diff --git a/src/Backuper.php b/src/Backuper.php
index 573ad10..44da46e 100644
--- a/src/Backuper.php
+++ b/src/Backuper.php
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ public function backup(): BackupDto
                 $zipper->encrypt($password);
             }
 
+            $zipper->addMeta('created_at', now()->toIso8601String());
+
+            $zipMeta = $this->resolveMetaFromZip($zipper);
+
             $zipper->close();
 
             $backup = $this->repository->add($temp_zip_path);
@@ -51,10 +55,8 @@ public function backup(): BackupDto
                 $metadata->setCreatedBy($user);
             }
 
-            $zipper->getMeta()->each(function ($meta, $key) use ($metadata) {
-                if (isset($meta['skipped'])) {
-                    $metadata->addSkippedPipe($key, $meta['skipped']);
-                }
+            $zipMeta->each(fn ($meta, $key) => match ($key) {
+                'skipped' => $meta->each(fn (string $reason, string $pipe) => $metadata->addSkippedPipe($pipe, $reason)),
             });
 
             event(new BackupCreated($backup));
@@ -75,6 +77,21 @@ public function backup(): BackupDto
         }
     }
 
+    private function resolveMetaFromZip(Zipper $zip)
+    {
+        $metadata = collect([
+            'skipped' => collect(),
+        ]);
+
+        $zip->getMeta()->each(function ($meta, $key) use ($metadata) {
+            if (isset($meta['skipped'])) {
+                $metadata->get('skipped')->put($key, $meta['skipped']);
+            }
+        });
+
+        return $metadata;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Remove oldest backups when max backups is exceeded if it's present.
      */
diff --git a/src/Contracts/Repositories/BackupRepository.php b/src/Contracts/Repositories/BackupRepository.php
index 3a707f6..b3aea29 100644
--- a/src/Contracts/Repositories/BackupRepository.php
+++ b/src/Contracts/Repositories/BackupRepository.php
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ interface BackupRepository
 {
     /**
      * Get all backups.
+     *
+     * @return Collection<BackupDto>
      */
     public function all(): Collection;
 
diff --git a/src/Http/Resources/MetadataResource.php b/src/Http/Resources/MetadataResource.php
index ebfce37..a7de5d8 100644
--- a/src/Http/Resources/MetadataResource.php
+++ b/src/Http/Resources/MetadataResource.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 namespace Itiden\Backup\Http\Resources;
 
 use Illuminate\Http\Resources\Json\JsonResource;
+use Itiden\Backup\DataTransferObjects\SkippedPipeDto;
 
 /**
  * @mixin \Itiden\Backup\Models\Metadata
@@ -17,7 +18,10 @@ public function toArray($request)
             'created_by' => $this->getCreatedBy(),
             'downloads' => $this->getDownloads(),
             'restores' => $this->getRestores(),
-            'skipped_pipes' => $this->getSkippedPipes(),
+            'skipped_pipes' => $this->getSkippedPipes()->map(fn (SkippedPipeDto $pipe) => [
+                'pipe' => $pipe->pipe::getKey(),
+                'reason' => $pipe->reason,
+            ]),
         ];
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Support/Zipper.php b/src/Support/Zipper.php
index a7ea281..e1ac854 100644
--- a/src/Support/Zipper.php
+++ b/src/Support/Zipper.php
@@ -110,10 +110,16 @@ public function getArchive(): ZipArchive
     /**
      * Add some data so that it can be extracted later.
      */
-    public function addMeta(string $key, array $meta): self
+    public function addMeta(string $key, array|string $meta): self
     {
-        $current = $this->meta[$key] ?? [];
-        $this->meta[$key] = array_merge($current, $meta);
+        if (is_array($meta)) {
+            $current = $this->meta[$key] ?? [];
+            $this->meta[$key] = array_merge($current, $meta);
+        } else {
+            $this->meta[$key] = $meta;
+        }
+
+        $this->zip->setArchiveComment(comment: json_encode($this->meta));
 
         return $this;
     }
@@ -125,6 +131,10 @@ public function addMeta(string $key, array $meta): self
      */
     public function getMeta(): Collection
     {
+        if ($comment = $this->zip->getArchiveComment()) {
+            $this->meta = json_decode($comment, true);
+        }
+
         return collect($this->meta);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Unit/PipeTest.php b/tests/Unit/PipeTest.php
index bdbc49a..791ba98 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/PipeTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/PipeTest.php
@@ -57,8 +57,9 @@
 
     $pipe->backup(zip: $zipper, next: $callable);
 
-    $zipper->close();
 
     expect($zipper->getMeta())->toHaveKey(Users::class);
     expect($zipper->getMeta()[Users::class])->toHaveKey('skipped', 'No users found.');
+
+    $zipper->close();
 });
diff --git a/tests/Unit/ZipperTest.php b/tests/Unit/ZipperTest.php
index 0832d82..b6c8e19 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/ZipperTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/ZipperTest.php
@@ -121,3 +121,19 @@
     expect(File::allFiles($unzip)[0]->getRelativePathname())->toBe("test.txt");
     expect(File::get($unzip . '/test.txt'))->toBe('test');
 });
+
+it('can write meta to zip', function () {
+    $target = storage_path('test.zip');
+
+    Zipper::open($target)
+        ->addFromString('test.txt', 'test')
+        ->addMeta('test', 'test')
+        ->close();
+
+    $zip = Zipper::open($target, true);
+
+    expect($zip->getMeta())->toHaveKey('test');
+    expect($zip->getMeta())->get('test')->toBe('test');
+
+    $zip->close();
+});