diff --git a/pkg/controller/restic_repository_controller.go b/pkg/controller/restic_repository_controller.go
index 9f550c8fa..f72ce76e0 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/restic_repository_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/restic_repository_controller.go
@@ -162,10 +162,10 @@ func (c *resticRepositoryController) initializeRepo(req *v1.ResticRepository, lo
 	})
 }
 
-// ensureRepo first checks the repo, and returns if check passes. If it fails,
-// attempts to init the repo, and returns the result.
+// ensureRepo first tries to connect to the repo, and returns if it succeeds. If it fails,
+// it attempts to init the repo, and returns the result.
 func ensureRepo(repo *v1.ResticRepository, repoManager restic.RepositoryManager) error {
-	if repoManager.CheckRepo(repo) == nil {
+	if repoManager.ConnectToRepo(repo) == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/restic/command_factory.go b/pkg/restic/command_factory.go
index 591d6f9d3..4d1a993d1 100644
--- a/pkg/restic/command_factory.go
+++ b/pkg/restic/command_factory.go
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@ func InitCommand(repoIdentifier string) *Command {
 	}
 }
 
+func StatsCommand(repoIdentifier string) *Command {
+	return &Command{
+		Command:        "stats",
+		RepoIdentifier: repoIdentifier,
+	}
+}
+
 func CheckCommand(repoIdentifier string) *Command {
 	return &Command{
 		Command:        "check",
diff --git a/pkg/restic/command_factory_test.go b/pkg/restic/command_factory_test.go
index 5e2714038..636ddf849 100644
--- a/pkg/restic/command_factory_test.go
+++ b/pkg/restic/command_factory_test.go
@@ -96,6 +96,13 @@ func TestInitCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "repo-id", c.RepoIdentifier)
 }
 
+func TestStatsCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	c := StatsCommand("repo-id")
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "stats", c.Command)
+	assert.Equal(t, "repo-id", c.RepoIdentifier)
+}
+
 func TestCheckCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	c := CheckCommand("repo-id")
 
diff --git a/pkg/restic/repository_manager.go b/pkg/restic/repository_manager.go
index 65e307d68..d1dc6a785 100644
--- a/pkg/restic/repository_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/restic/repository_manager.go
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ type RepositoryManager interface {
 	// InitRepo initializes a repo with the specified name and identifier.
 	InitRepo(repo *arkv1api.ResticRepository) error
 
+	// ConnectToRepo runs the 'restic stats' command against the
+	// specified repo, and returns an error if it fails. This is
+	// intended to be used to ensure that the repo exists/can be
+	// authenticated to.
+	ConnectToRepo(repo *arkv1api.ResticRepository) error
+
 	// CheckRepo checks the specified repo for errors.
 	CheckRepo(repo *arkv1api.ResticRepository) error
 
@@ -170,6 +176,14 @@ func (rm *repositoryManager) InitRepo(repo *arkv1api.ResticRepository) error {
 	return rm.exec(InitCommand(repo.Spec.ResticIdentifier), repo.Spec.BackupStorageLocation)
 }
 
+func (rm *repositoryManager) ConnectToRepo(repo *arkv1api.ResticRepository) error {
+	// restic stats requires a non-exclusive lock
+	rm.repoLocker.Lock(repo.Name)
+	defer rm.repoLocker.Unlock(repo.Name)
+
+	return rm.exec(StatsCommand(repo.Spec.ResticIdentifier), repo.Spec.BackupStorageLocation)
+}
+
 func (rm *repositoryManager) CheckRepo(repo *arkv1api.ResticRepository) error {
 	// restic check requires an exclusive lock
 	rm.repoLocker.LockExclusive(repo.Name)