diff --git a/src/sentry/runner/commands/backup.py b/src/sentry/runner/commands/backup.py
index 510d0efeceddfc..309f2741bbaeba 100644
--- a/src/sentry/runner/commands/backup.py
+++ b/src/sentry/runner/commands/backup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from copy import deepcopy
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from difflib import unified_diff
 from io import StringIO
@@ -159,10 +160,13 @@ def compare(self, on: InstanceID, left: JSONData, right: JSONData) -> Comparator
 
 
 def validate(
-    expect: JSONData, actual: JSONData, comparators: ComparatorMap = DEFAULT_COMPARATORS
+    expect: JSONData,
+    actual: JSONData,
+    comparators: ComparatorMap = DEFAULT_COMPARATORS,
 ) -> ComparatorFindings:
     """Ensures that originally imported data correctly matches actual outputted data, and produces a
-    list of reasons why not when it doesn't"""
+    list of reasons why not when it doesn't.
+    """
 
     def json_lines(obj: JSONData) -> list[str]:
         """Take a JSONData object and pretty-print it as JSON."""
@@ -176,6 +180,11 @@ def json_lines(obj: JSONData) -> list[str]:
         id = InstanceID(model["model"], model["pk"])
         exp_models[id] = model
 
+    # Because we may be scrubbing data from the objects as we compare them, we may (optionally) make
+    # deep copies to start to avoid potentially mangling the input data.
+    expect = deepcopy(expect)
+    actual = deepcopy(actual)
+
     # Ensure that the actual JSON contains no duplicates - we assume that the expected JSON did not.
     for model in actual:
         id = InstanceID(model["model"], model["pk"])
diff --git a/tests/sentry/backup/test_correctness.py b/tests/sentry/backup/test_correctness.py
index b047ade1dbbfbe..403b21fe049084 100644
--- a/tests/sentry/backup/test_correctness.py
+++ b/tests/sentry/backup/test_correctness.py
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
 
 
 def import_export_then_validate(
-    tmp_path: Path, fixture_file_name: str, map: ComparatorMap = EMPTY_COMPARATORS_FOR_TESTING
+    tmp_path: Path,
+    fixture_file_name: str,
+    map: ComparatorMap = EMPTY_COMPARATORS_FOR_TESTING,
 ) -> None:
     """Test helper that validates that data imported from a fixture `.json` file correctly matches
     the actual outputted export data."""
@@ -34,11 +36,7 @@ def import_export_then_validate(
         rv = CliRunner().invoke(import_, [str(fixture_file_path)])
         assert rv.exit_code == 0, rv.output
 
-    res = validate(
-        expect,
-        tmp_export_to_file(tmp_path.joinpath("tmp_test_file.json")),
-        map,
-    )
+    res = validate(expect, tmp_export_to_file(tmp_path.joinpath("tmp_test_file.json")), map)
     if res.findings:
         raise ValidationError(res)