diff --git a/src/patch.cpp b/src/patch.cpp
index 5aa84b1..929bac4 100644
--- a/src/patch.cpp
+++ b/src/patch.cpp
@@ -687,13 +687,19 @@ static int process_patches(const Options& options, DeferredWriter& deferred_writ
         } else {
             bool write_to_file = !options.dry_run;
 
+            const bool make_backup = options.save_backup
+                || (!result.all_hunks_applied_perfectly && !result.was_skipped && options.backup_if_mismatch == Options::OptionalBool::Yes);
+
             // Clean up the file if it looks like it was removed.
             // NOTE: we check for file size for the degenerate case that the file is a removal, but has nothing left.
             if (options.remove_empty_files == Options::OptionalBool::Yes
                 && (patch.operation == Operation::Delete || (patch.format == Format::Ed && tmp_out_file.size() == 0))) {
                 if (tmp_out_file.size() == 0) {
-                    if (!options.dry_run)
+                    if (!options.dry_run) {
+                        if (make_backup)
+                            backup.make_backup_for(output_file);
                         remove_file_and_empty_parent_folders(output_file);
+                    }
                     write_to_file = false;
                 } else {
                     out << "Not deleting file " << output_file << " as content differs from patch\n";
@@ -701,15 +707,15 @@ static int process_patches(const Options& options, DeferredWriter& deferred_writ
                 }
             }
 
-            if (write_to_file) {
-                const bool make_backup = options.save_backup
-                    || (!result.all_hunks_applied_perfectly && !result.was_skipped && options.backup_if_mismatch == Options::OptionalBool::Yes);
+            if (write_to_file)
                 write_patched_result_to_file(patch, output_file, input_permissions, mode, deferred_writer, tmp_out_file, backup, make_backup);
-            }
 
             if (result.failed_hunks == 0) {
-                if (write_to_file && patch.operation == Operation::Rename)
+                if (write_to_file && patch.operation == Operation::Rename) {
+                    if (make_backup)
+                        backup.make_backup_for(file_to_patch);
                     remove_file_and_empty_parent_folders(file_to_patch);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_basic.cpp b/tests/test_basic.cpp
index 4af6bba..307811e 100644
--- a/tests/test_basic.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_basic.cpp
@@ -1538,6 +1538,127 @@ rename to b
     EXPECT_FILE_EQ("b", to_patch);
     EXPECT_FILE_EQ("b.orig", "");
     EXPECT_FALSE(Patch::filesystem::exists("a"));
+    EXPECT_FILE_EQ("a.orig", to_patch);
+}
+
+COMPAT_TEST(backup_of_removed_file)
+{
+    {
+        Patch::File file("diff.patch", std::ios_base::out);
+
+        file << R"(--- gone.txt
++++ /dev/null
+@@ -1 +0,0 @@
+-content to lose
+)";
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    const std::string to_patch = "content to lose\n";
+    {
+        Patch::File file("gone.txt", std::ios_base::out);
+        file << to_patch;
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    Process process(patch_path, { patch_path, "--batch", "-p0", "-b", "-i", "diff.patch", nullptr });
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stdout_data(), "patching file gone.txt\n");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stderr_data(), "");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.return_code(), 0);
+
+    // The file is removed, so the backup is the only copy left of its content.
+    EXPECT_FALSE(Patch::filesystem::exists("gone.txt"));
+    EXPECT_FILE_EQ("gone.txt.orig", to_patch);
+}
+
+COMPAT_TEST(backup_of_removed_file_in_subdirectory)
+{
+    {
+        Patch::File file("diff.patch", std::ios_base::out);
+
+        file << R"(--- sub/nested.txt
++++ /dev/null
+@@ -1 +0,0 @@
+-content to lose
+)";
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    const std::string to_patch = "content to lose\n";
+    {
+        Patch::filesystem::create_directory("sub");
+        Patch::File file("sub/nested.txt", std::ios_base::out);
+        file << to_patch;
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    Process process(patch_path, { patch_path, "--batch", "-p0", "-b", "-i", "diff.patch", nullptr });
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stdout_data(), "patching file sub/nested.txt\n");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stderr_data(), "");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.return_code(), 0);
+
+    EXPECT_FALSE(Patch::filesystem::exists("sub/nested.txt"));
+    EXPECT_FILE_EQ("sub/nested.txt.orig", to_patch);
+}
+
+COMPAT_TEST(no_backup_of_removed_file_without_flag)
+{
+    {
+        Patch::File file("diff.patch", std::ios_base::out);
+
+        file << R"(--- gone.txt
++++ /dev/null
+@@ -1 +0,0 @@
+-content to lose
+)";
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    {
+        Patch::File file("gone.txt", std::ios_base::out);
+        file << "content to lose\n";
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    Process process(patch_path, { patch_path, "--batch", "-p0", "-i", "diff.patch", nullptr });
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stdout_data(), "patching file gone.txt\n");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stderr_data(), "");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.return_code(), 0);
+
+    EXPECT_FALSE(Patch::filesystem::exists("gone.txt"));
+    EXPECT_FALSE(Patch::filesystem::exists("gone.txt.orig"));
+}
+
+COMPAT_TEST(no_backup_of_removed_file_for_dry_run)
+{
+    {
+        Patch::File file("diff.patch", std::ios_base::out);
+
+        file << R"(--- gone.txt
++++ /dev/null
+@@ -1 +0,0 @@
+-content to lose
+)";
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    const std::string to_patch = "content to lose\n";
+    {
+        Patch::File file("gone.txt", std::ios_base::out);
+        file << to_patch;
+        file.close();
+    }
+
+    Process process(patch_path, { patch_path, "--batch", "-p0", "-b", "--dry-run", "-i", "diff.patch", nullptr });
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.stderr_data(), "");
+    EXPECT_EQ(process.return_code(), 0);
+
+    EXPECT_FILE_EQ("gone.txt", to_patch);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(Patch::filesystem::exists("gone.txt.orig"));
 }
 
 COMPAT_TEST(backup_on_top_of_existing_file)