A system and method are described for coordinating deduplication operations and backup operations of a storage volume. In one embodiment, a request is identified to eliminate duplicate data from a storage volume. The storage volume may be scheduled to be backed up on a periodic basis. The duration of time required to complete an operation to eliminate duplicate data from the storage volume may be determined. The determination may be based on the amount of data modified on the storage volume since the last operation to eliminate duplicate data from the storage volume. The determined duration of time may be used to schedule the start time of the operation to eliminate duplicate data such that the operation is completed prior to the next scheduled backup of the storage volume. The operation may be initiated at the scheduled start time, ensuring the operation is completed prior to the next scheduled backup.