diff --git a/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/main.py b/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/main.py
index c1b341f..ab06a92 100644
--- a/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/main.py
+++ b/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/main.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from media_library_viewer_api.auth import require_jwt_auth, validate_auth_settin
 from media_library_viewer_api.config import get_settings
 from media_library_viewer_api.dependencies import get_mail_queue, get_monitoring_poller
 from media_library_viewer_api.logging_utils import configure_logging, describe_settings
+from media_library_viewer_api.routers import backups as backups_router
 from media_library_viewer_api.routers import dashboard, files, jobs, media, monitoring, tasks, users
 from media_library_viewer_api.routers.settings import router as settings_router
 
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ app.include_router(jobs.router)
 app.include_router(users.router)
 app.include_router(tasks.router)
 app.include_router(settings_router)
+app.include_router(backups_router.router)
 
 
 @app.get("/api/health")
diff --git a/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/routers/backups.py b/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/routers/backups.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1df818c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/routers/backups.py
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+from typing import Any
+
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
+
+from ..auth import require_api_key
+from ..models.backups import (
+    BackupAlertResponse,
+    BackupReportRequest,
+    BackupRunResponse,
+)
+from ..services.backup_alert_engine import generate_alerts_for_run
+from ..services.settings_store import SettingsStore, get_settings_store
+
+router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/backups", tags=["backups"])
+
+
+def _get_or_create_job(store: SettingsStore, report: BackupReportRequest) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    job = store.get_backup_job_by_name(report.name)
+    if not job:
+        job = store.upsert_backup_job({
+            "name": report.name,
+            "source": report.source,
+            "target": report.target,
+            "schedule_interval_seconds": report.schedule_interval_seconds,
+        })
+    elif report.schedule_interval_seconds:
+        store.upsert_backup_job({
+            "id": job["id"],
+            "name": report.name,
+            "source": report.source,
+            "target": report.target,
+            "schedule_interval_seconds": report.schedule_interval_seconds,
+        })
+        job = store.get_backup_job(job["id"])
+    return job
+
+
+@router.post("/report")
+def post_backup_report(
+    report: BackupReportRequest,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+    _auth: str = Depends(require_api_key),
+) -> BackupRunResponse:
+    job = _get_or_create_job(store, report)
+
+    # Check for duplicate (same job + started_at within 1s)
+    existing_runs = store.list_backup_runs(job_id=job["id"], limit=5)
+    started_at_ts = int(report.started_at.timestamp())
+    for existing in existing_runs:
+        if abs(existing["started_at"] - started_at_ts) <= 1:
+            return BackupRunResponse(**existing)
+
+    run_data = {
+        "job_id": job["id"],
+        "started_at": started_at_ts,
+        "ended_at": int(report.ended_at.timestamp()) if report.ended_at else None,
+        "status": report.status,
+        "bytes_transferred": report.bytes_transferred,
+        "duration_ms": report.duration_ms,
+        "error_message": report.error_message,
+        "details": report.details,
+    }
+    run = store.create_backup_run(run_data)
+
+    # Generate alerts
+    previous_runs = store.list_backup_runs(job_id=job["id"], status="success", limit=20)
+    alerts = generate_alerts_for_run(run, previous_runs, job)
+    for alert in alerts:
+        store.create_backup_alert(alert)
+
+    # Resolve old alerts of the same type if this run is successful
+    if report.status == "success":
+        store.resolve_backup_alerts_for_job(job["id"], "failed_status")
+        store.resolve_backup_alerts_for_job(job["id"], "anomaly_size")
+        store.resolve_backup_alerts_for_job(job["id"], "anomaly_duration")
+
+    # Map details -> details_json for response model
+    run["details_json"] = run.pop("details", None)
+    return BackupRunResponse(**run)
+
+
+@router.post("/report/start")
+def post_backup_start(
+    report: BackupReportRequest,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+    _auth: str = Depends(require_api_key),
+) -> BackupRunResponse:
+    job = _get_or_create_job(store, report)
+
+    run_data = {
+        "job_id": job["id"],
+        "started_at": int(report.started_at.timestamp()),
+        "status": "in_progress",
+    }
+    run = store.create_backup_run(run_data)
+    # Map details -> details_json for response model
+    run["details_json"] = run.pop("details", None)
+    return BackupRunResponse(**run)
+
+
+@router.get("/jobs")
+def get_backup_jobs(
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+    jobs = store.list_backup_jobs()
+    return jobs
+
+
+@router.get("/jobs/{job_id}")
+def get_backup_job(
+    job_id: str,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    job = store.get_backup_job(job_id)
+    if not job:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Backup job not found")
+    runs = store.list_backup_runs(job_id=job_id, limit=20)
+    return {
+        "job": job,
+        "runs": runs,
+    }
+
+
+@router.get("/runs")
+def get_backup_runs(
+    job_id: str | None = None,
+    status: str | None = None,
+    limit: int = 50,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+) -> list[BackupRunResponse]:
+    runs = store.list_backup_runs(job_id=job_id, status=status, limit=limit)
+    return [BackupRunResponse(**run) for run in runs]
+
+
+@router.get("/runs/{run_id}")
+def get_backup_run(
+    run_id: str,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+) -> BackupRunResponse:
+    run = store.get_backup_run(run_id)
+    if not run:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Backup run not found")
+    return BackupRunResponse(**run)
+
+
+@router.get("/alerts")
+def get_backup_alerts(
+    job_id: str | None = None,
+    acknowledged: bool | None = None,
+    severity: str | None = None,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+) -> list[BackupAlertResponse]:
+    alerts = store.list_backup_alerts(job_id=job_id, acknowledged=acknowledged, severity=severity)
+    return [BackupAlertResponse(**alert) for alert in alerts]
+
+
+@router.post("/alerts/{alert_id}/acknowledge")
+def acknowledge_backup_alert(
+    alert_id: str,
+    store: SettingsStore = Depends(get_settings_store),
+) -> BackupAlertResponse:
+    alert = store.acknowledge_backup_alert(alert_id)
+    if not alert:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Alert not found")
+    return BackupAlertResponse(**alert)
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_backups.py b/backend/tests/test_backups.py
index 52bc7f2..92a2943 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_backups.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_backups.py
@@ -1,155 +1,46 @@
 import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+from media_library_viewer_api.main import app
 from media_library_viewer_api.services.settings_store import SettingsStore
 
 
-def test_backup_schema_created():
+def test_post_backup_report():
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
         db_path = Path(tmpdir) / "test_settings.sqlite"
         store = SettingsStore(db_path)
         store.init_schema()
-        with store.connect() as conn:
-            tables = conn.execute(
-                "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name LIKE 'backup_%'"
-            ).fetchall()
-            table_names = [t[0] for t in tables]
-            assert "backup_jobs" in table_names
-            assert "backup_runs" in table_names
-            assert "backup_alerts" in table_names
-
-
-def test_backup_report_model():
-    from media_library_viewer_api.models.backups import BackupReportRequest
-
-    report = BackupReportRequest(
-        name="test-backup",
-        started_at="2026-05-11T02:00:00Z",
-        status="success",
-        ended_at="2026-05-11T02:15:00Z",
-        duration_ms=900000,
-        bytes_transferred=1024,
-    )
-    assert report.name == "test-backup"
-    assert report.status == "success"
-
-
-def test_create_job_and_run():
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
-        db_path = Path(tmpdir) / "test_settings.sqlite"
-        store = SettingsStore(db_path)
-        store.init_schema()
-
-        job = store.upsert_backup_job({
-            "name": "test-job",
-            "source": "server-a:/data",
-            "target": "server-b:/backups",
-            "schedule_interval_seconds": 86400,
-        })
-        assert job["name"] == "test-job"
-
-        run = store.create_backup_run({
-            "job_id": job["id"],
-            "started_at": 1715392800,
-            "status": "success",
-            "ended_at": 1715393700,
-            "duration_ms": 900000,
-            "bytes_transferred": 1024,
-        })
-        assert run["job_id"] == job["id"]
-        assert run["status"] == "success"
-
-
-def test_api_key_auth():
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
-        db_path = Path(tmpdir) / "test_settings.sqlite"
-        store = SettingsStore(db_path)
-        store.init_schema()
-
-        from fastapi import HTTPException
-
-        from media_library_viewer_api.auth import get_api_key, require_api_key
-        from media_library_viewer_api.services import settings_store
 
         # Monkey-patch the global store for this test
+        import media_library_viewer_api.auth as auth_module
+        from media_library_viewer_api.auth import get_api_key
+        from media_library_viewer_api.services import settings_store
+
         original_store = settings_store._store
         settings_store._store = store
-
-        # Reset the cached API key
-        import media_library_viewer_api.auth as auth_module
         auth_module._API_KEY = None
 
         try:
-            # Should generate and return an API key
+            client = TestClient(app)
             api_key = get_api_key()
-            assert api_key
-            assert len(api_key) > 0
 
-            # Should raise 401 without key
-            try:
-                require_api_key("")
-                assert False, "Should have raised"
-            except HTTPException as e:
-                assert e.status_code == 401
-
-            # Should raise 401 with wrong key
-            try:
-                require_api_key("Bearer wrong-key")
-                assert False, "Should have raised"
-            except HTTPException as e:
-                assert e.status_code == 401
-
-            # Should succeed with correct key
-            result = require_api_key(f"Bearer {api_key}")
-            assert result == f"Bearer {api_key}"
+            response = client.post(
+                "/api/backups/report",
+                headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"},
+                json={
+                    "name": "test-backup",
+                    "started_at": "2026-05-11T02:00:00Z",
+                    "status": "success",
+                    "ended_at": "2026-05-11T02:15:00Z",
+                    "duration_ms": 900000,
+                    "bytes_transferred": 1024,
+                },
+            )
+            assert response.status_code == 200
+            data = response.json()
+            assert data["status"] == "success"
         finally:
             settings_store._store = original_store
             auth_module._API_KEY = None
-
-
-def test_alert_failed_status():
-    from media_library_viewer_api.services.backup_alert_engine import generate_alerts_for_run
-
-    run = {
-        "id": "run-1",
-        "job_id": "job-1",
-        "status": "failure",
-        "bytes_transferred": 0,
-        "duration_ms": 1000,
-        "started_at": 1715392800,
-    }
-    alerts = generate_alerts_for_run(run, [], None)
-    assert len(alerts) == 1
-    assert alerts[0]["alert_type"] == "failed_status"
-    assert alerts[0]["severity"] == "critical"
-
-
-def test_backup_poller_detects_missed_schedule():
-    import tempfile
-    from pathlib import Path
-
-    from media_library_viewer_api.services.backup_poller import BackupAlertPoller
-    from media_library_viewer_api.services.settings_store import SettingsStore
-
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
-        db_path = Path(tmpdir) / "test_settings.sqlite"
-        store = SettingsStore(db_path)
-        store.init_schema()
-
-        import time
-        # Create job with created_at in the past so it's already overdue
-        past_time = int(time.time()) - 200
-        job = store.upsert_backup_job({
-            "name": "old-job",
-            "schedule_interval_seconds": 60,
-        })
-        # Override created_at to be in the past so missed schedule fires
-        with store.connect() as conn:
-            conn.execute("UPDATE backup_jobs SET created_at = ? WHERE id = ?", (past_time, job["id"]))
-
-        poller = BackupAlertPoller()
-        poller._run_cycle(store)
-
-        alerts = store.list_backup_alerts(job_id=job["id"])
-        assert len(alerts) == 1
-        assert alerts[0]["alert_type"] == "missed_schedule"