diff --git a/mealie/services/backups_v2/backup_v2.py b/mealie/services/backups_v2/backup_v2.py
index 01c192448..3caa19401 100644
--- a/mealie/services/backups_v2/backup_v2.py
+++ b/mealie/services/backups_v2/backup_v2.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import shutil
 from pathlib import Path
 from zipfile import ZipFile
 
+from mealie.core.config import get_app_settings
 from mealie.services._base_service import BaseService
 from mealie.services.backups_v2.alchemy_exporter import AlchemyExporter
 from mealie.services.backups_v2.backup_file import BackupFile
@@ -13,6 +14,12 @@ class BackupSchemaMismatch(Exception): ...
 
 
 class BackupV2(BaseService):
+    EXCLUDE_DIRS = {"backups", ".temp"}
+    EXCLUDE_FILES = {"mealie.db", "mealie.log"}
+    EXCLUDE_EXTENTIONS = {".zip"}
+
+    RESTORE_FILES = {".secret"}
+
     def __init__(self, db_url: str | None = None) -> None:
         super().__init__()
 
@@ -33,10 +40,6 @@ class BackupV2(BaseService):
 
     def backup(self) -> Path:
         # sourcery skip: merge-nested-ifs, reintroduce-else, remove-redundant-continue
-        exclude = {"mealie.db", "mealie.log", ".secret"}
-        exclude_ext = {".zip"}
-        exclude_dirs = {"backups", ".temp"}
-
         timestamp = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.UTC).strftime("%Y.%m.%d.%H.%M.%S")
 
         backup_name = f"mealie_{timestamp}.zip"
@@ -48,11 +51,11 @@ class BackupV2(BaseService):
             zip_file.writestr("database.json", json.dumps(database_json))
 
             for data_file in self.directories.DATA_DIR.glob("**/*"):
-                if data_file.name in exclude:
+                if data_file.name in self.EXCLUDE_FILES:
                     continue
 
-                if data_file.is_file() and data_file.suffix not in exclude_ext:
-                    if data_file.parent.name in exclude_dirs:
+                if data_file.is_file() and data_file.suffix not in self.EXCLUDE_EXTENTIONS:
+                    if data_file.parent.name in self.EXCLUDE_DIRS:
                         continue
 
                     zip_file.write(data_file, f"data/{data_file.relative_to(self.directories.DATA_DIR)}")
@@ -62,11 +65,20 @@ class BackupV2(BaseService):
     def _copy_data(self, data_path: Path) -> None:
         for f in data_path.iterdir():
             if f.is_file():
+                if f.name not in self.RESTORE_FILES:
+                    continue
+
+                shutil.copyfile(f, self.directories.DATA_DIR / f.name)
                 continue
 
             shutil.rmtree(self.directories.DATA_DIR / f.name)
             shutil.copytree(f, self.directories.DATA_DIR / f.name)
 
+        # since we copied a new .secret, AppSettings has the wrong secret info
+        self.logger.info("invalidating appsettings cache")
+        get_app_settings.cache_clear()
+        self.settings = get_app_settings()
+
     def restore(self, backup_path: Path) -> None:
         self.logger.info("initializing backup restore")
 
@@ -105,5 +117,4 @@ class BackupV2(BaseService):
             self.logger.info("restoring data directory")
             self._copy_data(contents.data_directory)
             self.logger.info("data directory restored successfully")
-
         self.logger.info("backup restore complete")
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/services_tests/backup_v2_tests/test_backup_v2.py b/tests/unit_tests/services_tests/backup_v2_tests/test_backup_v2.py
index 9f38ced16..754b632fa 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/services_tests/backup_v2_tests/test_backup_v2.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/services_tests/backup_v2_tests/test_backup_v2.py
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ def test_database_restore_data():
 
     settings = get_app_settings()
     backup_v2 = BackupV2(settings.DB_URL)
+
+    backup_v2.directories.BACKUP_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     original_data_backup = backup_v2.backup()
 
     try: