diff --git a/src/archiver/archiver_impl.rs b/src/archiver/archiver_impl.rs
index 258713c..2ad7500 100644
--- a/src/archiver/archiver_impl.rs
+++ b/src/archiver/archiver_impl.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use std::io::Read;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use anyhow::Result;
@@ -7,11 +6,11 @@ use indicatif::ProgressBar;
 use log::*;
 
 use crate::backend::{DecryptWriteBackend, ReadSource, ReadSourceEntry};
-use crate::blob::{BlobType, Node};
+use crate::blob::BlobType;
 use crate::index::{IndexedBackend, Indexer, SharedIndexer};
 use crate::repofile::{ConfigFile, SnapshotFile};
 
-use super::{FileArchiver, Parent, ParentResult, TreeArchiver, TreeIterator};
+use super::{FileArchiver, Parent, TreeArchiver, TreeIterator};
 
 pub struct Archiver<BE: DecryptWriteBackend, I: IndexedBackend> {
     file_archiver: FileArchiver<BE, I>,
@@ -53,6 +52,13 @@ impl<BE: DecryptWriteBackend, I: IndexedBackend> Archiver<BE, I> {
         as_path: Option<&PathBuf>,
         p: &ProgressBar,
     ) -> Result<SnapshotFile> {
+        if !p.is_hidden() {
+            if let Some(size) = src.size()? {
+                p.set_length(size);
+            }
+        };
+        p.set_prefix("backing up...");
+
         // filter out errors and handle as_path
         let iter = src.entries().filter_map(|item| match item {
             Err(e) => {
@@ -108,22 +114,10 @@ impl<BE: DecryptWriteBackend, I: IndexedBackend> Archiver<BE, I> {
         }
 
         let snap = self.finalize_snapshot()?;
+        p.finish_with_message("done");
         Ok(snap)
     }
 
-    pub fn backup_reader(
-        &mut self,
-        path: &Path,
-        r: impl Read + Send + 'static,
-        node: Node,
-        parent: ParentResult<()>,
-        p: ProgressBar,
-    ) -> Result<()> {
-        let (node, filesize) = self.file_archiver.backup_reader(r, node, p)?;
-        self.tree_archiver.add_file(path, node, parent, filesize);
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
     pub fn finalize_snapshot(mut self) -> Result<SnapshotFile> {
         let stats = self.file_archiver.finalize()?;
         let (id, mut summary) = self.tree_archiver.finalize()?;
diff --git a/src/backend/mod.rs b/src/backend/mod.rs
index b00858b..7aebcbb 100644
--- a/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ pub mod local;
 pub mod node;
 pub mod rclone;
 pub mod rest;
+pub mod stdin;
 
 pub use self::ignore::*;
 pub use cache::*;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ pub use local::*;
 use node::Node;
 pub use rclone::*;
 pub use rest::*;
+pub use stdin::*;
 
 /// All [`FileType`]s which are located in separated directories
 pub const ALL_FILE_TYPES: [FileType; 4] = [
diff --git a/src/backend/stdin.rs b/src/backend/stdin.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d35cc04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/stdin.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+use std::io::{stdin, Stdin};
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+
+use super::{node::Metadata, node::NodeType, Node, ReadSource};
+use super::{ReadSourceEntry, ReadSourceOpen};
+
+pub struct StdinSource {
+    finished: bool,
+}
+
+impl StdinSource {
+    pub fn new() -> Result<Self> {
+        Ok(Self { finished: false })
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct OpenStdin();
+
+impl ReadSourceOpen for OpenStdin {
+    type Reader = Stdin;
+
+    fn open(self) -> Result<Self::Reader> {
+        Ok(stdin())
+    }
+}
+
+impl ReadSource for StdinSource {
+    type Open = OpenStdin;
+    type Iter = Self;
+
+    fn size(&self) -> Result<Option<u64>> {
+        Ok(None)
+    }
+
+    fn entries(self) -> Self::Iter {
+        self
+    }
+}
+
+impl Iterator for StdinSource {
+    type Item = Result<ReadSourceEntry<OpenStdin>>;
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
+        if self.finished {
+            return None;
+        }
+        self.finished = true;
+
+        Some(Ok(ReadSourceEntry {
+            path: Path::new("stdin").to_path_buf(),
+            node: Node::new(
+                "stdin".to_string(),
+                NodeType::File,
+                Metadata::default(),
+                None,
+                None,
+            ),
+            open: Some(OpenStdin()),
+        }))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/commands/backup.rs b/src/commands/backup.rs
index 73ea623..bc8ed1e 100644
--- a/src/commands/backup.rs
+++ b/src/commands/backup.rs
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ use serde::Deserialize;
 use toml::Value;
 
 use super::{bytes, progress_bytes, progress_counter, RusticConfig};
-use crate::archiver::{Archiver, Parent, ParentResult};
-use crate::backend::{DryRunBackend, LocalSource, LocalSourceOptions, ReadSource};
-use crate::blob::{Metadata, Node, NodeType};
+use crate::archiver::{Archiver, Parent};
+use crate::backend::{DryRunBackend, LocalSource, LocalSourceOptions, StdinSource};
 use crate::index::IndexBackend;
 use crate::repofile::{
     PathList, SnapshotFile, SnapshotGroup, SnapshotGroupCriterion, SnapshotOptions,
@@ -209,40 +208,15 @@ pub(super) fn execute(
 
         let parent = Parent::new(&index, parent_tree, opts.ignore_ctime, opts.ignore_inode);
 
-        let snap = if backup_stdin {
-            let mut archiver = Archiver::new(be, index, &repo.config, parent, snap)?;
-            let p = progress_bytes("starting backup from stdin...");
-            archiver.backup_reader(
-                &PathBuf::new(),
-                std::io::stdin(),
-                Node::new(
-                    opts.stdin_filename,
-                    NodeType::File,
-                    Metadata::default(),
-                    None,
-                    None,
-                ),
-                ParentResult::NotFound,
-                p.clone(),
-            )?;
+        let archiver = Archiver::new(be, index, &repo.config, parent, snap)?;
+        let p = progress_bytes("determining size...");
 
-            let snap = archiver.finalize_snapshot()?;
-            p.finish_with_message("done");
-            snap
+        let snap = if backup_stdin {
+            let src = StdinSource::new()?;
+            archiver.archive(src, &backup_path[0], as_path.as_ref(), &p)?
         } else {
             let src = LocalSource::new(opts.ignore_opts.clone(), &backup_path)?;
-
-            let p = progress_bytes("determining size...");
-            if !p.is_hidden() {
-                if let Some(size) = src.size()? {
-                    p.set_length(size);
-                }
-            };
-            p.set_prefix("backing up...");
-            let archiver = Archiver::new(be, index.clone(), &repo.config, parent, snap)?;
-            let snap = archiver.archive(src, &backup_path[0], as_path.as_ref(), &p)?;
-            p.finish_with_message("done");
-            snap
+            archiver.archive(src, &backup_path[0], as_path.as_ref(), &p)?
         };
 
         if opts.json {