diff --git a/playbooks/backup-gitea.yml b/playbooks/backup-gitea.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5ff189
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/backup-gitea.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+---
+# Backup Gitea server using built-in dump command
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ansible-playbook playbooks/backup-gitea.yml
+#   ansible-playbook playbooks/backup-gitea.yml -e fetch_backup=true
+#   ansible-playbook playbooks/backup-gitea.yml -e keep_backups=7
+#
+# Options:
+#   fetch_backup: Copy backup archive to Ansible controller (default: false)
+#   keep_backups: Number of backups to retain on server (default: 5)
+#   backup_dir:   Directory to store backups (default: /opt/gitea-backups)
+
+- name: Backup Gitea
+  hosts: gitea
+  become: true
+  vars:
+    backup_dir: /opt/gitea-backups
+    gitea_bin: /home/git/gitea
+    gitea_config: /etc/gitea/app.ini
+    gitea_work_dir: /home/git
+    keep_backups: 5
+    fetch_backup: false
+    backup_filename: "gitea-backup-{{ ansible_date_time.date }}-{{ ansible_date_time.hour }}{{ ansible_date_time.minute }}.tar.gz"
+    fetch_dest: "/tmp/gitea-backups"
+
+  tasks:
+    - name: Gather date/time facts
+      ansible.builtin.setup:
+        gather_subset:
+          - date_time
+
+    - name: Create backup directory
+      ansible.builtin.file:
+        path: "{{ backup_dir }}"
+        state: directory
+        owner: git
+        group: git
+        mode: "0750"
+
+    - name: Run gitea dump
+      ansible.builtin.command:
+        argv:
+          - "{{ gitea_bin }}"
+          - dump
+          - --config
+          - "{{ gitea_config }}"
+          - --work-path
+          - "{{ gitea_work_dir }}"
+          - --file
+          - "{{ backup_dir }}/{{ backup_filename }}"
+          - --type
+          - tar.gz
+          - --database
+          - mysql
+          - --skip-log
+          - --quiet
+      become_user: git
+      environment:
+        HOME: /home/git
+        USER: git
+        GITEA_WORK_DIR: "{{ gitea_work_dir }}"
+      register: gitea_dump_result
+      changed_when: true
+
+    - name: Verify backup file was created
+      ansible.builtin.stat:
+        path: "{{ backup_dir }}/{{ backup_filename }}"
+      register: backup_stat
+
+    - name: Fail if backup file missing
+      ansible.builtin.fail:
+        msg: "Backup file was not created at {{ backup_dir }}/{{ backup_filename }}"
+      when: not backup_stat.stat.exists
+
+    - name: Show backup file info
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        msg: "Backup created: {{ backup_dir }}/{{ backup_filename }} ({{ (backup_stat.stat.size / 1024 / 1024) | round(1) }} MB)"
+
+    - name: Find existing backups (sorted by name)
+      ansible.builtin.find:
+        paths: "{{ backup_dir }}"
+        patterns: "gitea-backup-*.tar.gz"
+        file_type: file
+      register: existing_backups
+
+    - name: Remove old backups (keep last {{ keep_backups }})
+      ansible.builtin.file:
+        path: "{{ item.path }}"
+        state: absent
+      loop: "{{ (existing_backups.files | sort(attribute='mtime')) [:-keep_backups] }}"
+      when: existing_backups.files | length > keep_backups
+
+    - name: Fetch backup to Ansible controller
+      ansible.builtin.fetch:
+        src: "{{ backup_dir }}/{{ backup_filename }}"
+        dest: "{{ fetch_dest }}/"
+        flat: true
+      when: fetch_backup | bool
+
+    - name: List all backups on server
+      ansible.builtin.find:
+        paths: "{{ backup_dir }}"
+        patterns: "gitea-backup-*.tar.gz"
+        file_type: file
+      register: all_backups
+
+    - name: Show backup summary
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        msg: |
+          Gitea backup complete.
+          Location: {{ backup_dir }}/{{ backup_filename }}
+          Size: {{ (backup_stat.stat.size / 1024 / 1024) | round(1) }} MB
+          Total backups stored: {{ all_backups.files | length }}
+          {% if fetch_backup | bool %}Fetched to: {{ fetch_dest }}/{{ backup_filename }}{% endif %}