diff --git a/repository/index.go b/repository/index.go
index b53de02dd..0611ced6b 100644
--- a/repository/index.go
+++ b/repository/index.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package repository
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"sync"
@@ -43,7 +44,8 @@ func (idx *Index) store(t pack.BlobType, id backend.ID, pack *backend.ID, offset
 	}
 }
 
-// Store remembers the id and pack in the index.
+// Store remembers the id and pack in the index. An existing entry will be
+// silently overwritten.
 func (idx *Index) Store(t pack.BlobType, id backend.ID, pack *backend.ID, offset, length uint) {
 	idx.m.Lock()
 	defer idx.m.Unlock()
@@ -54,6 +56,26 @@ func (idx *Index) Store(t pack.BlobType, id backend.ID, pack *backend.ID, offset
 	idx.store(t, id, pack, offset, length, false)
 }
 
+// StoreInProgress adds a preliminary index entry for a blob that is about to be
+// saved. The entry must be updated using Store once the the blob has been
+// written to a pack. Adding an preliminary index fails if there's an existing
+// entry associated with the same id.
+func (idx *Index) StoreInProgress(t pack.BlobType, id backend.ID) error {
+	idx.m.Lock()
+	defer idx.m.Unlock()
+
+	if _, hasID := idx.pack[id]; hasID {
+		errorMsg := fmt.Sprintf("index already contains id %v (%v)", id.Str(), t)
+		debug.Log("Index.StoreInProgress", errorMsg)
+		return errors.New(errorMsg)
+	}
+
+	idx.store(t, id, nil, 0, 0, false)
+	debug.Log("Index.StoreInProgress", "preliminary entry added for id %v (%v)",
+		id.Str(), t)
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Remove removes the pack ID from the index.
 func (idx *Index) Remove(packID backend.ID) {
 	idx.m.Lock()
diff --git a/repository/index_test.go b/repository/index_test.go
index f30f7beab..668acebb9 100644
--- a/repository/index_test.go
+++ b/repository/index_test.go
@@ -223,3 +223,68 @@ func TestIndexUnserialize(t *testing.T) {
 		Equals(t, test.length, length)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestStoreOverwritesPreliminaryEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	idx := repository.NewIndex()
+
+	blobID := randomID()
+	dataType := pack.Data
+	idx.StoreInProgress(dataType, blobID)
+
+	packID := randomID()
+	offset := uint(0)
+	length := uint(100)
+	idx.Store(dataType, blobID, &packID, offset, length)
+
+	actPackID, actType, actOffset, actLength, err := idx.Lookup(blobID)
+	OK(t, err)
+	Equals(t, packID, *actPackID)
+	Equals(t, dataType, actType)
+	Equals(t, offset, actOffset)
+	Equals(t, length, actLength)
+}
+
+func TestStoreInProgressAddsPreliminaryEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	idx := repository.NewIndex()
+
+	blobID := randomID()
+	dataType := pack.Data
+
+	err := idx.StoreInProgress(dataType, blobID)
+	OK(t, err)
+
+	actPackID, actType, actOffset, actLength, err := idx.Lookup(blobID)
+	OK(t, err)
+	Assert(t, actPackID == nil,
+		"Preliminary index entry illegaly associated with a pack id.")
+	Equals(t, uint(0), actOffset)
+	Equals(t, uint(0), actLength)
+	Equals(t, dataType, actType)
+}
+
+func TestStoreInProgressRefusesToOverwriteExistingFinalEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	idx := repository.NewIndex()
+
+	blobID := randomID()
+	dataType := pack.Data
+	packID := randomID()
+	offset := uint(0)
+	length := uint(100)
+	idx.Store(dataType, blobID, &packID, offset, length)
+
+	err := idx.StoreInProgress(dataType, blobID)
+	Assert(t, err != nil,
+		"index.StoreInProgress did not refuse to overwrite existing entry")
+}
+
+func TestStoreInProgressRefusesToOverwriteExistingPreliminaryEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	idx := repository.NewIndex()
+
+	blobID := randomID()
+	dataType := pack.Data
+
+	_ = idx.StoreInProgress(dataType, blobID)
+	err := idx.StoreInProgress(dataType, blobID)
+	Assert(t, err != nil,
+		"index.StoreInProgress did not refuse to overwrite existing entry")
+}
diff --git a/repository/repository.go b/repository/repository.go
index 0a4630cfa..c6900f43f 100644
--- a/repository/repository.go
+++ b/repository/repository.go
@@ -303,20 +303,31 @@ func (r *Repository) SaveAndEncrypt(t pack.BlobType, data []byte, id *backend.ID
 		return backend.ID{}, err
 	}
 
+	// add this id to the index, although we don't know yet in which pack it
+	// will be saved; the entry will be updated when the pack is written.
+	// Note: the current id needs to be added to the index before searching
+	// for a suitable packer: There's a little chance that more than one
+	// goroutine handles the same blob concurrently. Due to idx.StoreInProgress
+	// locking the index and raising an error if a matching index entry
+	// already exists, updating the index first ensures that only one of
+	// those goroutines will continue. See issue restic#292.
+	debug.Log("Repo.Save", "saving stub for %v (%v) in index", id.Str, t)
+	err = r.idx.StoreInProgress(t, *id)
+	if err != nil {
+		debug.Log("Repo.Save", "another goroutine is already working on %v (%v) does already exist", id.Str, t)
+		return backend.ID{}, nil
+	}
+
 	// find suitable packer and add blob
 	packer, err := r.findPacker(uint(len(ciphertext)))
 	if err != nil {
+		r.idx.Remove(*id)
 		return backend.ID{}, err
 	}
 
 	// save ciphertext
 	packer.Add(t, *id, bytes.NewReader(ciphertext))
 
-	// add this id to the index, although we don't know yet in which pack it
-	// will be saved, the entry will be updated when the pack is written.
-	r.idx.Store(t, *id, nil, 0, 0)
-	debug.Log("Repo.Save", "saving stub for %v (%v) in index", id.Str, t)
-
 	// if the pack is not full enough and there are less than maxPackers
 	// packers, put back to the list
 	if packer.Size() < minPackSize && r.countPacker() < maxPackers {