diff --git a/src/freedombone-app-gnusocial b/src/freedombone-app-gnusocial
index a3f21ecc..8ae9b261 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-app-gnusocial
+++ b/src/freedombone-app-gnusocial
@@ -375,6 +375,9 @@ function backup_local_gnusocial {
         GNUSOCIAL_DOMAIN_NAME=$(get_completion_param "gnusocial domain")
     fi
 
+    # don't backup more data than we need to
+    gnusocial-expire-posts
+
     source_directory=/var/www/${GNUSOCIAL_DOMAIN_NAME}/htdocs/backup
     if [ ! -d $source_directory ]; then
         mkdir $source_directory
@@ -452,6 +455,9 @@ function backup_remote_gnusocial {
         GNUSOCIAL_DOMAIN_NAME=$(get_completion_param "gnusocial domain")
     fi
 
+    # don't backup more data than we need to
+    gnusocial-expire-posts
+
     source_directory=/var/www/${GNUSOCIAL_DOMAIN_NAME}/htdocs/backup
     if [ ! -d $source_directory ]; then
         mkdir $source_directory
diff --git a/src/freedombone-app-postactiv b/src/freedombone-app-postactiv
index 7cdae326..3fce6b08 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-app-postactiv
+++ b/src/freedombone-app-postactiv
@@ -391,6 +391,9 @@ function backup_local_postactiv {
         POSTACTIV_DOMAIN_NAME=$(get_completion_param "postactiv domain")
     fi
 
+    # don't backup more data than we need to
+    postactiv-expire-posts
+
     source_directory=/var/www/${POSTACTIV_DOMAIN_NAME}/htdocs/backup
     if [ ! -d $source_directory ]; then
         mkdir $source_directory
@@ -468,6 +471,9 @@ function backup_remote_postactiv {
         POSTACTIV_DOMAIN_NAME=$(get_completion_param "postactiv domain")
     fi
 
+    # don't backup more data than we need to
+    postactiv-expire-posts
+
     source_directory=/var/www/${POSTACTIV_DOMAIN_NAME}/htdocs/backup
     if [ ! -d $source_directory ]; then
         mkdir $source_directory