diff --git a/plugins/README.md b/plugins/README.md
index 79abca15..f04d4a07 100644
--- a/plugins/README.md
+++ b/plugins/README.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #### Installing plugins
 
-Download the `getplugs` plugin and execute it anywhere to get all the plugins installed to `~/.config/nnn/plugins`. You can run it again later to update the plugins.
+Download the `getplugs` plugin and execute it anywhere to get all the plugins installed to `~/.config/nnn/plugins`. You can run it again later to update the plugins. It backs up earlier plugins.
 
 **NOTE:** `getplugs` also downloads the launcher `nlaunch` and tries to place it at `/usr/local/bin/` using `sudo`. If it fails you have to place `nlauch` manually somewhere in your `$PATH`.
 
diff --git a/plugins/getplugs b/plugins/getplugs
index 14184c37..a42bab16 100755
--- a/plugins/getplugs
+++ b/plugins/getplugs
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 # Shell: POSIX compliant
 # Author: Arun Prakash Jana
 
+# backup any earlier plugins
+if [ -d ~/.config/nnn/plugins ]; then
+    tar -C ~/.config/nnn/ -cf ~/.config/nnn/"plugins-$(date '+%Y%m%d%H%M').tar.bz2" plugins/
+fi
+
 mkdir -p ~/.config/nnn/plugins
 cd ~/.config/nnn/plugins
 wget -nv --show-progress https://github.com/jarun/nnn/archive/master.tar.gz