diff --git a/course/lib.php b/course/lib.php
index a999eb4dc60..503feda192e 100644
--- a/course/lib.php
+++ b/course/lib.php
@@ -3213,8 +3213,8 @@ function make_editing_buttons(stdClass $mod, $absolute_ignored = true, $movesele
         );
     }
 
-    // Duplicate (require both target import caps to be able to duplicate, see modduplicate.php)
-    if (has_all_capabilities($dupecaps, $coursecontext)) {
+    // Duplicate (require both target import caps to be able to duplicate and backup2 support, see modduplicate.php)
+    if (has_all_capabilities($dupecaps, $coursecontext) && plugin_supports('mod', $mod->modname, FEATURE_BACKUP_MOODLE2)) {
         $actions[] = new action_link(
             new moodle_url($baseurl, array('duplicate' => $mod->id)),
             new pix_icon('t/copy', $str->duplicate, 'moodle', array('class' => 'iconsmall')),
diff --git a/course/modduplicate.php b/course/modduplicate.php
index a9006b11ad3..44dbe76a291 100644
--- a/course/modduplicate.php
+++ b/course/modduplicate.php
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ $PAGE->set_pagelayout('incourse');
 
 $output = $PAGE->get_renderer('core', 'backup');
 
+$a          = new stdClass();
+$a->modtype = get_string('modulename', $cm->modname);
+$a->modname = format_string($cm->name);
+
+if (!plugin_supports('mod', $cm->modname, FEATURE_BACKUP_MOODLE2)) {
+    $url = new moodle_url('/course/view.php#section-' . $cm->sectionnum, array('id' => $course->id));
+    print_error('duplicatenosupport', 'core', $url, $a);
+}
+
 // backup the activity
 
 $bc = new backup_controller(backup::TYPE_1ACTIVITY, $cm->id, backup::FORMAT_MOODLE,
@@ -117,10 +126,6 @@ if (empty($CFG->keeptempdirectoriesonbackup)) {
     fulldelete($backupbasepath);
 }
 
-$a          = new stdClass();
-$a->modtype = get_string('modulename', $cm->modname);
-$a->modname = format_string($cm->name);
-
 echo $output->header();
 
 if ($newcmid) {
diff --git a/lang/en/moodle.php b/lang/en/moodle.php
index 1c20e8ae342..cf5abc8834a 100644
--- a/lang/en/moodle.php
+++ b/lang/en/moodle.php
@@ -465,6 +465,7 @@ $string['duplicate'] = 'Duplicate';
 $string['duplicateconfirm'] = 'Are you sure you want to duplicate {$a->modtype} \'{$a->modname}\' ?';
 $string['duplicatecontcourse'] = 'Return to the course';
 $string['duplicatecontedit'] = 'Edit the new copy';
+$string['duplicatenosupport'] = '\'{$a->modname}\' activity could not be duplicated because the {$a->modtype} module does not support backup and restore.';
 $string['duplicatesuccess'] = '{$a->modtype} \'{$a->modname}\' has been duplicated successfully';
 $string['duplicatinga'] = 'Duplicating: {$a}';
 $string['edhelpaspellpath'] = 'To use spell-checking within the editor, you MUST have <strong>aspell 0.50</strong> or later installed on your server, and you must specify the correct path to access the aspell binary.  On Unix/Linux systems, this path is usually <strong>/usr/bin/aspell</strong>, but it might be something else.';