diff --git a/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix b/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix
index baad675229c..582f5faf9bc 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} : with lib; {
         enableImap = true;
       };
 
+      systemd.services.gitlab-backup.environment.BACKUP = "dump";
+
       services.gitlab = {
         enable = true;
         databasePasswordFile = pkgs.writeText "dbPassword" "xo0daiF4";
@@ -64,60 +66,89 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} : with lib; {
     };
   };
 
-  testScript =
-  let
-    auth = pkgs.writeText "auth.json" (builtins.toJSON {
-      grant_type = "password";
-      username = "root";
-      password = initialRootPassword;
-    });
+  testScript = { nodes, ... }:
+    let
+      auth = pkgs.writeText "auth.json" (builtins.toJSON {
+        grant_type = "password";
+        username = "root";
+        password = initialRootPassword;
+      });
 
-    createProject = pkgs.writeText "create-project.json" (builtins.toJSON {
-      name = "test";
-    });
+      createProject = pkgs.writeText "create-project.json" (builtins.toJSON {
+        name = "test";
+      });
 
-    putFile = pkgs.writeText "put-file.json" (builtins.toJSON {
-      branch = "master";
-      author_email = "author@example.com";
-      author_name = "Firstname Lastname";
-      content = "some content";
-      commit_message = "create a new file";
-    });
-  in
-  ''
-    gitlab.start()
+      putFile = pkgs.writeText "put-file.json" (builtins.toJSON {
+        branch = "master";
+        author_email = "author@example.com";
+        author_name = "Firstname Lastname";
+        content = "some content";
+        commit_message = "create a new file";
+      });
 
-    gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitaly.service")
-    gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-workhorse.service")
-    gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-pages.service")
-    gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-mailroom.service")
-    gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab.service")
-    gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-sidekiq.service")
-    gitlab.wait_for_file("/var/gitlab/state/tmp/sockets/gitlab.socket")
-    gitlab.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sSf http://gitlab/users/sign_in")
+      # Wait for all GitLab services to be fully started.
+      waitForServices = ''
+        gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitaly.service")
+        gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-workhorse.service")
+        gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-pages.service")
+        gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-mailroom.service")
+        gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab.service")
+        gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-sidekiq.service")
+        gitlab.wait_for_file("${nodes.gitlab.config.services.gitlab.statePath}/tmp/sockets/gitlab.socket")
+        gitlab.wait_until_succeeds("curl -sSf http://gitlab/users/sign_in")
+      '';
 
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "curl -isSf http://gitlab | grep -i location | grep -q http://gitlab/users/sign_in"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u gitlab -H gitlab-rake gitlab:check 1>&2"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "echo \"Authorization: Bearer \$(curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d @${auth} http://gitlab/oauth/token | ${pkgs.jq}/bin/jq -r '.access_token')\" >/tmp/headers"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H @/tmp/headers -d @${createProject} http://gitlab/api/v4/projects"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H @/tmp/headers -d @${putFile} http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/files/some-file.txt"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "curl -H @/tmp/headers http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/archive.tar.gz > /tmp/archive.tar.gz"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed(
-        "curl -H @/tmp/headers http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/archive.tar.bz2 > /tmp/archive.tar.bz2"
-    )
-    gitlab.succeed("test -s /tmp/archive.tar.gz")
-    gitlab.succeed("test -s /tmp/archive.tar.bz2")
-  '';
+      # The actual test of GitLab. Only push data to GitLab if
+      # `doSetup` is is true.
+      test = doSetup: ''
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "curl -isSf http://gitlab | grep -i location | grep -q http://gitlab/users/sign_in"
+        )
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u gitlab -H gitlab-rake gitlab:check 1>&2"
+        )
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "echo \"Authorization: Bearer \$(curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d @${auth} http://gitlab/oauth/token | ${pkgs.jq}/bin/jq -r '.access_token')\" >/tmp/headers"
+        )
+      '' + optionalString doSetup ''
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H @/tmp/headers -d @${createProject} http://gitlab/api/v4/projects"
+        )
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H @/tmp/headers -d @${putFile} http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/files/some-file.txt"
+        )
+      '' + ''
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "curl -H @/tmp/headers http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/archive.tar.gz > /tmp/archive.tar.gz"
+        )
+        gitlab.succeed(
+            "curl -H @/tmp/headers http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/archive.tar.bz2 > /tmp/archive.tar.bz2"
+        )
+        gitlab.succeed("test -s /tmp/archive.tar.gz")
+        gitlab.succeed("test -s /tmp/archive.tar.bz2")
+      '';
+
+  in ''
+      gitlab.start()
+    ''
+    + waitForServices
+    + test true
+    + ''
+      gitlab.systemctl("start gitlab-backup.service")
+      gitlab.wait_for_unit("gitlab-backup.service")
+      gitlab.wait_for_file("${nodes.gitlab.config.services.gitlab.statePath}/backup/dump_gitlab_backup.tar")
+      gitlab.systemctl("stop postgresql.service gitlab.target")
+      gitlab.succeed(
+          "find ${nodes.gitlab.config.services.gitlab.statePath} -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -not -name backup -execdir rm -r {} +"
+      )
+      gitlab.succeed("systemd-tmpfiles --create")
+      gitlab.succeed("rm -rf ${nodes.gitlab.config.services.postgresql.dataDir}")
+      gitlab.systemctl("start gitlab-config.service gitlab-postgresql.service")
+      gitlab.succeed(
+          "sudo -u gitlab -H gitlab-rake gitlab:backup:restore RAILS_ENV=production BACKUP=dump force=yes"
+      )
+      gitlab.systemctl("start gitlab.target")
+    ''
+    + waitForServices
+    + test false;
 })