diff --git a/api/storage_service.cc b/api/storage_service.cc
index 2c5097ef3b..74ac261dc1 100644
--- a/api/storage_service.cc
+++ b/api/storage_service.cc
@@ -588,6 +588,8 @@ void set_storage_service(http_context& ctx, routes& r) {
         auto val_str = req->get_query_param("value");
         bool value = (val_str == "True") || (val_str == "true") || (val_str == "1");
         return service::get_local_storage_service().db().invoke_on_all([value] (database& db) {
+            db.set_enable_incremental_backups(value);
+
             // Change both KS and CF, so they are in sync
             for (auto& pair: db.get_keyspaces()) {
                 auto& ks = pair.second;
diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index c30abb9e36..ffe854335b 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -1028,6 +1028,7 @@ database::database() : database(db::config())
 database::database(const db::config& cfg)
     : _cfg(std::make_unique<db::config>(cfg))
     , _version(empty_version)
+    , _enable_incremental_backups(cfg.incremental_backups())
 {
     _memtable_total_space = size_t(_cfg->memtable_total_space_in_mb()) << 20;
     if (!_memtable_total_space) {
@@ -1834,7 +1835,7 @@ database::make_keyspace_config(const keyspace_metadata& ksm) {
     }
     cfg.dirty_memory_region_group = &_dirty_memory_region_group;
     cfg.cf_stats = &_cf_stats;
-    cfg.enable_incremental_backups = _cfg->incremental_backups();
+    cfg.enable_incremental_backups = _enable_incremental_backups;
     return cfg;
 }
 
diff --git a/database.hh b/database.hh
index 1224d49696..ce2f8df980 100644
--- a/database.hh
+++ b/database.hh
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ class database {
     std::vector<scollectd::registration> _collectd;
     timer<> _throttling_timer{[this] { unthrottle(); }};
     circular_buffer<promise<>> _throttled_requests;
+    bool _enable_incremental_backups = false;
 
     future<> init_commitlog();
     future<> apply_in_memory(const frozen_mutation& m, const schema_ptr& m_schema, const db::replay_position&);
@@ -589,6 +590,8 @@ private:
 public:
     static utils::UUID empty_version;
 
+    void set_enable_incremental_backups(bool val) { _enable_incremental_backups = val; }
+
     future<> parse_system_tables(distributed<service::storage_proxy>&);
     database();
     database(const db::config&);