diff --git a/src/smriprep/data/io_spec.json b/src/smriprep/data/io_spec.json
index b3c97c588b..057c8f634f 100644
--- a/src/smriprep/data/io_spec.json
+++ b/src/smriprep/data/io_spec.json
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@
           ".nii.gz",
           ".nii"
         ]
+      },
+      "t2w_preproc": {
+        "datatype": "anat",
+        "space": null,
+        "desc": "preproc",
+        "suffix": "T2w",
+        "extension": [
+          ".nii.gz",
+          ".nii"
+        ]
       }
     },
     "transforms": {
diff --git a/src/smriprep/utils/bids.py b/src/smriprep/utils/bids.py
index f13fce6e89..fe2bd3bb11 100644
--- a/src/smriprep/utils/bids.py
+++ b/src/smriprep/utils/bids.py
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ def collect_derivatives(
 
         paths = [item.path for item in item]
 
-        derivs_cache[f't1w_{key}'] = paths[0] if len(paths) == 1 else paths
+        if not key.startswith('t2w_'):
+            key = f't1w_{key}'
+        derivs_cache[key] = paths[0] if len(paths) == 1 else paths
 
     transforms = derivs_cache.setdefault('transforms', {})
     for _space in std_spaces: