diff --git a/salt/dom0/files/backup/qusal.conf.example b/salt/dom0/files/backup/qusal.conf.example
index 8d0f4dc..603e27d 100644
--- a/salt/dom0/files/backup/qusal.conf.example
+++ b/salt/dom0/files/backup/qusal.conf.example
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 - 2024 Benjamin Grande M. S. <ben.grande.b@gmail.com>
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 - 2025 Benjamin Grande M. S. <ben.grande.b@gmail.com>
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ compression: true
 passphrase_text: my-password
 
 destination_vm: backup-ssh
-destination_path: ssh backup 'cat | tee -- /dir/qubes-backup-$(date +%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S) >/dev/null'
+destination_path: ssh backup -- dd iflag=fullblock conv=sync bs=4M of="/dir/qubes-backup-$(date +%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S)"
 
 ## $ qvm-backup-find-last backup-ssh /dir/ 'ssh backup'
 ## $ qvm-backup-restore --verify-only -d backup-ssh \
-##     "ssh backup cat /dir/qubes-backup-file"
+##     "ssh backup -- cat -- /dir/qubes-backup-file"
 
 # vim: ft=yaml
diff --git a/salt/dom0/files/bin/qvm-backup-find-last b/salt/dom0/files/bin/qvm-backup-find-last
index bfcef73..cd7e32a 100755
--- a/salt/dom0/files/bin/qvm-backup-find-last
+++ b/salt/dom0/files/bin/qvm-backup-find-last
@@ -36,10 +36,18 @@ cmd="${3-}"
 
 find_pattern="qubes-backup-*"
 find_cmd="find \"${path}\" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name \"${find_pattern}\""
+export LC_ALL=C
 
 last_backup="$(list_last_backup)"
 if test -z "${last_backup}"; then
+  printf '%s\n' "error: no backup found" >&2
   exit 1
 fi
 
-printf '%s\n' "${last_backup}"
+max_path_size=4096
+path_size=$(printf '%s' "${last_backup}" | wc -c)
+if test "${path_size}" -gt "${max_path_size}"; then
+  printf '%s\n' "error: absolute path larger than ${max_path_size}" >&2
+fi
+
+printf '%.*s' "${max_path_size}" "${last_backup}"