diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/1360-skriss b/changelogs/unreleased/1360-skriss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..809c7bb329
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/1360-skriss
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+add `velero migrate-backups` command to migrate legacy Ark backups to Velero format in object storage
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cli/migratebackups/migrate_backups.go b/pkg/cmd/cli/migratebackups/migrate_backups.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6e25b9d1d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cli/migratebackups/migrate_backups.go
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+package migratebackups
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
+	"path"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+
+	v1 "github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/apis/velero/v1"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/client"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cloudprovider"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/persistence"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/plugin"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/util/encode"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/volume"
+)
+
+func NewCommand(f client.Factory) *cobra.Command {
+	var (
+		backupLocation   = "default"
+		snapshotLocation = ""
+	)
+
+	c := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "migrate-backups",
+		Short: "Rewrite metadata for backups created before v0.11 to match the current format in object storage",
+		Long: `
+The "velero migrate-backups" command rewrites metadata for backups created before v0.11 to match the current format in object storage. It
+does this by converting the ark-backup.json files to velero-backup.json files, and creating <backup name>-volumesnapshots.json.gz 
+files to replace the contents of backups' status.volumeBackups field.
+
+"velero migrate-backups" is *ONLY* appropriate for use if you're running velero v0.11.x on the server, and you've already followed the migration steps here:
+    https://heptio.github.io/velero/v0.11.0/migrating-to-velero.`,
+		Example: `  # rewrite any pre-v0.11 backups in the backup storage location named "default"
+  velero migrate-backups --backup-location default
+
+  # rewrite pre-v0.10 backups in the backup storage location named "default", and indicate that
+  # the volume snapshots associated with the backup are in the volume snapshot location named "foo"
+  velero migrate-backups --backup-location default --snapshot-location foo
+		`,
+		Run: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			log.Println("+ PREPARING")
+
+			log.Println("   + getting Velero API client")
+			client, err := f.Client()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   + error getting Velero API client! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Printf("   + getting backup storage location %q\n", backupLocation)
+			bsl, err := client.VeleroV1().BackupStorageLocations(f.Namespace()).Get(backupLocation, metav1.GetOptions{})
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   + error getting backup storage location! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Println("   + discovering plugins")
+			logger := logrus.StandardLogger()
+			logger.Out = ioutil.Discard
+			registry := plugin.NewRegistry("", logger, logrus.InfoLevel)
+			if err := registry.DiscoverPlugins(); err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   + error discovering plugins! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Println("   + creating plugin manager")
+			pluginManager := plugin.NewManager(logger, logrus.InfoLevel, registry)
+			defer pluginManager.CleanupClients()
+
+			log.Println("   + getting object store plugin")
+			objectStore, err := pluginManager.GetObjectStore(bsl.Spec.Provider)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   +error getting object store plugin! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Println("   + initializing object store plugin")
+			if err := objectStore.Init(bsl.Spec.Config); err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   +error initializing object store plugin! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Println("   + getting backup store")
+			backupStore, err := persistence.NewObjectBackupStore(bsl, pluginManager, logger)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   +error getting backup store! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Println("   + listing backups in backup store")
+			backupNames, err := backupStore.ListBackups()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("   + error listing backups! %v\n", err)
+			}
+
+			log.Println("+ PROCESSING BACKUPS")
+			var totalCount, currentCount, succeededCount int
+			for _, backupName := range backupNames {
+				totalCount++
+
+				log.Printf("   + processing backup %q\n", backupName)
+
+				log.Println("      + checking whether backup is in the current format")
+				current, err := isCurrent(backupName, objectStore, bsl)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Printf("      + error checking whether backup is in the current format! %v\n", err)
+					continue
+				}
+				if current {
+					currentCount++
+					log.Printf("      + backup is already in the current format!\n")
+					continue
+				}
+
+				log.Printf("      + starting migration of backup to current format\n")
+				if err := migrateBackup(backupName, backupStore, objectStore, bsl, snapshotLocation); err != nil {
+					log.Printf("      + error migrating backup! %v\n", err)
+					continue
+				}
+				succeededCount++
+				log.Printf("      + migration of backup complete!\n")
+			}
+			log.Printf("+ MIGRATION SUMMARY\n")
+			log.Printf("   + total backups processed:\t%d\n", totalCount)
+			log.Printf("   + already current backups:\t%d\n", currentCount)
+			log.Printf("   + successful migrations:\t\t%d\n", succeededCount)
+			log.Printf("   + failed migrations:\t\t%d\n", totalCount-currentCount-succeededCount)
+		},
+	}
+
+	c.Flags().StringVar(&backupLocation, "backup-location", backupLocation, "backup storage location to process migration for")
+	c.Flags().StringVar(&snapshotLocation, "snapshot-location", snapshotLocation, "volume snapshot location to assign volume snapshots to (if found in backup.status.volumeBackups)")
+
+	return c
+}
+
+func isCurrent(backupName string, objectStore cloudprovider.ObjectStore, bsl *v1.BackupStorageLocation) (bool, error) {
+	prefix := path.Join(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Prefix, "backups", backupName) + "/"
+	keys, err := objectStore.ListObjects(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Bucket, prefix)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "error listing objects in bucket %q under prefix %q", bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Bucket, prefix)
+	}
+
+	currentMetadataKey := prefix + "velero-backup.json"
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		if key == currentMetadataKey {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+func migrateBackup(
+	backupName string,
+	backupStore persistence.BackupStore,
+	objectStore cloudprovider.ObjectStore,
+	bsl *v1.BackupStorageLocation,
+	vslName string,
+) error {
+	log.Printf("      + getting ark-backup.json metadata file from object storage\n")
+	backup, err := backupStore.GetBackupMetadata(backupName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error getting backup metadata file from object storage")
+	}
+
+	var volumeSnapshots []*volume.Snapshot
+	log.Printf("      + processing backup.status.volumeBackups\n")
+	for pvName, snapshotInfo := range backup.Status.VolumeBackups {
+		log.Printf("         + processing backup.status.volumeBackups[%s]\n", pvName)
+		volumeSnapshot := &volume.Snapshot{
+			Spec: volume.SnapshotSpec{
+				BackupName:           backupName,
+				BackupUID:            string(backup.UID),
+				Location:             vslName,
+				PersistentVolumeName: pvName,
+				VolumeType:           snapshotInfo.Type,
+				VolumeAZ:             snapshotInfo.AvailabilityZone,
+				VolumeIOPS:           snapshotInfo.Iops,
+			},
+			Status: volume.SnapshotStatus{
+				ProviderSnapshotID: snapshotInfo.SnapshotID,
+				Phase:              volume.SnapshotPhaseCompleted,
+			},
+		}
+
+		volumeSnapshots = append(volumeSnapshots, volumeSnapshot)
+	}
+
+	backup.Status.VolumeSnapshotsAttempted = len(volumeSnapshots)
+	backup.Status.VolumeSnapshotsCompleted = len(volumeSnapshots)
+
+	backup.Status.VolumeBackups = nil
+
+	log.Printf("      + encoding volume snapshots as %s-volumesnapshots.json.gz\n", backupName)
+	volumeSnapshotsReader, err := encodeVolumeSnapshots(volumeSnapshots)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error writing volume snapshots to gzipped JSON file")
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("      + uploading %s-volumesnapshots.json.gz to object storage\n", backupName)
+	volumeSnapshotsKey := path.Join(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Prefix, "backups", backupName, backupName+"-volumesnapshots.json.gz")
+	if err := objectStore.PutObject(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Bucket, volumeSnapshotsKey, volumeSnapshotsReader); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error uploading volumesnapshots.json.gz file to object storage")
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("      + encoding backup metadata to velero-backup.json\n")
+	backupMetadataReader, err := encodeBackup(backup)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error encoding backup metadata to JSON")
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("      + uploading velero-backup.json to object storage\n")
+	backupMetadataKey := path.Join(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Prefix, "backups", backup.Name, "velero-backup.json")
+	if err := objectStore.PutObject(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Bucket, backupMetadataKey, backupMetadataReader); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error uploading velero-backup.json file to object storage")
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("      + deleting ark-backup.json from object storage\n")
+	legacyMetadataKey := path.Join(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Prefix, "backups", backup.Name, "ark-backup.json")
+	if err := objectStore.DeleteObject(bsl.Spec.ObjectStorage.Bucket, legacyMetadataKey); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error deleting ark-backup.json file from object storage")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func encodeVolumeSnapshots(volumeSnapshots []*volume.Snapshot) (io.Reader, error) {
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	gzw := gzip.NewWriter(buf)
+	defer gzw.Close()
+
+	if err := json.NewEncoder(gzw).Encode(volumeSnapshots); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if err := gzw.Close(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return buf, nil
+}
+
+func encodeBackup(backup *v1.Backup) (io.Reader, error) {
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+
+	if err := encode.EncodeTo(backup, "json", buf); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return buf, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/velero/velero.go b/pkg/cmd/velero/velero.go
index 1135da47f0..8d2f93e6b2 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/velero/velero.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/velero/velero.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/delete"
 	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/describe"
 	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/get"
+	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/migratebackups"
 	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/plugin"
 	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/restic"
 	"github.com/heptio/velero/pkg/cmd/cli/restore"
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ operations can also be performed as 'velero backup get' and 'velero schedule cre
 		bug.NewCommand(),
 		backuplocation.NewCommand(f),
 		snapshotlocation.NewCommand(f),
+		migratebackups.NewCommand(f),
 	)
 
 	// add the glog flags