diff --git a/.env b/.env
index 92155b9c..60a020ec 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ BE_VERSION=v4
 ## Run SciCat services in DEV mode
 # DEV=true
 
+## In addition to DEV=true, it enables bidirectional synchronization between ${PWD}/bbackup/${APP} on the host and the dev volume
+# DEV_BBACKUP=true
+
 ## Set the services HTTPS URL
 # BACKEND_HTTPS_URL=https://backend-example.com
 # FRONTEND_HTTPS_URL=https://frontend-example.com
diff --git a/.github/workflows/compose_test.yaml b/.github/workflows/compose_test.yaml
index bf9607c2..2eda34a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/compose_test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/compose_test.yaml
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ jobs:
           export OIDC_ENABLED=${{ matrix.OIDC_ENABLED }}
           export BE_VERSION=${{ matrix.BE_VERSION }}
           export DEV=${{ matrix.DEV }}
+          export DEV_BBACKUP=${DEV}
           docker compose --profile '*' \
             -f compose.yaml ${DEV:+-f .github/compose.dev.test.yaml} \
             up --wait --wait-timeout 600
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b7f1af7f..ab047ab4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ node_modules/
 .ipynb_checkpoints/
 *.ipynb
 .ruff_cache/
+bbackup/*
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aae5f0ef..5a5566fa 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ For example `docker compose --profile analysis` sets up a jupyter hub with some
 | env     | `OIDC_ENABLED`              | `true`: oidc auth                                                                                             | `''`    | *                     | Creates an OIDC identity provider and sets the BE to use it as authentication backend                                                                                                                                       |                         |
 | env     | `DEV`                       | `true`: backend,frontend,searchapi,archivemock in DEV mode                                                    | `''`    | *                     | The SciCat services' environment is prepared to ease the [development in a standardized environment](#dev-configuration)                                                                                                    |                         |
 | env     | `<SERVICE>_HTTPS_URL`       | `<URL>`: HTTPS termination                                                                                    | `''`    | *                     | Requests the TLS certificate for the URL to LetsEncrypt through the [proxy](#tls-configuration)                                                                                                                             |                         |
+| env     | `DEV_BBACKUP`               | `true`: bidirectional synchronization of DEV volume                                                           | `''`    | *                     | Enables [DEV bidirectional synchronization](#dev-bidirectional-synchronization) between ${PWD}/bbackup/${APP} on the host and the dev volume                                                                                |                         |
 
 
 After optionally setting any configuration option, one can still select the services to run as described [here](#select-the-services).
@@ -189,6 +190,10 @@ To ease writing DEV configuration, a dev template is provided [here](./services/
 
 The repo is checkout at that particular commit only if the docker volume does not yet exist.
 
+##### DEV bidirectional synchronization
+
+Setting `DEV_BBACKUP=true` in the [.env](./.env) file enables bidirectional synchronization between the DEV volume of each component (e.g. `frontend_dev`) and a directory on the host placed at `${PWD}/bbackup/${APP}` (e.g. `${PWD}/bbackup/${APP}`). This is sometimes convenient both to have a backup of the volume and to enable the use of additional tools installed on the host, which require file access.
+
 </details>
 
 #### TLS configuration
diff --git a/entrypoints/bidirectional_backup.sh b/entrypoints/bidirectional_backup.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0abda663
--- /dev/null
+++ b/entrypoints/bidirectional_backup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+apk add --no-cache unison
+
+[ -z "$(ls -A /bbackup)" ] && cp -r "${WORKDIR}"/. /bbackup
+
+flock -n /bbackup/.unison \
+    unison "${WORKDIR}" /bbackup \
+    -repeat watch -batch -auto \
+    -prefer /bbackup &
diff --git a/services/backend/services/v3/services/archivemock/compose.dev.yaml b/services/backend/services/v3/services/archivemock/compose.dev.yaml
index 730bfe6e..d497fa97 100644
--- a/services/backend/services/v3/services/archivemock/compose.dev.yaml
+++ b/services/backend/services/v3/services/archivemock/compose.dev.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ services:
       service: web-app
     labels: !reset null
     volumes:
-      - archivemock_dev:/job_mock
+      - ${DEV_BBACKUP:+${PWD}/bbackup/${COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME}/archivemock:}/bbackup
 
 volumes:
   archivemock_dev:
diff --git a/services/compose.dev.yaml b/services/compose.dev.yaml
index e377256b..66880457 100644
--- a/services/compose.dev.yaml
+++ b/services/compose.dev.yaml
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ services:
       # These volumes allow to run init scripts before running the service
       - ${PWD}/entrypoints/loop_entrypoints.sh:/usr/local/bin/loop_entrypoints.sh
       - ${PWD}/entrypoints/infinite_loop.sh:/usr/local/bin/infinite_loop.sh
+      - ${PWD}/entrypoints/bidirectional_backup.sh:/docker-entrypoints/${DEV_BBACKUP:+1}00.sh
       - ${PWD}/entrypoints/chown_root.sh:/docker-entrypoints/00.sh
       - ${PWD}/entrypoints/setup_git.sh:/docker-entrypoints/01.sh
     environment:
       GITHUB_REPO: ${GITHUB_REPO:-}
+      WORKDIR: ${WORKDIR:-/home/node/app}
     user: root
     restart: no
   node-app-from-local:
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       # This prevents git unpushed changes from being lost on container restart
       - ${DEV_VOLUME:-${APP}}_dev:${WORKDIR:-/home/node/app}
+      - ${DEV_BBACKUP:+${PWD}/bbackup/${COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME}/${DEV_VOLUME:-${APP}}:}/bbackup
       # These allow to keep changes from npm install/build from Dockerfile CMDs
       - ${WORKDIR:-/home/node/app}/dist
       - ${WORKDIR:-/home/node/app}/node_modules