diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs b/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs
index 45557aa5ec..d222aec6b3 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         {
             Logger.Log($"Creating full EF database backup at {backupFilename}", LoggingTarget.Database);
 
-            using (var source = storage.GetStream(DATABASE_NAME))
+            using (var source = storage.GetStream(DATABASE_NAME, mode: FileMode.Open))
             using (var destination = storage.GetStream(backupFilename, FileAccess.Write, FileMode.CreateNew))
                 source.CopyTo(destination);
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/EFToRealmMigrator.cs b/osu.Game/Database/EFToRealmMigrator.cs
index 4e98b7d3d2..2486071c01 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/EFToRealmMigrator.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/EFToRealmMigrator.cs
@@ -123,8 +123,28 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
 
         private void beginMigration()
         {
+            const string backup_folder = "backups";
+
+            string backupSuffix = $"before_final_migration_{DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToUnixTimeSeconds()}";
+
+            // required for initial backup.
+            var realmBlockOperations = realm.BlockAllOperations();
+
             Task.Factory.StartNew(() =>
             {
+                try
+                {
+                    realm.CreateBackup(Path.Combine(backup_folder, $"client.{backupSuffix}.realm"), realmBlockOperations);
+                }
+                finally
+                {
+                    // Above call will dispose of the blocking token when done.
+                    // Clean up here so we don't accidentally dispose twice.
+                    realmBlockOperations = null;
+                }
+
+                efContextFactory.CreateBackup(Path.Combine(backup_folder, $"client.{backupSuffix}.db"));
+
                 using (var ef = efContextFactory.Get())
                 {
                     realm.Write(r =>
@@ -182,7 +202,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
                                 true);
 
                             const string attachment_filename = "attach_me.zip";
-                            const string backup_folder = "backups";
 
                             var backupStorage = storage.GetStorageForDirectory(backup_folder);
 
@@ -209,6 +228,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
                 // If we were to not do this, the migration would run another time the next time the user starts the game.
                 deletePreRealmData();
 
+                // If something went wrong and the disposal token wasn't invoked above, ensure it is here.
+                realmBlockOperations?.Dispose();
+
                 migrationCompleted.SetResult(true);
                 efContextFactory.SetMigrationCompletion();
             });
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/RealmAccess.cs b/osu.Game/Database/RealmAccess.cs
index de7e3020c6..b144b70574 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/RealmAccess.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/RealmAccess.cs
@@ -750,9 +750,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         private string? getRulesetShortNameFromLegacyID(long rulesetId) =>
             efContextFactory?.Get().RulesetInfo.FirstOrDefault(r => r.ID == rulesetId)?.ShortName;
 
-        public void CreateBackup(string backupFilename)
+        public void CreateBackup(string backupFilename, IDisposable? blockAllOperations = null)
         {
-            using (BlockAllOperations())
+            using (blockAllOperations ?? BlockAllOperations())
             {
                 Logger.Log($"Creating full realm database backup at {backupFilename}", LoggingTarget.Database);
 
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
                 {
                     try
                     {
-                        using (var source = storage.GetStream(Filename))
+                        using (var source = storage.GetStream(Filename, mode: FileMode.Open))
                         using (var destination = storage.GetStream(backupFilename, FileAccess.Write, FileMode.CreateNew))
                             source.CopyTo(destination);
                         return;
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
index 5c8620fba4..4a249e8b44 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
@@ -235,28 +235,6 @@ namespace osu.Game
 
             Decoder.RegisterDependencies(RulesetStore);
 
-            // Backup is taken here rather than in EFToRealmMigrator to avoid recycling realm contexts
-            // after initial usages below. It can be moved once a direction is established for handling re-subscription.
-            // See https://github.com/ppy/osu/pull/16547 for more discussion.
-            if (EFContextFactory != null)
-            {
-                const string backup_folder = "backups";
-
-                string migration = $"before_final_migration_{DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToUnixTimeSeconds()}";
-
-                EFContextFactory.CreateBackup(Path.Combine(backup_folder, $"client.{migration}.db"));
-                realm.CreateBackup(Path.Combine(backup_folder, $"client.{migration}.realm"));
-
-                using (var source = Storage.GetStream("collection.db"))
-                {
-                    if (source != null)
-                    {
-                        using (var destination = Storage.CreateFileSafely(Path.Combine(backup_folder, $"collection.{migration}.db")))
-                            source.CopyTo(destination);
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-
             dependencies.CacheAs(Storage);
 
             var largeStore = new LargeTextureStore(Host.CreateTextureLoaderStore(new NamespacedResourceStore<byte[]>(Resources, @"Textures")));