diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_activity_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_activity_task.class.php
index daac34afda7..d8e1d99c4b5 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_activity_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_activity_task.class.php
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ abstract class backup_activity_task extends backup_task {
      */
     public function build() {
 
+        // If we have decided not to backup activities, prevent anything to be built
+        if (!$this->get_setting_value('activities')) {
+            $this->built = true;
+            return;
+        }
+
         // Add some extra settings that related processors are going to need
         $this->add_setting(new backup_activity_generic_setting(backup::VAR_MODID, base_setting::IS_INTEGER, $this->moduleid));
         $this->add_setting(new backup_activity_generic_setting(backup::VAR_COURSEID, base_setting::IS_INTEGER, $this->get_courseid()));
@@ -213,17 +219,31 @@ abstract class backup_activity_task extends backup_task {
 
         // Define activity_include (to decide if the whole task must be really executed)
         $settingname = $settingprefix . 'included';
-        $activity_userinfo = new backup_activity_generic_setting($settingname, base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
-        $this->add_setting($activity_userinfo);
+        $activity_included = new backup_activity_generic_setting($settingname, base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
+        $this->add_setting($activity_included);
+        // Look for "activities" root setting
+        $activities = $this->plan->get_setting('activities');
+        $activities->add_dependency($activity_included);
+        // Look for "section_included" section setting (if exists)
+        $settingname = 'section_' . $this->sectionid . '_included';
+        if ($this->plan->setting_exists($settingname)) {
+            $section_included = $this->plan->get_setting($settingname);
+            $section_included->add_dependency($activity_included);
+        }
 
         // Define activity_userinfo (dependent of root users setting)
         $settingname = $settingprefix . 'userinfo';
-        $settingname = $this->modulename . '_' . $this->moduleid . '_userinfo';
         $activity_userinfo = new backup_activity_userinfo_setting($settingname, base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
         $this->add_setting($activity_userinfo);
         // Look for "users" root setting
         $users = $this->plan->get_setting('users');
         $users->add_dependency($activity_userinfo);
+        // Look for "section_userinfo" section setting (if exists)
+        $settingname = 'section_' . $this->sectionid . '_userinfo';
+        if ($this->plan->setting_exists($settingname)) {
+            $section_userinfo = $this->plan->get_setting($settingname);
+            $section_userinfo->add_dependency($activity_userinfo);
+        }
 
         // End of common activity settings, let's add the particular ones
         $this->define_my_settings();
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php
index 6cd5a7b1195..a73397905bf 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ class backup_root_task extends backup_task {
         $this->add_setting($userfiles);
         $users->add_dependency($userfiles);
 
+        // Define activitites
+        $activities = new backup_activities_setting('activities', base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
+        $this->add_setting($activities);
+
         // Define blocks
         $blocks = new backup_generic_setting('blocks', base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
         $this->add_setting($blocks);
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_section_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_section_task.class.php
index 6ec9e855901..2a9353d3fd7 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_section_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_section_task.class.php
@@ -96,7 +96,22 @@ class backup_section_task extends backup_task {
      */
     protected function define_settings() {
 
-        // Nothing to add, sections doesn't have common settings (for now)
+        // All the settings related to this activity will include this prefix
+        $settingprefix = 'section_' . $this->sectionid . '_';
 
+        // All these are common settings to be shared by all sections
+
+        // Define section_included (to decide if the whole task must be really executed)
+        $settingname = $settingprefix . 'included';
+        $section_included = new backup_section_included_setting($settingname, base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
+        $this->add_setting($section_included);
+
+        // Define section_userinfo (dependent of root users setting)
+        $settingname = $settingprefix . 'userinfo';
+        $section_userinfo = new backup_section_userinfo_setting($settingname, base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
+        $this->add_setting($section_userinfo);
+        // Look for "users" root setting
+        $users = $this->plan->get_setting('users');
+        $users->add_dependency($section_userinfo);
     }
 }
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php
index 20dc0cd0236..8b48c0cba97 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ class backup_filename_setting extends backup_generic_setting {
 class backup_users_setting extends backup_generic_setting {
 }
 
+/**
+ * root setting to control if backup will include activities or no.
+ * A lot of other settings (_included at activity levels)
+ * are dependent of this setting
+ */
+class backup_activities_setting extends backup_generic_setting {
+}
+
 /**
  * root setting to control if backup will generate anonymized
  * user info or no, depends of @backup_users_setting so only is
@@ -124,25 +132,34 @@ class backup_userscompletion_setting extends backup_anonymize_setting {
     // Nothing to do. All the logic is in backup_anonymize_setting
 }
 
-
-// Activity backup settings
+// Section backup settings
 
 /**
- * generic activity setting to pass various settings between tasks and steps
+ * generic section setting to pass various settings between tasks and steps
  */
-class backup_activity_generic_setting extends activity_backup_setting {
+class backup_section_generic_setting extends section_backup_setting {
     public function process_change($setting, $ctype, $oldv) {
         // Nothing to do, no dependencies
     }
 }
 
 /**
- * activity backup setting to control if activity will include
+ * Setting to define if one section is included or no. Activities _included
+ * settings depend of them if available
+ */
+class backup_section_included_setting extends section_backup_setting {
+    public function process_change($setting, $ctype, $oldv) {
+        // Nothing to do, no dependencies
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * section backup setting to control if section will include
  * user information or no, depends of @backup_users_setting
  */
-class backup_activity_userinfo_setting extends activity_backup_setting {
+class backup_section_userinfo_setting extends section_backup_setting {
     public function process_change($setting, $ctype, $oldv) {
-        // If change detected in backup_users_setting, proceed
+        // If change detected in backup_users_setting
         if ($setting instanceof backup_users_setting) {
             switch ($ctype) {
                 case self::CHANGED_VALUE: // backup_users = false, this too, and locked
@@ -165,3 +182,78 @@ class backup_activity_userinfo_setting extends activity_backup_setting {
         }
     }
 }
+
+
+// Activity backup settings
+
+/**
+ * generic activity setting to pass various settings between tasks and steps
+ */
+class backup_activity_generic_setting extends activity_backup_setting {
+    public function process_change($setting, $ctype, $oldv) {
+        // Nothing to do, no dependencies
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * activity backup setting to control if activity will
+ * be included or no, depends of @backup_activities_setting and
+ * optionally parent section included setting
+ */
+class backup_activity_included_setting extends activity_backup_setting {
+    public function process_change($setting, $ctype, $oldv) {
+        // If change detected in backup_activities_setting or backup_section_included_setting
+        if ($setting instanceof backup_activities_setting ||
+            $setting instanceof backup_section_included_setting) {
+            switch ($ctype) {
+                case self::CHANGED_VALUE: // backup_users = false, this too, and locked
+                    if (!$setting->get_value()) {
+                        $this->set_value(false);
+                        $this->set_status(self::LOCKED_BY_HIERARCHY);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case self::CHANGED_VISIBILITY: // backup_users not visible, this too
+                    if (!$setting->get_visibility()) {
+                        $this->set_visibility(false);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case self::CHANGED_STATUS: // backup_users unlocked, this too
+                    if ($setting->get_status() == self::NOT_LOCKED) {
+                        $this->set_status(self::NOT_LOCKED);
+                    }
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * activity backup setting to control if activity will include
+ * user information or no, depends of @backup_users_setting
+ */
+class backup_activity_userinfo_setting extends activity_backup_setting {
+    public function process_change($setting, $ctype, $oldv) {
+        // If change detected in backup_users_setting or backup_section_userinfo_setting
+        if ($setting instanceof backup_users_setting ||
+            $setting instanceof backup_section_userinfo_setting) {
+            switch ($ctype) {
+                case self::CHANGED_VALUE: // backup_users = false, this too, and locked
+                    if (!$setting->get_value()) {
+                        $this->set_value(false);
+                        $this->set_status(self::LOCKED_BY_HIERARCHY);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case self::CHANGED_VISIBILITY: // backup_users not visible, this too
+                    if (!$setting->get_visibility()) {
+                        $this->set_visibility(false);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case self::CHANGED_STATUS: // backup_users unlocked, this too
+                    if ($setting->get_status() == self::NOT_LOCKED) {
+                        $this->set_status(self::NOT_LOCKED);
+                    }
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php b/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php
index b551dcaa24a..fa2f767ac5b 100644
--- a/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php
+++ b/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php
@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ abstract class base_plan implements checksumable, executable {
         return $result;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Wrapper over @get_setting() that returns if the requested setting exists or no
+     */
+    public function setting_exists($name) {
+        try {
+            $this->get_setting($name);
+            return true;
+        } catch (base_plan_exception $e) {
+            // Nothing to do
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
 
     /**
      * Function responsible for building the tasks of any plan