diff --git a/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.js b/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.js
index 8c212adeb..ba38ee20a 100644
--- a/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.js
+++ b/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.js
@@ -150,11 +150,7 @@ async function processForm(metadata, token, archive) {
   archive.append(metadataJson, { name: metadataName })
 
   // Then append definitions under {id}/definition_*.json
-  const definition = await getFormDefinitions(
-    metadata.id,
-    !!metadata.draft,
-    token
-  )
+  const definition = await getFormDefinitions(metadata.id, token)
   appendFormDefinitionsToArchive(metadata.id, archive, definition)
 }
 
@@ -322,21 +318,30 @@ function appendManifestToArchive(archive, totalForms, manifestEntities) {
 /**
  * Retrieve both live and draft form definitions
  * @param {string} id - The form metadata ID
- * @param { boolean } includeDraft - Whether to include draft definition
  * @param {string} token - Auth token
- * @returns {Promise<{ liveDefinition: FormDefinition | null, draftDefinition: FormDefinition | null }>}
+ * @returns {Promise<{ liveDefinition?: FormDefinition , draftDefinition?: FormDefinition }>}
  */
-async function getFormDefinitions(id, includeDraft, token) {
+async function getFormDefinitions(id, token) {
   const [liveDefinition, draftDefinition] = await Promise.all([
-    forms.getLiveFormDefinition(id, token),
-    includeDraft
-      ? forms.getDraftFormDefinition(id, token)
-      : Promise.resolve(null)
+    forms.getLiveFormDefinition(id, token).catch(ignore404Error),
+    forms.getDraftFormDefinition(id, token).catch(ignore404Error)
   ])
 
   return { liveDefinition, draftDefinition }
 }
 
+/**
+ *
+ * @param {Error & {data?:{statusCode: StatusCodes}}} err
+ * @returns {undefined | never}
+ */
+function ignore404Error(err) {
+  if (err.data?.statusCode === StatusCodes.NOT_FOUND) {
+    return undefined
+  }
+  throw err
+}
+
 /**
  * Append form definitions using id-based folder paths
  * @param {string} id form ID
@@ -358,5 +363,5 @@ function appendFormDefinitionsToArchive(id, archive, definition) {
 
 /**
  * @import { ServerRoute , Request, ResponseToolkit, ResponseObject} from '@hapi/hapi'
- * @import { FormMetadata, FormDefinition ,FormMetadataState} from '@defra/forms-model'
+ * @import { FormMetadata, FormDefinition } from '@defra/forms-model'
  */
diff --git a/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.test.js b/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.test.js
index 874c78da0..6cd143beb 100644
--- a/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.test.js
+++ b/designer/server/src/routes/admin/index.test.js
@@ -368,10 +368,18 @@ describe('System admin routes', () => {
           yield formWithoutDraft
         })
 
+        const notFoundError = Object.assign(new Error('Not found'), {
+          data: { statusCode: StatusCodes.NOT_FOUND }
+        })
+
         jest
           .mocked(forms.getLiveFormDefinition)
           .mockResolvedValue(testFormDefinitionWithSinglePage)
 
+        jest
+          .mocked(forms.getDraftFormDefinition)
+          .mockRejectedValueOnce(notFoundError)
+
         const options = {
           method: 'post',
           url: '/admin/index',
@@ -383,10 +391,10 @@ describe('System admin routes', () => {
 
         expect(response.statusCode).toBe(StatusCodes.OK)
 
-        // Verify only live definition was requested (draft wasn't fetched because metadata.draft is undefined)
+        // Verify live definition was requested
         expect(forms.getLiveFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-        // Draft definition should not be called when form.draft is undefined
-        expect(forms.getDraftFormDefinition).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+        // Draft definition is always requested and 404 is ignored
+        expect(forms.getDraftFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
 
         // Verify audit event published
         expect(publishFormsBackupRequestedEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -396,7 +404,7 @@ describe('System admin routes', () => {
         )
       })
 
-      test('should throw error if one of the api calls fails', async () => {
+      test('should throw error if one of the api calls fails (non 404 error)', async () => {
         const form1 = Promise.resolve(testFormMetadata)
         const form2 = Promise.resolve({
           ...testFormMetadata,
@@ -437,6 +445,82 @@ describe('System admin routes', () => {
         // Verify definitions were requested
         expect(publishFormsBackupRequestedEvent).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
         expect(forms.getLiveFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+        expect(forms.getDraftFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+      })
+
+      test('should ignore 404 when fetching live definition', async () => {
+        const form1 = Promise.resolve(testFormMetadata)
+
+        jest.mocked(forms.listAll).mockImplementationOnce(async function* () {
+          yield await form1
+        })
+
+        const notFoundError = Object.assign(new Error('Not found'), {
+          data: { statusCode: StatusCodes.NOT_FOUND }
+        })
+
+        jest
+          .mocked(forms.getLiveFormDefinition)
+          .mockRejectedValueOnce(notFoundError)
+
+        jest
+          .mocked(forms.getDraftFormDefinition)
+          .mockResolvedValueOnce(testFormDefinitionWithSinglePage)
+
+        const options = {
+          method: 'post',
+          url: '/admin/index',
+          auth,
+          payload: { action: 'download' }
+        }
+
+        const response = await server.inject(options)
+
+        expect(response.statusCode).toBe(StatusCodes.OK)
+        expect(publishFormsBackupRequestedEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          expect.any(Object),
+          1,
+          expect.any(Number)
+        )
+        expect(forms.getLiveFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+        expect(forms.getDraftFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      })
+
+      test('should ignore 404 when fetching draft definition', async () => {
+        const form1 = Promise.resolve(testFormMetadata)
+
+        jest.mocked(forms.listAll).mockImplementationOnce(async function* () {
+          yield await form1
+        })
+
+        const notFoundError = Object.assign(new Error('Not found'), {
+          data: { statusCode: StatusCodes.NOT_FOUND }
+        })
+
+        jest
+          .mocked(forms.getLiveFormDefinition)
+          .mockResolvedValueOnce(testFormDefinitionWithSinglePage)
+
+        jest
+          .mocked(forms.getDraftFormDefinition)
+          .mockRejectedValueOnce(notFoundError)
+
+        const options = {
+          method: 'post',
+          url: '/admin/index',
+          auth,
+          payload: { action: 'download' }
+        }
+
+        const response = await server.inject(options)
+
+        expect(response.statusCode).toBe(StatusCodes.OK)
+        expect(publishFormsBackupRequestedEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          expect.any(Object),
+          1,
+          expect.any(Number)
+        )
+        expect(forms.getLiveFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
         expect(forms.getDraftFormDefinition).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       })