diff --git a/src/file_builders/active_runtime_json.rs b/src/file_builders/active_runtime_json.rs
index 18f8917..fbae602 100644
--- a/src/file_builders/active_runtime_json.rs
+++ b/src/file_builders/active_runtime_json.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 use crate::{
     file_utils::{
-        deserialize_file, get_writer, get_xdg_config_dir, get_xdg_data_dir, set_file_radonly,
+        deserialize_file, get_backup_dir, get_writer, get_xdg_config_dir, get_xdg_data_dir,
+        set_file_radonly,
     },
     paths::SYSTEM_PREFIX,
     profile::{Profile, XRServiceType},
 };
 use expect_dialog::ExpectDialog;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::{fs::copy, path::Path};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ActiveRuntimeInnerRuntime {
@@ -24,10 +25,7 @@ pub struct ActiveRuntime {
 }
 
 pub fn get_openxr_conf_dir() -> String {
-    format!(
-        "{config}/openxr",
-        config = get_xdg_config_dir()
-    )
+    format!("{config}/openxr", config = get_xdg_config_dir())
 }
 
 fn get_active_runtime_json_path() -> String {
@@ -44,6 +42,30 @@ pub fn is_steam(active_runtime: &ActiveRuntime) -> bool {
     }
 }
 
+fn get_backup_steam_active_runtime_path() -> String {
+    format!(
+        "{backup}/active_runtime.json.steam.bak",
+        backup = get_backup_dir()
+    )
+}
+
+fn get_backed_up_steam_active_runtime() -> Option<ActiveRuntime> {
+    get_active_runtime_from_path(&get_backup_steam_active_runtime_path())
+}
+
+fn backup_steam_active_runtime() {
+    let ar = get_current_active_runtime();
+    if ar.is_some() {
+        if is_steam(&ar.unwrap()) {
+            copy(
+                get_active_runtime_json_path(),
+                get_backup_steam_active_runtime_path(),
+            )
+            .expect_dialog("Failed to back up active_runtime.json");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn get_active_runtime_from_path(path_s: &String) -> Option<ActiveRuntime> {
     deserialize_file(path_s)
 }
@@ -65,6 +87,10 @@ pub fn dump_current_active_runtime(active_runtime: &ActiveRuntime) {
 }
 
 fn build_steam_active_runtime() -> ActiveRuntime {
+    let backup = get_backed_up_steam_active_runtime();
+    if backup.is_some() {
+        return backup.unwrap();
+    }
     ActiveRuntime {
         file_format_version: "1.0.0".into(),
         runtime: ActiveRuntimeInnerRuntime {
@@ -101,6 +127,7 @@ pub fn build_profile_active_runtime(profile: &Profile) -> ActiveRuntime {
 }
 
 pub fn set_current_active_runtime_to_profile(profile: &Profile) {
+    backup_steam_active_runtime();
     let pfx = profile.clone().prefix;
     let mut ar = build_profile_active_runtime(profile);
     // hack: relativize libopenxr_monado.so path for system installs
diff --git a/src/file_builders/openvrpaths_vrpath.rs b/src/file_builders/openvrpaths_vrpath.rs
index 2b9805f..725d8be 100644
--- a/src/file_builders/openvrpaths_vrpath.rs
+++ b/src/file_builders/openvrpaths_vrpath.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 use crate::{
     file_utils::{
-        deserialize_file, get_writer, get_xdg_config_dir, get_xdg_data_dir, set_file_radonly,
+        deserialize_file, get_backup_dir, get_writer, get_xdg_config_dir, get_xdg_data_dir,
+        set_file_radonly,
     },
     profile::Profile,
 };
 use expect_dialog::ExpectDialog;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use std::fs::copy;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct OpenVrPaths {
@@ -18,10 +20,7 @@ pub struct OpenVrPaths {
 }
 
 pub fn get_openvr_conf_dir() -> String {
-    format!(
-        "{config}/openvr",
-        config = get_xdg_config_dir()
-    )
+    format!("{config}/openvr", config = get_xdg_config_dir())
 }
 
 fn get_openvrpaths_vrpath_path() -> String {
@@ -42,6 +41,30 @@ pub fn is_steam(ovr_paths: &OpenVrPaths) -> bool {
         .is_some()
 }
 
+fn get_backup_steam_openvrpaths_path() -> String {
+    format!(
+        "{backup}/openvrpaths.vrpath.steam.bak",
+        backup = get_backup_dir()
+    )
+}
+
+fn get_backed_up_steam_openvrpaths() -> Option<OpenVrPaths> {
+    get_openvrpaths_from_path(&get_backup_steam_openvrpaths_path())
+}
+
+fn backup_steam_openvrpaths() {
+    let openvrpaths = get_current_openvrpaths();
+    if openvrpaths.is_some() {
+        if is_steam(&openvrpaths.unwrap()) {
+            copy(
+                get_openvrpaths_vrpath_path(),
+                get_backup_steam_openvrpaths_path(),
+            )
+            .expect_dialog("Failed to back up openvrpaths.vrpath");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn get_openvrpaths_from_path(path_s: &String) -> Option<OpenVrPaths> {
     deserialize_file(path_s)
 }
@@ -62,6 +85,10 @@ pub fn dump_current_openvrpaths(ovr_paths: &OpenVrPaths) {
 }
 
 fn build_steam_openvrpaths() -> OpenVrPaths {
+    let backup = get_backed_up_steam_openvrpaths();
+    if backup.is_some() {
+        return backup.unwrap();
+    }
     let datadir = get_xdg_data_dir();
     OpenVrPaths {
         config: vec![format!("{data}/Steam/config", data = datadir)],
@@ -96,6 +123,7 @@ pub fn build_profile_openvrpaths(profile: &Profile) -> OpenVrPaths {
 }
 
 pub fn set_current_openvrpaths_to_profile(profile: &Profile) {
+    backup_steam_openvrpaths();
     dump_current_openvrpaths(&build_profile_openvrpaths(profile))
 }
 
diff --git a/src/file_utils.rs b/src/file_utils.rs
index 427adbe..2204279 100644
--- a/src/file_utils.rs
+++ b/src/file_utils.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,18 @@ pub fn get_cache_dir() -> String {
     )
 }
 
+pub fn get_backup_dir() -> String {
+    let p_s = format!("{data}/backups", data = get_data_dir());
+    let p = Path::new(&p_s);
+    if !p.is_dir() {
+        if p.is_file() {
+            panic!("{} is a file but it should be a directory!", p.to_str().unwrap());
+        }
+        create_dir_all(p);
+    }
+    p.to_str().unwrap().to_string()
+}
+
 pub fn set_file_radonly(path_s: &String, readonly: bool) {
     let path = Path::new(&path_s);
     if !path.is_file() {