diff --git a/cinderclient/tests/unit/v3/test_shell.py b/cinderclient/tests/unit/v3/test_shell.py
index ae15587a5..84ca4cbb0 100644
--- a/cinderclient/tests/unit/v3/test_shell.py
+++ b/cinderclient/tests/unit/v3/test_shell.py
@@ -1107,6 +1107,19 @@ class ShellTest(utils.TestCase):
                                'metadata': {'foo': 'bar'}, }}
         self.assert_called('POST', '/backups', body=expected)
 
+    def test_backup_with_az(self):
+        self.run_command('--os-volume-api-version 3.51 backup-create '
+                         '--availability-zone AZ2 --name 1234 1234')
+        expected = {'backup': {'volume_id': 1234,
+                               'container': None,
+                               'name': '1234',
+                               'description': None,
+                               'incremental': False,
+                               'force': False,
+                               'snapshot_id': None,
+                               'availability_zone': 'AZ2'}}
+        self.assert_called('POST', '/backups', body=expected)
+
     @mock.patch("cinderclient.utils.print_list")
     def test_snapshot_list_with_userid(self, mock_print_list):
         """Ensure 3.41 provides User ID header."""
diff --git a/cinderclient/v3/shell.py b/cinderclient/v3/shell.py
index cd385b47f..f012cc8d3 100644
--- a/cinderclient/v3/shell.py
+++ b/cinderclient/v3/shell.py
@@ -2332,6 +2332,11 @@ def do_service_get_log(cs, args):
            default=None,
            start_version='3.43',
            help='Metadata key and value pairs. Default=None.')
+@utils.arg('--availability-zone',
+           default=None,
+           start_version='3.51',
+           help='AZ where the backup should be stored, by default it will be '
+           'the same as the source.')
 def do_backup_create(cs, args):
     """Creates a volume backup."""
     if args.display_name is not None:
@@ -2340,25 +2345,22 @@ def do_backup_create(cs, args):
     if args.display_description is not None:
         args.description = args.display_description
 
-    volume = utils.find_volume(cs, args.volume)
-    if hasattr(args, 'metadata') and args.metadata:
-        backup = cs.backups.create(volume.id,
-                                   args.container,
-                                   args.name,
-                                   args.description,
-                                   args.incremental,
-                                   args.force,
-                                   args.snapshot_id,
-                                   shell_utils.extract_metadata(args))
-    else:
-        backup = cs.backups.create(volume.id,
-                                   args.container,
-                                   args.name,
-                                   args.description,
-                                   args.incremental,
-                                   args.force,
-                                   args.snapshot_id)
+    kwargs = {}
+    if getattr(args, 'metadata', None):
+        kwargs['metadata'] =  shell_utils.extract_metadata(args)
+    az = getattr(args, 'availability_zone', None)
+    if az:
+        kwargs['availability_zone'] = az
 
+    volume = utils.find_volume(cs, args.volume)
+    backup = cs.backups.create(volume.id,
+                               args.container,
+                               args.name,
+                               args.description,
+                               args.incremental,
+                               args.force,
+                               args.snapshot_id,
+                               **kwargs)
     info = {"volume_id": volume.id}
     info.update(backup._info)
 
diff --git a/cinderclient/v3/volume_backups.py b/cinderclient/v3/volume_backups.py
index 8ebd31fbc..b07ecfb4c 100644
--- a/cinderclient/v3/volume_backups.py
+++ b/cinderclient/v3/volume_backups.py
@@ -57,14 +57,8 @@ class VolumeBackupManager(volume_backups.VolumeBackupManager):
                             the new backup will be based on the snapshot.
         :rtype: :class:`VolumeBackup`
         """
-        body = {'backup': {'volume_id': volume_id,
-                           'container': container,
-                           'name': name,
-                           'description': description,
-                           'incremental': incremental,
-                           'force': force,
-                           'snapshot_id': snapshot_id, }}
-        return self._create('/backups', body, 'backup')
+        return self._create_backup(volume_id, container, name, description,
+                                   incremental, force, snapshot_id)
 
     @api_versions.wraps("3.43")  # noqa: F811
     def create(self, volume_id, container=None,
@@ -87,12 +81,46 @@ class VolumeBackupManager(volume_backups.VolumeBackupManager):
         :rtype: :class:`VolumeBackup`
         """
         # pylint: disable=function-redefined
+        return self._create_backup(volume_id, container, name, description,
+                                   incremental, force, snapshot_id, metadata)
+
+    @api_versions.wraps("3.51")  # noqa: F811
+    def create(self, volume_id, container=None, name=None, description=None,
+               incremental=False, force=False, snapshot_id=None, metadata=None,
+               availability_zone=None):
+        return self._create_backup(volume_id, container, name, description,
+                                   incremental, force, snapshot_id, metadata,
+                                   availability_zone)
+
+    def _create_backup(self, volume_id, container=None, name=None,
+                       description=None, incremental=False, force=False,
+                       snapshot_id=None, metadata=None,
+                       availability_zone=None):
+        """Creates a volume backup.
+
+        :param volume_id: The ID of the volume to backup.
+        :param container: The name of the backup service container.
+        :param name: The name of the backup.
+        :param description: The description of the backup.
+        :param incremental: Incremental backup.
+        :param force: If True, allows an in-use volume to be backed up.
+        :param metadata: Key Value pairs
+        :param snapshot_id: The ID of the snapshot to backup. This should
+                            be a snapshot of the src volume, when specified,
+                            the new backup will be based on the snapshot.
+        :param availability_zone: The AZ where we want the backup stored.
+        :rtype: :class:`VolumeBackup`
+        """
+        # pylint: disable=function-redefined
         body = {'backup': {'volume_id': volume_id,
                            'container': container,
                            'name': name,
                            'description': description,
                            'incremental': incremental,
                            'force': force,
-                           'snapshot_id': snapshot_id,
-                           'metadata': metadata, }}
+                           'snapshot_id': snapshot_id, }}
+        if metadata:
+            body['backup']['metadata'] = metadata
+        if availability_zone:
+            body['backup']['availability_zone'] = availability_zone
         return self._create('/backups', body, 'backup')
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/feature-cross-az-backups-9d428ad4dfc552e1.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/feature-cross-az-backups-9d428ad4dfc552e1.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d1bb1a4a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/feature-cross-az-backups-9d428ad4dfc552e1.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Support cross AZ backup creation specifying desired backup service AZ
+    (added in microversion v3.51)