diff --git a/src/karapace/backup/cli.py b/src/karapace/backup/cli.py
index 47c9290ec..cc01c5130 100644
--- a/src/karapace/backup/cli.py
+++ b/src/karapace/backup/cli.py
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
 from aiokafka.errors import BrokerResponseError
 from collections.abc import Iterator
 from karapace.backup.api import VerifyLevel
-from karapace.config import Config, read_env_file
+from karapace.config import Config
+from pydantic_settings import BaseSettings, JsonConfigSettingsSource, PydanticBaseSettingsSource
+from typing import Type
 
 import argparse
 import contextlib
@@ -90,7 +92,37 @@ def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
 
 
 def get_config(args: argparse.Namespace) -> Config:
-    return read_env_file(args.config)
+    """Returns config for Backup tool
+
+    Karapace uses environment variables, but Backup Tool still relies on the JSON
+    configuration file.
+    """
+
+    class BackupCLIConfig(Config):
+        @classmethod
+        def settings_customise_sources(
+            cls,
+            settings_cls: Type[BaseSettings],
+            init_settings: PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+            env_settings: PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+            dotenv_settings: PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+            file_secret_settings: PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+        ) -> tuple[
+            JsonConfigSettingsSource,
+            PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+            PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+            PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+            PydanticBaseSettingsSource,
+        ]:
+            return (
+                JsonConfigSettingsSource(settings_cls=settings_cls, json_file=args.config),
+                init_settings,
+                env_settings,
+                dotenv_settings,
+                file_secret_settings,
+            )
+
+    return BackupCLIConfig()
 
 
 def dispatch(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/integration/backup/test_v3_backup.py b/tests/integration/backup/test_v3_backup.py
index 0bf4b53cf..df689c5e0 100644
--- a/tests/integration/backup/test_v3_backup.py
+++ b/tests/integration/backup/test_v3_backup.py
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ def config_file_fixture(
     file_path = directory_path / "config.json"
     try:
         file_path.write_text(
-            f"""\
-            BOOTSTRAP_URI={kafka_servers.bootstrap_servers[0]}
-            TOPIC_NAME={registry_cluster.schemas_topic}
-            """
+            json.dumps({"bootstrap_uri": kafka_servers.bootstrap_servers[0], "topic_name": registry_cluster.schemas_topic})
         )
         yield file_path
     finally: