diff --git a/src/restic/options/options.go b/src/restic/options/options.go
index 0c620c8a3..49d3fd309 100644
--- a/src/restic/options/options.go
+++ b/src/restic/options/options.go
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package options
 
 import (
+	"reflect"
 	"restic/errors"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // Options holds options in the form key=value.
@@ -64,3 +67,59 @@ func (o Options) Extract(ns string) Options {
 
 	return opts
 }
+
+// Apply sets the options on dst via reflection, using the struct tag `option`.
+func (o Options) Apply(dst interface{}) error {
+	v := reflect.ValueOf(dst).Elem()
+
+	fields := make(map[string]reflect.StructField)
+
+	for i := 0; i < v.NumField(); i++ {
+		f := v.Type().Field(i)
+		tag := f.Tag.Get("option")
+
+		if tag == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if _, ok := fields[tag]; ok {
+			panic("option tag " + tag + " is not unique in " + v.Type().Name())
+		}
+
+		fields[tag] = f
+	}
+
+	for key, value := range o {
+		field, ok := fields[key]
+		if !ok {
+			return errors.Fatalf("option %v is not known", key)
+		}
+
+		i := field.Index[0]
+		switch v.Type().Field(i).Type.Name() {
+		case "string":
+			v.Field(i).SetString(value)
+
+		case "int":
+			vi, err := strconv.ParseInt(value, 0, 32)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			v.Field(i).SetInt(vi)
+
+		case "Duration":
+			d, err := time.ParseDuration(value)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			v.Field(i).SetInt(int64(d))
+
+		default:
+			panic("type " + v.Type().Field(i).Type.Name() + " not handled")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/restic/options/options_test.go b/src/restic/options/options_test.go
index 2717bc9c3..5a255591c 100644
--- a/src/restic/options/options_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/options/options_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var optsTests = []struct {
@@ -117,3 +118,99 @@ func TestOptionsExtract(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// Target is used for Apply() tests
+type Target struct {
+	Name    string        `option:"name"`
+	ID      int           `option:"id"`
+	Timeout time.Duration `option:"timeout"`
+	Other   string
+}
+
+var setTests = []struct {
+	input  Options
+	output Target
+}{
+	{
+		Options{
+			"name": "foobar",
+		},
+		Target{
+			Name: "foobar",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		Options{
+			"name": "foobar",
+			"id":   "1234",
+		},
+		Target{
+			Name: "foobar",
+			ID:   1234,
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		Options{
+			"timeout": "10m3s",
+		},
+		Target{
+			Timeout: time.Duration(10*time.Minute + 3*time.Second),
+		},
+	},
+}
+
+func TestOptionsApply(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range setTests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("test-%d", i), func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dst Target
+			err := test.input.Apply(&dst)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			if dst != test.output {
+				t.Fatalf("wrong result, want:\n  %#v\ngot:\n  %#v", test.output, dst)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+var invalidSetTests = []struct {
+	input Options
+	err   string
+}{
+	{
+		Options{
+			"first_name": "foobar",
+		},
+		"option first_name is not known",
+	},
+	{
+		Options{
+			"id": "foobar",
+		},
+		`strconv.ParseInt: parsing "foobar": invalid syntax`,
+	},
+	{
+		Options{
+			"timeout": "2134",
+		},
+		`time: missing unit in duration 2134`,
+	},
+}
+
+func TestOptionsApplyInvalid(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range invalidSetTests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("test-%d", i), func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dst Target
+			err := test.input.Apply(&dst)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("expected error %v not found", test.err)
+			}
+
+			if err.Error() != test.err {
+				t.Fatalf("expected error %q, got %q", test.err, err.Error())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}