diff --git a/src/restic/backend/id.go b/src/restic/backend/id.go
index 6c7bc5321..115792707 100644
--- a/src/restic/backend/id.go
+++ b/src/restic/backend/id.go
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ func (id ID) String() string {
 const shortStr = 4
 
 // Str returns the shortened string version of id.
-func (id ID) Str() string {
+func (id *ID) Str() string {
+	if id == nil {
+		return "[nil]"
+	}
+
 	if id.IsNull() {
 		return "[null]"
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go b/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go
index ed84a5a37..d46a1554b 100644
--- a/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go
@@ -8,4 +8,9 @@ func TestIDMethods(t *testing.T) {
 	if id.Str() != "[null]" {
 		t.Errorf("ID.Str() returned wrong value, want %v, got %v", "[null]", id.Str())
 	}
+
+	var pid *ID
+	if pid.Str() != "[nil]" {
+		t.Errorf("ID.Str() returned wrong value, want %v, got %v", "[nil]", pid.Str())
+	}
 }