diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/backup.go b/go-chaos/cmd/backup.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ffcb9f18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/backup.go
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Camunda Services GmbH
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/zeebe-io/zeebe-chaos/go-chaos/internal"
+)
+
+var (
+	backupId string
+)
+
+func init() {
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(backupCommand)
+
+	backupCommand.AddCommand(takeBackupCommand)
+	takeBackupCommand.Flags().StringVar(&backupId, "backupId", strconv.FormatInt(time.Now().UnixMilli(), 10), "optionally specify the backup id to use, uses the current timestamp by default")
+	backupCommand.AddCommand(waitForBackupCommand)
+	waitForBackupCommand.Flags().StringVar(&backupId, "backupId", strconv.FormatInt(time.Now().UnixMilli(), 10), "optionally specify the backup id to use, uses the current timestamp by default")
+}
+
+var backupCommand = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "backup",
+	Short: "Controls Zeebe backups",
+	Long:  "Can be used to take backups and query their status",
+}
+
+var takeBackupCommand = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "take",
+	Short: "Trigger a backup",
+	RunE:  takeBackup,
+}
+
+var waitForBackupCommand = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "wait",
+	Short: "Wait for a backup to complete or fail",
+	RunE:  waitForBackup,
+}
+
+func takeBackup(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	k8Client, err := internal.CreateK8Client()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	port := 9600
+	closePortForward, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err.Error())
+	}
+	defer closePortForward()
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/actuator/backups/%s", port, backupId)
+	resp, err := http.Post(url, "", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	return err
+}
+
+func waitForBackup(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	k8Client, err := internal.CreateK8Client()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	port := 9600
+	closePortForward, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err.Error())
+	}
+	defer closePortForward()
+
+	for {
+		backup, err := getBackupStatus(port, backupId)
+		if err != nil {
+			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		switch backup.Status {
+		case "COMPLETED":
+			return nil
+		case "FAILED":
+			return errors.New("backup failed")
+		case "DOES_NOT_EXIST":
+			return errors.New("backup does not exist")
+		}
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func getBackupStatus(port int, backupId string) (*BackupStatus, error) {
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/actuator/backups/%s", port, backupId)
+	resp, err := http.Get(url)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var backup BackupStatus
+	err = json.Unmarshal(body, &backup)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	fmt.Printf("Found backup %s with status: %s\n", backupId, backup.Status)
+
+	return &backup, nil
+}
+
+type BackupStatus struct {
+	Status string
+}
diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/disconnect.go b/go-chaos/cmd/disconnect.go
index 723f21b9b..0cf917e19 100644
--- a/go-chaos/cmd/disconnect.go
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/disconnect.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ var disconnectBrokers = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		port := 26500
-		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port)
+		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err.Error())
 		}
diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/publish.go b/go-chaos/cmd/publish.go
index 62173d120..afda4bcb2 100644
--- a/go-chaos/cmd/publish.go
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/publish.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ var publishCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		panicOnError(err)
 
 		port := 26500
-		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port)
+		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
 		panicOnError(err)
 		defer closeFn()
 
diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/restart.go b/go-chaos/cmd/restart.go
index c9316d499..4c557b7c4 100644
--- a/go-chaos/cmd/restart.go
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/restart.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ var restartCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		port := 26500
-		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port)
+		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/terminate.go b/go-chaos/cmd/terminate.go
index c0818cecf..5ad90479a 100644
--- a/go-chaos/cmd/terminate.go
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/terminate.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ var terminateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		port := 26500
-		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port)
+		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err.Error())
 		}
diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/topology.go b/go-chaos/cmd/topology.go
index 2516747cd..730b670be 100644
--- a/go-chaos/cmd/topology.go
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/topology.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ var topologyCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		port := 26500
-		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port)
+		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
diff --git a/go-chaos/cmd/verify.go b/go-chaos/cmd/verify.go
index 903851434..286908750 100644
--- a/go-chaos/cmd/verify.go
+++ b/go-chaos/cmd/verify.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ A process model will be deployed and process instances are created until the req
 		}
 
 		port := 26500
-		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port)
+		closeFn, err := k8Client.GatewayPortForward(port, port)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err.Error())
 		}
diff --git a/go-chaos/internal/pods.go b/go-chaos/internal/pods.go
index 09282ac15..7e1cb6c73 100644
--- a/go-chaos/internal/pods.go
+++ b/go-chaos/internal/pods.go
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func (c K8Client) RestartPod(podName string) error {
 // GatewayPortForward creates a port forwarding to a zeebe gateway with the given port
 // https://github.com/gruntwork-io/terratest/blob/master/modules/k8s/tunnel.go#L187-L196
 // https://github.com/kubernetes/client-go/issues/51#issuecomment-436200428
-func (c K8Client) GatewayPortForward(port int) (func(), error) {
+func (c K8Client) GatewayPortForward(localPort int, remotePort int) (func(), error) {
 	names, err := c.GetGatewayPodNames()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func (c K8Client) GatewayPortForward(port int) (func(), error) {
 	}
 
 	portForwardCreateURL := c.createPortForwardUrl(names)
-	portForwarder, err := c.createPortForwarder(port, portForwardCreateURL)
+	portForwarder, err := c.createPortForwarder(localPort, remotePort, portForwardCreateURL)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (c K8Client) GatewayPortForward(port int) (func(), error) {
 }
 
 // Create the k8 port forwarder, with the given port and k8 client
-func (c K8Client) createPortForwarder(port int, portForwardCreateURL *url.URL) (*portforward.PortForwarder, error) {
+func (c K8Client) createPortForwarder(localPort int, remotePort int, portForwardCreateURL *url.URL) (*portforward.PortForwarder, error) {
 	// Construct the spdy client required by the client-go portforward library
 	config, err := c.ClientConfig.ClientConfig()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func (c K8Client) createPortForwarder(port int, portForwardCreateURL *url.URL) (
 	// Construct a new PortForwarder struct that manages the instructed port forward tunnel
 	stopChan, readyChan := make(chan struct{}, 1), make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	out, errOut := new(bytes.Buffer), new(bytes.Buffer)
-	ports := []string{fmt.Sprintf("%d:%d", port, 26500)}
+	ports := []string{fmt.Sprintf("%d:%d", localPort, remotePort)}
 	portforwarder, err := portforward.New(dialer, ports, stopChan, readyChan, out, errOut)
 	if err != nil {
 		if Verbosity {