diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/auth/authmechanism.php b/apps/files_external/lib/auth/authmechanism.php
index 11d99bb330d..2ab34ed0105 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/auth/authmechanism.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/auth/authmechanism.php
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ class AuthMechanism implements \JsonSerializable {
 	 */
 	public function jsonSerialize() {
 		$data = $this->jsonSerializeDefinition();
+		$data += $this->jsonSerializeIdentifier();
+
 		$data['scheme'] = $this->getScheme();
 
 		return $data;
diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/backend/backend.php b/apps/files_external/lib/backend/backend.php
index 90d5d38ed94..68585cf377e 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/backend/backend.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/backend/backend.php
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ class Backend implements \JsonSerializable {
 	 */
 	public function jsonSerialize() {
 		$data = $this->jsonSerializeDefinition();
+		$data += $this->jsonSerializeIdentifier();
 
 		$data['backend'] = $data['name']; // legacy compat
 		$data['priority'] = $this->getPriority();
diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/identifiertrait.php b/apps/files_external/lib/identifiertrait.php
index 139911580fc..7f36144e474 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/identifiertrait.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/identifiertrait.php
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ namespace OCA\Files_External\Lib;
 
 /**
  * Trait for objects requiring an identifier (and/or identifier aliases)
+ * Also supports deprecation to a different object, linking the objects
  */
 trait IdentifierTrait {
 
@@ -32,6 +33,9 @@ trait IdentifierTrait {
 	/** @var string[] */
 	protected $identifierAliases = [];
 
+	/** @var IdentifierTrait */
+	protected $deprecateTo = null;
+
 	/**
 	 * @return string
 	 */
@@ -65,4 +69,34 @@ trait IdentifierTrait {
 		return $this;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return object|null
+	 */
+	public function getDeprecateTo() {
+		return $this->deprecateTo;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param object $destinationObject
+	 * @return self
+	 */
+	public function deprecateTo($destinationObject) {
+		$this->deprecateTo = $destinationObject;
+		return $this;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return array
+	 */
+	public function jsonSerializeIdentifier() {
+		$data = [
+			'identifier' => $this->identifier,
+			'identifierAliases' => $this->identifierAliases,
+		];
+		if ($this->deprecateTo) {
+			$data['deprecateTo'] = $this->deprecateTo->getIdentifier();
+		}
+		return $data;
+	}
+
 }