diff --git a/backupscript.sh b/backupscript.sh
index f0b99a3..82cbf5e 100755
--- a/backupscript.sh
+++ b/backupscript.sh
@@ -88,9 +88,9 @@ fi
 export RESTIC_PASSWORD=${BACKUP_PASSWORD}
 
 echo "Backup path: $SNAPSHOTDIR/$BDIR"
-# backup the snapshot
+# backup the snapshot (without freezing the filesystem)
 # use -q for quiet mode (when run as a cron job)
-$RESTIC --repo $URI $EXCLUDE $QUIET backup $SNAPSHOTDIR/$BDIR
+ionice -c 3 $RESTIC --repo $URI $EXCLUDE $QUIET backup $SNAPSHOTDIR/$BDIR
 
 ./lock.sh unlock $uuid