diff --git a/AGRARIAN_DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP.md b/AGRARIAN_DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP.md
index d09a4c2..4bab440 100644
--- a/AGRARIAN_DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP.md
+++ b/AGRARIAN_DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP.md
@@ -778,7 +778,10 @@ Target deliverable: A small group can join a server, spawn into one biome, gathe
   `FAgrarianSavedTileRegistryState` with the active Ground Zero tile ID,
   registry path, schema version, generation version, and package version while
   keeping the authoritative registry in `Data/Tiles/ground_zero_tiles.json`.
-- [ ] Add backup-before-save option.
+- [x] Add backup-before-save option. `UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem` now has
+  `bBackupBeforeSave` enabled by default; before overwriting an existing slot,
+  `WriteSave` copies the current `.sav` into `Saved/SaveGames/Backups` with a
+  UTC timestamp.
 - [ ] Add recovery plan for corrupted save.
 - [ ] Document persistence limitations.
 
diff --git a/Docs/PersistenceDesignDocument.md b/Docs/PersistenceDesignDocument.md
index 84bc91a..33b371a 100644
--- a/Docs/PersistenceDesignDocument.md
+++ b/Docs/PersistenceDesignDocument.md
@@ -467,6 +467,12 @@ GameMode registers the current MVP persistent actor classes, checks
 `DoesSaveExist`, and calls `LoadCurrentWorld` without clearing existing map
 actors so map-authored resources and startup content remain owned by the map.
 
+Backup-before-save is enabled by default through
+`UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::bBackupBeforeSave`. Before overwriting an
+existing save, `WriteSave` copies the current slot file from `Saved/SaveGames`
+into `Saved/SaveGames/Backups` with a UTC timestamp. Missing save files simply
+skip backup creation, which keeps the first save path simple.
+
 ## Testing Gates
 
 Minimum persistence smoke test:
diff --git a/Scripts/verify_backup_before_save.py b/Scripts/verify_backup_before_save.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11c4355
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Scripts/verify_backup_before_save.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+EXPECTED = {
+    ROOT / "Source" / "AgrarianGame" / "AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.h": [
+        "bool bBackupBeforeSave = true;",
+        "bool BackupExistingSave() const;",
+    ],
+    ROOT / "Source" / "AgrarianGame" / "AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.cpp": [
+        "if (SaveGame && bBackupBeforeSave)",
+        "BackupExistingSave();",
+        "FPaths::ProjectSavedDir()",
+        "TEXT(\"SaveGames\")",
+        "TEXT(\"Backups\")",
+        "FDateTime::UtcNow().ToString",
+        "IFileManager::Get().Copy",
+    ],
+    ROOT / "Docs" / "PersistenceDesignDocument.md": [
+        "`UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::bBackupBeforeSave`",
+        "`Saved/SaveGames/Backups`",
+        "UTC timestamp",
+    ],
+    ROOT / "AGRARIAN_DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP.md": [
+        "[x] Add backup-before-save option.",
+        "`bBackupBeforeSave`",
+        "`Saved/SaveGames/Backups`",
+    ],
+}
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    missing = []
+    for path, snippets in EXPECTED.items():
+        text = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        for snippet in snippets:
+            if snippet not in text:
+                missing.append(f"{path.relative_to(ROOT)}: {snippet}")
+
+    if missing:
+        raise RuntimeError("Backup-before-save verification failed: " + "; ".join(missing))
+
+    print("PASS: backup-before-save is wired before slot overwrite.")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.cpp b/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.cpp
index 7b2ca25..fa780c1 100644
--- a/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.cpp
+++ b/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 #include "AgrarianSurvivalComponent.h"
 #include "EngineUtils.h"
 #include "Engine/World.h"
+#include "HAL/FileManager.h"
+#include "Misc/DateTime.h"
+#include "Misc/Paths.h"
 #include "GameFramework/PlayerState.h"
 #include "Kismet/GameplayStatics.h"
 
@@ -33,6 +36,11 @@ UAgrarianSaveGame* UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::LoadOrCreateSave() const
 
 bool UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::WriteSave(UAgrarianSaveGame* SaveGame) const
 {
+	if (SaveGame && bBackupBeforeSave)
+	{
+		BackupExistingSave();
+	}
+
 	return SaveGame ? UGameplayStatics::SaveGameToSlot(SaveGame, DefaultSlotName, UserIndex) : false;
 }
 
@@ -316,6 +324,25 @@ bool UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::LoadCurrentWorld(int32& RestoredPlayerCount,
 	return bRestoredWorldState;
 }
 
+bool UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::BackupExistingSave() const
+{
+	const FString SaveFilePath = FPaths::Combine(FPaths::ProjectSavedDir(), TEXT("SaveGames"), DefaultSlotName + TEXT(".sav"));
+	if (!FPaths::FileExists(SaveFilePath))
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	const FString BackupDirectory = FPaths::Combine(FPaths::ProjectSavedDir(), TEXT("SaveGames"), TEXT("Backups"));
+	IFileManager::Get().MakeDirectory(*BackupDirectory, true);
+
+	const FString Timestamp = FDateTime::UtcNow().ToString(TEXT("%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ"));
+	const FString BackupFileName = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s-%s.sav"), *DefaultSlotName, *Timestamp);
+	const FString BackupFilePath = FPaths::Combine(BackupDirectory, BackupFileName);
+	const bool bCopied = IFileManager::Get().Copy(*BackupFilePath, *SaveFilePath, true, true) == COPY_OK;
+	UE_LOG(LogTemp, Log, TEXT("Agrarian save backup %s: %s"), bCopied ? TEXT("created") : TEXT("failed"), *BackupFilePath);
+	return bCopied;
+}
+
 bool UAgrarianPersistenceSubsystem::CapturePlayerIntoSave(const AAgrarianGameCharacter* Character, UAgrarianSaveGame* SaveGame) const
 {
 	const UAgrarianSurvivalComponent* SurvivalComponent = Character ? Character->GetSurvivalComponent() : nullptr;
diff --git a/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.h b/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.h
index f72ea79..19686d5 100644
--- a/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.h
+++ b/Source/AgrarianGame/AgrarianPersistenceSubsystem.h
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ public:
 	UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Agrarian|Persistence")
 	int32 UserIndex = 0;
 
+	UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Agrarian|Persistence")
+	bool bBackupBeforeSave = true;
+
 	UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Agrarian|Persistence")
 	TMap<FName, TSubclassOf<AActor>> WorldActorClassRegistry;
 
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ public:
 	bool LoadCurrentWorld(int32& RestoredPlayerCount, int32& RestoredWorldActorCount, bool bClearExistingActors = true) const;
 
 protected:
+	bool BackupExistingSave() const;
 	bool CapturePlayerIntoSave(const AAgrarianGameCharacter* Character, UAgrarianSaveGame* SaveGame) const;
 	bool RestorePlayerFromSave(AAgrarianGameCharacter* Character, const UAgrarianSaveGame* SaveGame) const;
 	void FindPersistentComponents(TArray<UAgrarianPersistentActorComponent*>& OutComponents) const;