diff --git a/roles/copr/backend/files/patches/fixup-copr-repo-script.patch b/roles/copr/backend/files/patches/fixup-copr-repo-script.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f1fe1bb74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/copr/backend/files/patches/fixup-copr-repo-script.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+--- /usr/bin/copr-repo	2020-01-15 08:23:09.000000000 +0000
++++ /usr/bin/copr-repo	2020-01-17 01:07:57.791459957 +0000
+@@ -148,6 +148,12 @@
+ 
+ def add_appdata(opts):
+     if opts.devel or opts.no_appstream_metadata:
++        opts.log.info("appstream-builder skipped, devel or "
++                      "--no-appstream-metadata")
++        return
++
++    if os.path.exists(os.path.join(opts.projectdir, ".disable-appstream")):
++        opts.log.info("appstream-builder skipped, .disable-appstream file")
+         return
+ 
+     path = opts.directory
+@@ -199,6 +205,9 @@
+     # To avoid race conditions, remove the directories _after_ we have
+     # successfully generated the new repodata.
+     for subdir in opts.delete:
++        if not subdir or '..' in subdir:
++            raise Exception("removal of \"%s\" subdir requested", subdir)
++
+         opts.log.info("removing %s subdirectory", subdir)
+         try:
+             shutil.rmtree(os.path.join(opts.directory, subdir))
+@@ -244,6 +253,7 @@
+ def process_directory_path(opts):
+     helper_path = os.path.abspath(opts.directory)
+     helper_path, opts.chroot = os.path.split(helper_path)
++    opts.projectdir = helper_path
+     helper_path, opts.dirname = os.path.split(helper_path)
+     helper_path, opts.ownername = os.path.split(helper_path)
+     opts.projectname = opts.dirname.split(':')[0]
+@@ -257,6 +267,11 @@
+     # try to setup logging based on copr-be.conf
+     process_backend_config(opts)
+ 
++    # argument parsing
++    if '' in opts.add or '' in opts.delete:
++        opts.log.error("'' dir addition/removal requested")
++        return 1
++
+     # resolve absolute path from opts.directory, and detect
+     # ownername, dirname, chroot, etc. from it
+     process_directory_path(opts)
diff --git a/roles/copr/backend/tasks/main.yml b/roles/copr/backend/tasks/main.yml
index 1e84a42c48..1e5b06a619 100644
--- a/roles/copr/backend/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/copr/backend/tasks/main.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@
 #         dest=/usr/bin/prunerepo
 #  tags: patches
 
+- name: issue 1213
+  patch: src=patches/fixup-copr-repo-script.patch
+         dest=/usr/bin/copr-repo
+  tags: patches
+
 - name: install openstackclient for image preparation
   dnf: state=present name=python3-openstackclient
   when: devel|bool