diff --git a/src/restic/backend/id.go b/src/restic/backend/id.go
index 115792707..6c7bc5321 100644
--- a/src/restic/backend/id.go
+++ b/src/restic/backend/id.go
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@ func (id ID) String() string {
 const shortStr = 4
 
 // Str returns the shortened string version of id.
-func (id *ID) Str() string {
-	if id == nil {
-		return "[nil]"
-	}
-
+func (id ID) Str() string {
 	if id.IsNull() {
 		return "[null]"
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go b/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go
index d46a1554b..ed84a5a37 100644
--- a/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/backend/id_int_test.go
@@ -8,9 +8,4 @@ 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())
-	}
 }