diff --git a/.github/workflows/backport.yml b/.github/workflows/backport.yml
index d0e13129e..18df5e819 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backport.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backport.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
 name: Backport merged pull request
 
 # Automates cherry-picking merged PRs onto release branches.
-# - Label a merged PR with e.g. `backport release-1.17` to backport on merge.
-# - Or comment `/backport release-1.17` or `/cherrypick release-1.17` on a merged PR.
+#
+# Pre-merge (open PR):
+#   An authorized /backport or /cherrypick comment adds one `backport <branch>`
+#   label per requested branch. These labels are then picked up automatically
+#   when the PR is merged (see the pull_request_target: closed trigger below).
+#
+# Post-merge (merged PR):
+#   - Label a PR with e.g. `backport release-1.17` before merging; the label
+#     triggers the backport automatically when the PR closes as merged.
+#   - Comment `/backport release-1.17` or `/cherrypick release-1.17` on an
+#     already-merged PR to create the backport PR immediately.
+#
+# In both cases multiple target branches can be space-delimited in a comment:
+#   /backport release-1.17 release-1.18
+#
 # See: https://github.com/velero-io/velero/issues/9603
 
 on:
@@ -13,7 +26,78 @@ on:
 
 permissions: {}
 
+# Shared condition for authorized /backport or /cherrypick comments.
+# Used by both jobs below to avoid duplicating the gate logic.
+env:
+  AUTHORIZED_COMMENT: >-
+    ${{
+      github.event_name == 'issue_comment' &&
+      github.event.issue.pull_request != '' &&
+      github.event.comment.user.id != 97796249 &&
+      contains(
+        fromJSON('["OWNER", "MEMBER", "COLLABORATOR"]'),
+        github.event.comment.author_association
+      ) &&
+      (
+        startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/backport') ||
+        startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/cherrypick')
+      )
+    }}
+
 jobs:
+  # ── Pre-merge: convert a /backport or /cherrypick comment into labels ───────
+  # When the PR is still open the backport-action cannot run (it requires a
+  # merged commit). Instead, add one `backport <branch>` label per requested
+  # branch so that the post-merge job picks them up automatically on close.
+  label-for-backport:
+    name: Label PR for deferred backport
+    # Run only when an authorized command is posted on an *open* (unmerged) PR.
+    if: >
+      github.repository == 'velero-io/velero' &&
+      github.event_name == 'issue_comment' &&
+      github.event.issue.pull_request != '' &&
+      github.event.issue.state == 'open' &&
+      github.event.comment.user.id != 97796249 &&
+      contains(
+        fromJSON('["OWNER", "MEMBER", "COLLABORATOR"]'),
+        github.event.comment.author_association
+      ) &&
+      (
+        startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/backport') ||
+        startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/cherrypick')
+      )
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      issues: write # apply labels to the PR (PRs share the issues API)
+    steps:
+      - name: Parse branches and apply labels
+        env:
+          COMMENT_BODY: ${{ github.event.comment.body }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.issue.number }}
+        run: |
+          # Extract branch names from the first line of the comment.
+          # Strip the /backport or /cherrypick prefix; what remains is a
+          # space-delimited list of target branch names.
+          line=$(printf '%s' "$COMMENT_BODY" | head -n1 | tr -d '\r')
+          branches=$(printf '%s' "$line" | sed -E 's|^/(backport|cherrypick)[[:space:]]*||')
+
+          if [ -z "$branches" ]; then
+            echo "No target branches specified in comment; nothing to label."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          for branch in $branches; do
+            label="backport ${branch}"
+            echo "Applying label: '${label}'"
+            # Create the label if it does not exist yet (idempotent).
+            gh label create "${label}" --repo "${REPO}" --color "0075ca" \
+              --description "Backport to ${branch}" 2>/dev/null || true
+            gh issue edit "${PR_NUMBER}" --repo "${REPO}" --add-label "${label}"
+          done
+
+  # ── Post-merge: create backport PRs ─────────────────────────────────────────
   backport:
     name: Backport pull request
     # Exclude comments from the backport-action bot (user id 97796249) to prevent
@@ -28,7 +112,8 @@ jobs:
           contains(toJSON(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name), '"backport ')
         ) || (
           github.event_name == 'issue_comment' &&
-          github.event.issue.pull_request &&
+          github.event.issue.pull_request != '' &&
+          github.event.issue.state == 'closed' &&
           github.event.comment.user.id != 97796249 &&
           contains(
             fromJSON('["OWNER", "MEMBER", "COLLABORATOR"]'),