Index: src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/BackupLink.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/BackupLink.java	(revision 32934)
+++ src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/BackupLink.java	(working copy)
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * The MIT License
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2009-2010, Vincent Sellier, Manufacture Française des Pneumatiques Michelin, Romain Seguy
+ * Copyright (c) 2009-2010, Vincent Sellier, Manufacture Française des Pneumatiques Michelin, Romain Seguy, Jeremy Davidson
  *
  * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
  * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@
                 }
         }
         
+        runBackup();
+        
+        // redirect to observation page
+        rsp.sendRedirect("backup");
+    }
+    
+    public void runBackup() throws IOException {
         BackupConfig configuration = getConfiguration();
 
         String fileNameTemplate = configuration.getTargetDirectory() + File.separator + configuration.getFileNameTemplate();
@@ -113,9 +120,6 @@
         // Launching the task
         Thread thread = Executors.defaultThreadFactory().newThread(task);
         thread.start();
-        
-        // redirect to observation page
-        rsp.sendRedirect("backup");
     }
 
     public void doRestoreFile(StaplerRequest res, StaplerResponse rsp,
Index: src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/utils/BackupBuilder.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/utils/BackupBuilder.java	(revision 0)
+++ src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/utils/BackupBuilder.java	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2010, Jeremy Davidson
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+package org.jvnet.hudson.plugins.backup.utils;
+
+import hudson.Extension;
+import hudson.Launcher;
+import hudson.model.AbstractBuild;
+import hudson.model.AbstractProject;
+import hudson.model.Action;
+import hudson.model.BuildListener;
+import hudson.model.Descriptor;
+import hudson.tasks.Builder;
+import hudson.tasks.BuildStep;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
+import net.sf.json.JSONObject;
+
+import org.jvnet.hudson.plugins.backup.BackupLink;
+import org.kohsuke.stapler.StaplerRequest;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author jeremydavidson
+ */
+@Extension
+public class BackupBuilder extends Builder {
+
+    public BackupBuilder() {
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean perform(AbstractBuild<?, ?> build, Launcher launcher, BuildListener listener) throws InterruptedException {
+        BackupBuildStep buildStep = new BackupBuildStep();
+        
+        return buildStep.perform(build, launcher, listener);
+    }
+    
+    @Extension
+    public static final class BackupBuildStep implements BuildStep {
+
+        public boolean prebuild(AbstractBuild<?, ?> build, BuildListener listener) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        public boolean perform(AbstractBuild<?, ?> build, Launcher launcher, BuildListener listener) throws InterruptedException {
+
+            BackupLink backupLink = new BackupLink();
+            try {
+                backupLink.runBackup();
+                listener.getLogger().append("Hudson is backing up its configuration now.\n");
+                listener.getLogger().append("Please wait for the shutdown notification to disappear.\n");
+            } catch (IOException ex) {
+                Logger.getLogger(BackupBuilder.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
+            }
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        public Action getProjectAction(AbstractProject<?, ?> project) {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Extension
+    public static final class DescriptorImpl extends Descriptor<Builder> {
+
+        public DescriptorImpl() {
+            super(BackupBuilder.class);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Builder newInstance(StaplerRequest req, JSONObject formData) {
+            return new BackupBuilder();
+        }
+
+        public String getDisplayName() {
+            return "Backup Hudson configuration";
+        }
+    }
+}
Index: src/main/resources/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/utils/BackupBuilder/config.jelly
===================================================================
--- src/main/resources/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/utils/BackupBuilder/config.jelly	(revision 0)
+++ src/main/resources/org/jvnet/hudson/plugins/backup/utils/BackupBuilder/config.jelly	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<!--
+  - The MIT License
+  -
+  - Copyright (c) 2010, Jeremy Davidson
+  -
+  - Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+  - of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+  - in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+  - to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+  - copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+  - furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+  -
+  - The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+  - all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+  -
+  - THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+  - IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+  - FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+  - AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+  - LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+  - OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+  - THE SOFTWARE.
+  -->
+
+<j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:l="/lib/layout"
+         xmlns:t="/lib/hudson" xmlns:f="/lib/form">
+</j:jelly>