diff --git a/bin/ghe-backup b/bin/ghe-backup
index 11c4f3308..f67b4dc71 100755
--- a/bin/ghe-backup
+++ b/bin/ghe-backup
@@ -81,6 +81,25 @@ if [ "$(ls -il dest1/testfile | awk '{ print $1 }')" != "$(ls -il dest2/testfile
 fi
 rm -rf src dest1 dest2
 
+# if we should use gitbackups to backup repositories
+should_use_gitbackups_for_repositories(){
+  ghe-ssh "$GHE_HOSTNAME" ghe-config --true "app.github.gitbackups"
+}
+
+# check that the appliance supports using gitbackups for repositories
+can_use_gitbackups_for_repositories(){
+  ghe-ssh "$GHE_HOSTNAME" test -e /data/github/current/bin/backup-repositories
+}
+
+# Exit early if the appliance is missing script to backup repositories using gitbackups
+if should_use_gitbackups_for_repositories; then
+  if ! can_use_gitbackups_for_repositories; then
+    echo "Error: Configuration setting 'app.github.gitbackups' is enabled but this version of GHES cannot use gitbackups to back up repositories via 'ghe-backup'."
+    echo "Disable configuration setting 'app.github.gitbackups' and re-run 'ghe-backup' to use rsync."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
 # To prevent multiple backup runs happening at the same time, we create a
 # in-progress file with the timestamp and pid of the backup process,
 # giving us a form of locking.
@@ -197,8 +216,13 @@ ghe-backup-audit-log || failures="$failures audit-log"
 echo "Backing up hookshot logs ..."
 ghe-backup-es-hookshot || failures="$failures hookshot"
 
-echo "Backing up Git repositories ..."
-ghe-backup-repositories || failures="$failures repositories"
+if should_use_gitbackups_for_repositories && can_use_gitbackups_for_repositories; then
+  echo "Backing up Git repositories using gitbackups ..."
+  ghe-backup-repositories-gitbackups || failures="$failures repositories"
+else
+  echo "Backing up Git repositories using rsync ..."
+  ghe-backup-repositories-rsync || failures="$failures repositories"
+fi
 
 echo "Backing up GitHub Pages ..."
 ghe-backup-pages || failures="$failures pages"
diff --git a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-gitbackups b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-gitbackups
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..35c9c6472
--- /dev/null
+++ b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-gitbackups
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#/ Usage: ghe-backup-repositories-gitbackups
+#/ Take an online, incremental snapshot of all Git repository data using gitbackups.
+#/
+#/ Note: This command typically isn't called directly. It's invoked by
+#/ ghe-backup.
+set -e
+
+# Bring in the backup configuration
+# shellcheck source=share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-config
+. "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )/ghe-backup-config"
+
+bm_start "$(basename $0)"
+
+echo "github-env ./bin/backup-repositories" | ghe-ssh "$GHE_HOSTNAME" -- /bin/bash
+
+bm_end "$(basename $0)"
diff --git a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
similarity index 99%
rename from share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories
rename to share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
index 62feb8d22..e89484b01 100755
--- a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories
+++ b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-#/ Usage: ghe-backup-repositories
-#/ Take an online, incremental snapshot of all Git repository data.
+#/ Usage: ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
+#/ Take an online, incremental snapshot of all Git repository data using rsync.
 #/
 #/ Note: This command typically isn't called directly. It's invoked by
 #/ ghe-backup.