diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_copy.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_copy.go
index d6a5efe57..f209015f0 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_copy.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_copy.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"iter"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/data"
@@ -75,33 +76,33 @@ func (opts *CopyOptions) AddFlags(f *pflag.FlagSet) {
 func collectAllSnapshots(ctx context.Context, opts CopyOptions,
 	srcSnapshotLister restic.Lister, srcRepo restic.Repository,
 	dstSnapshotByOriginal map[restic.ID][]*data.Snapshot, args []string, printer progress.Printer,
-) (selectedSnapshots []*data.Snapshot) {
-
-	selectedSnapshots = make([]*data.Snapshot, 0, 10)
-	for sn := range FindFilteredSnapshots(ctx, srcSnapshotLister, srcRepo, &opts.SnapshotFilter, args, printer) {
-		// check whether the destination has a snapshot with the same persistent ID which has similar snapshot fields
-		srcOriginal := *sn.ID()
-		if sn.Original != nil {
-			srcOriginal = *sn.Original
-		}
-		if originalSns, ok := dstSnapshotByOriginal[srcOriginal]; ok {
-			isCopy := false
-			for _, originalSn := range originalSns {
-				if similarSnapshots(originalSn, sn) {
-					printer.V("\n%v", sn)
-					printer.V("skipping source snapshot %s, was already copied to snapshot %s", sn.ID().Str(), originalSn.ID().Str())
-					isCopy = true
-					break
+) iter.Seq[*data.Snapshot] {
+	return func(yield func(*data.Snapshot) bool) {
+		for sn := range FindFilteredSnapshots(ctx, srcSnapshotLister, srcRepo, &opts.SnapshotFilter, args, printer) {
+			// check whether the destination has a snapshot with the same persistent ID which has similar snapshot fields
+			srcOriginal := *sn.ID()
+			if sn.Original != nil {
+				srcOriginal = *sn.Original
+			}
+			if originalSns, ok := dstSnapshotByOriginal[srcOriginal]; ok {
+				isCopy := false
+				for _, originalSn := range originalSns {
+					if similarSnapshots(originalSn, sn) {
+						printer.V("\n%v", sn)
+						printer.V("skipping source snapshot %s, was already copied to snapshot %s", sn.ID().Str(), originalSn.ID().Str())
+						isCopy = true
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				if isCopy {
+					continue
 				}
 			}
-			if isCopy {
-				continue
+			if !yield(sn) {
+				return
 			}
 		}
-		selectedSnapshots = append(selectedSnapshots, sn)
 	}
-
-	return selectedSnapshots
 }
 
 func runCopy(ctx context.Context, opts CopyOptions, gopts global.Options, args []string, term ui.Terminal) error {
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ func similarSnapshots(sna *data.Snapshot, snb *data.Snapshot) bool {
 // copyTreeBatched copies multiple snapshots in one go. Snapshots are written after
 // data equivalent to at least 10 packfiles was written.
 func copyTreeBatched(ctx context.Context, srcRepo restic.Repository, dstRepo restic.Repository,
-	selectedSnapshots []*data.Snapshot, printer progress.Printer) error {
+	selectedSnapshots iter.Seq[*data.Snapshot], printer progress.Printer) error {
 
 	// remember already processed trees across all snapshots
 	visitedTrees := srcRepo.NewAssociatedBlobSet()
@@ -197,16 +198,23 @@ func copyTreeBatched(ctx context.Context, srcRepo restic.Repository, dstRepo res
 	targetSize := uint64(dstRepo.PackSize()) * 100
 	minDuration := 1 * time.Minute
 
-	for len(selectedSnapshots) > 0 {
+	// use pull-based iterator to allow iteration in multiple steps
+	next, stop := iter.Pull(selectedSnapshots)
+	defer stop()
+
+	for {
 		var batch []*data.Snapshot
 		batchSize := uint64(0)
 		startTime := time.Now()
 
 		// call WithBlobUploader() once and then loop over all selectedSnapshots
 		err := dstRepo.WithBlobUploader(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, uploader restic.BlobSaverWithAsync) error {
-			for len(selectedSnapshots) > 0 && (batchSize < targetSize || time.Since(startTime) < minDuration) {
-				sn := selectedSnapshots[0]
-				selectedSnapshots = selectedSnapshots[1:]
+			for batchSize < targetSize || time.Since(startTime) < minDuration {
+				sn, ok := next()
+				if !ok {
+					break
+				}
+
 				batch = append(batch, sn)
 
 				printer.P("\n%v", sn)
@@ -225,6 +233,11 @@ func copyTreeBatched(ctx context.Context, srcRepo restic.Repository, dstRepo res
 			return err
 		}
 
+		// if no snapshots were processed in this batch, we're done
+		if len(batch) == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+
 		// add a newline to separate saved snapshot messages from the other messages
 		if len(batch) > 1 {
 			printer.P("")