diff --git a/server/src/controllers/maintenance.controller.ts b/server/src/controllers/maintenance.controller.ts
index 83a79abc6b..1705169208 100644
--- a/server/src/controllers/maintenance.controller.ts
+++ b/server/src/controllers/maintenance.controller.ts
@@ -87,4 +87,21 @@ export class MaintenanceController {
   async deleteBackup(@Param() { filename }: FilenameParamDto): Promise<void> {
     return this.service.deleteBackup(filename);
   }
+
+  @Post('backups/restore')
+  @Endpoint({
+    summary: 'Start backup restore flow',
+    description: 'Put Immich into maintenance mode to restore a backup (Immich must not be configured)',
+    history: new HistoryBuilder().added('v9.9.9').alpha('v9.9.9'),
+  })
+  async startRestoreFlow(
+    @GetLoginDetails() loginDetails: LoginDetails,
+    @Res({ passthrough: true }) res: Response,
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    const { jwt } = await this.service.startRestoreFlow();
+    return respondWithCookie(res, undefined, {
+      isSecure: loginDetails.isSecure,
+      values: [{ key: ImmichCookie.MaintenanceToken, value: jwt }],
+    });
+  }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/services/maintenance.service.ts b/server/src/services/maintenance.service.ts
index 57ad90a053..8764bb70d6 100644
--- a/server/src/services/maintenance.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/maintenance.service.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { BadRequestException, Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { OnEvent } from 'src/decorators';
 import { MaintenanceAuthDto, SetMaintenanceModeDto } from 'src/dtos/maintenance.dto';
-import { SystemMetadataKey } from 'src/enum';
+import { MaintenanceAction, SystemMetadataKey } from 'src/enum';
 import { BaseService } from 'src/services/base.service';
 import { MaintenanceModeState } from 'src/types';
 import { deleteBackup, listBackups } from 'src/utils/backups';
@@ -36,6 +36,20 @@ export class MaintenanceService extends BaseService {
     };
   }
 
+  async startRestoreFlow(): Promise<{ jwt: string }> {
+    const adminUser = await this.userRepository.getAdmin();
+    if (adminUser) {
+      throw new BadRequestException('The server already has an admin');
+    }
+
+    return this.startMaintenance(
+      {
+        action: MaintenanceAction.RestoreDatabase,
+      },
+      'admin',
+    );
+  }
+
   @OnEvent({ name: 'AppRestart', server: true })
   onRestart(): void {
     this.appRepository.exitApp();