewPodCommandExecutor(s.kubeClientConfig, s.kubeClient.CoreV1().RESTClient()),
 			s.resticManager,
 			s.config.podVolumeOperationTimeout,
+			s.config.defaultRestic,
 		)
 		cmd.CheckError(err)
 
diff --git a/pkg/restic/common.go b/pkg/restic/common.go
index a73e95910..e84981e02 100644
--- a/pkg/restic/common.go
+++ b/pkg/restic/common.go
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ const (
 	// at which restic prune is run.
 	DefaultMaintenanceFrequency = 7 * 24 * time.Hour
 
+	// DefaultRestic specifies whether restic should be used, by default, to
+	// take backup of all pod volumes.
+	DefaultRestic = false
+
 	// PVCNameAnnotation is the key for the annotation added to
 	// pod volume backups when they're for a PVC.
 	PVCNameAnnotation = "velero.io/pvc-name"