diff --git a/testing/rustic/APKBUILD b/testing/rustic/APKBUILD
index a2521e122c5..8ec266a0e24 100644
--- a/testing/rustic/APKBUILD
+++ b/testing/rustic/APKBUILD
@@ -18,9 +18,14 @@ subpackages="
 	$pkgname-fish-completion
 	$pkgname-zsh-completion
 	"
-source="https://github.com/rustic-rs/rustic/archive/v$pkgver/rustic-$pkgver.tar.gz"
+source="https://github.com/rustic-rs/rustic/archive/v$pkgver/rustic-$pkgver.tar.gz
+	make-self-update-optional.patch
+	"
 options="net" # fetch dependencies
 
+# Disable self-update feature.
+_cargo_opts="--no-default-features --frozen"
+
 prepare() {
 	default_prepare
 
@@ -38,7 +43,7 @@ prepare() {
 }
 
 build() {
-	cargo auditable build --frozen --release
+	cargo auditable build $_cargo_opts --release
 
 	target/release/rustic completions bash > $pkgname.bash
 	target/release/rustic completions fish > $pkgname.fish
@@ -46,7 +51,7 @@ build() {
 }
 
 check() {
-	cargo test --frozen
+	cargo test $_cargo_opts
 }
 
 package() {
@@ -59,4 +64,5 @@ package() {
 
 sha512sums="
 44b1e2be7336f74e832c33d06101b2ad1ba79123926bd00f3e4884cd49abd75e727e26636451bc393d154ec438fd9168ae9dce8bfa4ec9ffd371b89b6b426dcd  rustic-0.6.1.tar.gz
+f63047855f5e01ea547b921af54e81dc63559e4dee15811e6cfdbf5e503543bb76b0d2612b660c7adff1751e5564186e386145f61f50d0188e5d8215c2586962  make-self-update-optional.patch
 "
diff --git a/testing/rustic/make-self-update-optional.patch b/testing/rustic/make-self-update-optional.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ffe5bef4a4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/rustic/make-self-update-optional.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+Patch-Source: https://github.com/rustic-rs/rustic/pull/975
+--
+From b32769f275adbd719453aefe68785c303664208a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Jakub Jirutka <jakub@jirutka.cz>
+Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2024 09:11:13 +0100
+Subject: [PATCH 2/2] feat(cli): Allow building without self-update feature
+ (#975)
+
+Co-authored-by: simonsan <14062932+simonsan@users.noreply.github.com>
+---
+ Cargo.toml                  |  7 ++++---
+ src/commands.rs             |  1 +
+ src/commands/self_update.rs | 13 +++++++++----
+ 3 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
+index 24486f1..054a994 100644
+--- a/Cargo.toml
++++ b/Cargo.toml
+@@ -31,9 +31,10 @@ description = { workspace = true }
+ members = ["crates/rustic_testing", "xtask"]
+ 
+ [features]
+-default = []
++default = ["self-update"]
+ mimalloc = ["dep:mimalloc"]
+ jemallocator = ["dep:jemallocator-global"]
++self-update = ["dep:self_update", "dep:semver"]
+ 
+ [[bin]]
+ name = "rustic"
+@@ -67,8 +68,8 @@ serde_with = { workspace = true }
+ 
+ # other dependencies
+ chrono = { workspace = true }
+-self_update = { workspace = true }
+-semver = { workspace = true }
++self_update = { workspace = true, optional = true }
++semver = { workspace = true, optional = true }
+ 
+ # commands
+ clap = { workspace = true }
+diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
+index 07473d3..88432ab 100644
+--- a/src/commands.rs
++++ b/src/commands.rs
+@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ enum RusticCmd {
+     ShowConfig(ShowConfigCmd),
+ 
+     /// Update to the latest rustic release
++    #[cfg_attr(not(feature = "self-update"), clap(hide = true))]
+     SelfUpdate(SelfUpdateCmd),
+ 
+     /// Remove unused data or repack repository pack files
+diff --git a/src/commands/self_update.rs b/src/commands/self_update.rs
+index dff8fb3..f9540e4 100644
+--- a/src/commands/self_update.rs
++++ b/src/commands/self_update.rs
+@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ use crate::{Application, RUSTIC_APP};
+ use abscissa_core::{status_err, Command, Runnable, Shutdown};
+ 
+ use anyhow::Result;
+-use self_update::cargo_crate_version;
+-use semver::Version;
+ 
+ /// `self-update` subcommand
+ #[derive(clap::Parser, Command, Debug)]
+@@ -26,8 +24,9 @@ impl Runnable for SelfUpdateCmd {
+ }
+ 
+ impl SelfUpdateCmd {
++    #[cfg(feature = "self-update")]
+     fn inner_run(&self) -> Result<()> {
+-        let current_version = Version::parse(cargo_crate_version!())?;
++        let current_version = semver::Version::parse(self_update::cargo_crate_version!())?;
+ 
+         let release = self_update::backends::github::Update::configure()
+             .repo_owner("rustic-rs")
+@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ impl SelfUpdateCmd {
+ 
+         let latest_release = release.get_latest_release()?;
+ 
+-        let upstream_version = Version::parse(&latest_release.version)?;
++        let upstream_version = semver::Version::parse(&latest_release.version)?;
+ 
+         match current_version.cmp(&upstream_version) {
+             std::cmp::Ordering::Greater => {
+@@ -62,4 +61,10 @@ impl SelfUpdateCmd {
+ 
+         Ok(())
+     }
++    #[cfg(not(feature = "self-update"))]
++    fn inner_run(&self) -> Result<()> {
++        anyhow::bail!(
++            "This version of rustic was built without the \"self-update\" feature. Please use your system package manager to update it."
++        );
++    }
+ }
+-- 
+2.43.0
+