diff --git a/cli/app/backup.go b/cli/app/backup.go
index b2c422b3..96781dd2 100644
--- a/cli/app/backup.go
+++ b/cli/app/backup.go
@@ -66,6 +66,33 @@ func retrieveBackupBotContainer(cl *dockerClient.Client) (types.Container, error
 	return targetContainer, nil
 }
 
+// runBackupCmdRemote runs a backup related command on a remote backupbot container.
+func runBackupCmdRemote(cl *dockerClient.Client, backupCmd string, containerID string, execEnv []string) error {
+	execBackupListOpts := types.ExecConfig{
+		AttachStderr: true,
+		AttachStdin:  true,
+		AttachStdout: true,
+		Cmd:          []string{"/usr/bin/backup", "--", backupCmd},
+		Detach:       false,
+		Env:          execEnv,
+		Tty:          true,
+	}
+
+	logrus.Debugf("running backup %s on %s with exec config %v", backupCmd, containerID, execBackupListOpts)
+
+	// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
+	dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if _, err := container.RunExec(dcli, cl, containerID, &execBackupListOpts); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 var appBackupListCommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:    "list",
 	Aliases: []string{"ls"},
@@ -121,25 +148,7 @@ var appBackupListCommand = cli.Command{
 			execEnv = append(execEnv, fmt.Sprintf("INCLUDE_PATH=%s", includePath))
 		}
 
-		execBackupListOpts := types.ExecConfig{
-			AttachStderr: true,
-			AttachStdin:  true,
-			AttachStdout: true,
-			Cmd:          []string{"/usr/bin/backup", "--", "ls"},
-			Detach:       false,
-			Env:          execEnv,
-			Tty:          true,
-		}
-
-		logrus.Debugf("running backup list on %s with exec config %v", targetContainer.ID, execBackupListOpts)
-
-		// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
-		dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
-		if err != nil {
-			logrus.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
-		if _, err := container.RunExec(dcli, cl, targetContainer.ID, &execBackupListOpts); err != nil {
+		if err := runBackupCmdRemote(cl, "ls", targetContainer.ID, execEnv); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
@@ -202,26 +211,7 @@ var appBackupDownloadCommand = cli.Command{
 			execEnv = append(execEnv, fmt.Sprintf("INCLUDE_PATH=%s", includePath))
 		}
 
-		execBackupListOpts := types.ExecConfig{
-			AttachStderr: true,
-			AttachStdin:  true,
-			AttachStdout: true,
-			Cmd:          []string{"/usr/bin/backup", "--", "download"},
-			Detach:       false,
-			Env:          execEnv,
-			Tty:          true,
-		}
-
-		logrus.Debugf("running backup download on %s with exec config %v", targetContainer.ID, execBackupListOpts)
-
-		// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
-		dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
-		if err != nil {
-			logrus.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
-		_, err = container.RunExec(dcli, cl, targetContainer.ID, &execBackupListOpts)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := runBackupCmdRemote(cl, "download", targetContainer.ID, execEnv); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
@@ -286,25 +276,8 @@ var appBackupCreateCommand = cli.Command{
 			logrus.Debugf("including RESTIC_REPO=%s in backupbot exec invocation", resticRepo)
 			execEnv = append(execEnv, fmt.Sprintf("RESTIC_REPO=%s", resticRepo))
 		}
-		execBackupListOpts := types.ExecConfig{
-			AttachStderr: true,
-			AttachStdin:  true,
-			AttachStdout: true,
-			Cmd:          []string{"/usr/bin/backup", "--", "create"},
-			Detach:       false,
-			Env:          execEnv,
-			Tty:          true,
-		}
 
-		logrus.Debugf("running backup create on %s with exec config %v", targetContainer.ID, execBackupListOpts)
-
-		// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
-		dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
-		if err != nil {
-			logrus.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
-		if _, err := container.RunExec(dcli, cl, targetContainer.ID, &execBackupListOpts); err != nil {
+		if err := runBackupCmdRemote(cl, "create", targetContainer.ID, execEnv); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
@@ -361,25 +334,8 @@ var appBackupSnapshotsCommand = cli.Command{
 			logrus.Debugf("including SNAPSHOT=%s in backupbot exec invocation", snapshot)
 			execEnv = append(execEnv, fmt.Sprintf("SNAPSHOT=%s", snapshot))
 		}
-		execBackupListOpts := types.ExecConfig{
-			AttachStderr: true,
-			AttachStdin:  true,
-			AttachStdout: true,
-			Cmd:          []string{"/usr/bin/backup", "--", "snapshots"},
-			Detach:       false,
-			Env:          execEnv,
-			Tty:          true,
-		}
 
-		logrus.Debugf("running backup snapshot list on %s with exec config %v", targetContainer.ID, execBackupListOpts)
-
-		// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
-		dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
-		if err != nil {
-			logrus.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
-		if _, err := container.RunExec(dcli, cl, targetContainer.ID, &execBackupListOpts); err != nil {
+		if err := runBackupCmdRemote(cl, "snapshots", targetContainer.ID, execEnv); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}