diff --git a/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go b/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
index 8c907a67a2a..2e0fdf12ae2 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ func (ib *defaultItemBackupper) backupItem(logger logrus.FieldLogger, obj runtim
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if metadata.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	key := itemKey{
 		resource:  groupResource.String(),
 		namespace: namespace,
diff --git a/pkg/backup/item_backupper_test.go b/pkg/backup/item_backupper_test.go
index a172c83e91d..0363772eb37 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/item_backupper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/item_backupper_test.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func TestBackupItemSkips(t *testing.T) {
 		namespaces    *collections.IncludesExcludes
 		groupResource schema.GroupResource
 		resources     *collections.IncludesExcludes
+		terminating   bool
 		backedUpItems map[itemKey]struct{}
 	}{
 		{
@@ -89,6 +90,15 @@ func TestBackupItemSkips(t *testing.T) {
 				{resource: "bar.foo", namespace: "ns", name: "foo"}: {},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			testName:      "terminating resource",
+			namespace:     "ns",
+			name:          "foo",
+			groupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: "foo", Resource: "bar"},
+			namespaces:    collections.NewIncludesExcludes(),
+			resources:     collections.NewIncludesExcludes(),
+			terminating:   true,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
@@ -99,7 +109,12 @@ func TestBackupItemSkips(t *testing.T) {
 				backedUpItems: test.backedUpItems,
 			}
 
-			u := unstructuredOrDie(fmt.Sprintf(`{"apiVersion":"v1","kind":"Pod","metadata":{"namespace":"%s","name":"%s"}}`, test.namespace, test.name))
+			var deletionTimestamp string
+
+			if test.terminating {
+				deletionTimestamp = `, "deletionTimestamp": "2018-05-30T13:30:34Z"`
+			}
+			u := unstructuredOrDie(fmt.Sprintf(`{"apiVersion":"v1","kind":"Pod","metadata":{"namespace":"%s","name":"%s" %s}}`, test.namespace, test.name, deletionTimestamp))
 			err := ib.backupItem(arktest.NewLogger(), u, test.groupResource)
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 		})