diff --git a/playbooks/roles/borg-backup/templates/borg-backup.j2 b/playbooks/roles/borg-backup/templates/borg-backup.j2
index 9bfe8816e9..ee754110cc 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/borg-backup/templates/borg-backup.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/borg-backup/templates/borg-backup.j2
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ ${BORG_CREATE} \
 
 backup_exit=$?
 
+# Default stream_exit to success as we may not backup any streams
+stream_exit=0
 for f in $(shopt -s nullglob; echo /etc/borg-streams/*)
 do
     stream_name=$(basename $f)
@@ -52,24 +54,38 @@ do
         info "Note that problems in the ssh connectivity might cause the streaming script to fail. You may need to check both halves of the streaming backup."
         stream_exit=${_status[0]}
     elif [[ ${_status[1]} -ne 0 ]]; then
+        # We don't check BORG_VERSION here because streaming backups should
+        # never have the file change under them while backing up.
         info "Borg failed (rc: ${_status[1]})!"
         stream_exit=${_status[1]}
-    else
-        stream_exit=0
     fi
-    (( backup_exit = backup_exit || stream_exit ))
 done
 
-if [ ${backup_exit} -eq 0 ]; then
+BORG_VERSION=$(${BORG} --version)
+# Default to failure
+final_exit=1
+
+if [ ${backup_exit} -eq 0 ] && [ ${stream_exit} -eq 0 ] ; then
     info "Backup finished successfully"
+    final_exit=0
+elif [ ${backup_exit} -eq 1 ] && [ ${stream_exit} -eq 0 ] && \
+        [ ! "${BORG_VERSION}" \< "borg 1.2" ] ; then
+    # Borg 1.2 and newer exit with rc 1 if warnings occur. The most common
+    # warning is for files that change while being backed up. We treat that
+    # as a successful backup if it occurs.
+    # Note: Use not less than so that all variants of 1.1.xy don't match.
+    # Using greater than we'd get comparisons like 1.1.8 is greater
+    # than 1.1.18.
+    info "Backup finished with warnings."
+    final_exit=0
 else
     info "Backup finished with errors"
     if [ ${BORG_UNDER_CRON:-0} -eq 1 ]; then
         echo "Backups failed on host $(hostname) at $(date)." | \
             mail -s "ACTION REQUIRED: Backup failed on $(hostname)" infra-root@openstack.org
     fi
+    # Attempt to preserve as much information about the error code as possible.
+    (( final_exit = backup_exit || stream_exit ))
 fi
 
-
-exit ${backup_exit}
-
+exit ${final_exit}
diff --git a/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/all.yaml.j2 b/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/all.yaml.j2
index 5cc64bea06..cb80bcbd6a 100644
--- a/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/all.yaml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/all.yaml.j2
@@ -12,8 +12,3 @@ iptables_test_public_tcp_ports: {{ iptables_test_public_tcp_ports }}
 iptables_egress_rules:
   - -o lo -j ACCEPT
   - -p tcp -m tcp --dport 25 --tcp-flags FIN,SYN,RST,ACK SYN -j REJECT --reject-with tcp-reset
-# This is the file we log our backups to. This means the file is being
-# changed while backups run which can lead to a warning and non zero exit
-# code from borg. Just ignore it as we don't need to backup the file.
-borg_backup_excludes_extra:
-  - /var/log/borg-backup-borg-backup01.region.provider.opendev.org.log