diff --git a/src/libltfs/ltfs.h b/src/libltfs/ltfs.h
index 5a792f55..bf0342b0 100644
--- a/src/libltfs/ltfs.h
+++ b/src/libltfs/ltfs.h
@@ -561,6 +561,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define SYNC_EA              "Sync by EA"
 #define SYNC_CLOSE           "Sync on close"
 #define SYNC_DNO_SPACE       "Dcache no space"
+#define SYNC_CAPTURE_EA      "Capture by EA"
 #define SYNC_UNMOUNT         "Unmount"
 #define SYNC_UNMOUNT_NOMEM   "Unmount - no memory"
 #define SYNC_MOVE            "Unmount - %" PRIu64
diff --git a/src/libltfs/xattr.c b/src/libltfs/xattr.c
index e44a3c8c..da87c85f 100644
--- a/src/libltfs/xattr.c
+++ b/src/libltfs/xattr.c
@@ -446,6 +446,7 @@ static bool _xattr_is_virtual(struct dentry *d, const char *name, struct ltfs_vo
 			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.indexVersion")
 			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.labelVersion")
 			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.sync")
+			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.captureIndex")
 			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.indexGeneration")
 			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.indexTime")
 			|| ! strcmp(name, "ltfs.policyExists")
@@ -905,6 +906,9 @@ static int _xattr_set_virtual(struct dentry *d, const char *name, const char *va
 
 	if (! strcmp(name, "ltfs.sync") && d == vol->index->root)
 		ret = ltfs_sync_index(SYNC_EA, false, vol);
+	else if (! strcmp(name, "ltfs.captureIndex") && d == vol->index->root)
+		/* Write the current in-memory index to the work directory. No tape access. */
+		ret = ltfs_save_index_to_disk(vol->work_directory, SYNC_CAPTURE_EA, false, vol);
 	else if (! strcmp(name, "ltfs.commitMessage") && d == vol->index->root) {
 		char *value_null_terminated, *new_value;