diff --git a/pkg/backup/backup.go b/pkg/backup/backup.go
index a430712fd2..11690fc809 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/backup.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/backup.go
@@ -645,6 +645,17 @@ func (kb *kubernetesBackupper) executeItemBlockActions(
 				name:          relatedItem.Name,
 				inItemBlock:   true,
 			})
+
+			relatedItemMetadata, err := meta.Accessor(item)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.WithError(errors.WithStack(err)).Warn("Failed to get object metadata.")
+				continue
+			}
+			// Don't add to ItemBlock if item is excluded
+			// itemInclusionChecks logs the reason
+			if !itemBlock.itemBackupper.itemInclusionChecks(log, false, relatedItemMetadata, item, relatedItem.GroupResource) {
+				continue
+			}
 			log.Infof("adding %s %s/%s to ItemBlock", relatedItem.GroupResource, relatedItem.Namespace, relatedItem.Name)
 			itemBlock.AddUnstructured(relatedItem.GroupResource, item, gvr)
 			kb.executeItemBlockActions(log, item, relatedItem.GroupResource, relatedItem.Name, relatedItem.Namespace, itemsMap, itemBlock)
@@ -660,15 +671,11 @@ func (kb *kubernetesBackupper) backupItemBlock(ctx context.Context, itemBlock Ba
 	itemBlock.Log.Debug("Executing pre hooks")
 	for _, item := range itemBlock.Items {
 		if item.Gr == kuberesource.Pods {
-			metadata, key, err := kb.itemMetadataAndKey(item)
+			_, key, err := kb.itemMetadataAndKey(item)
 			if err != nil {
 				itemBlock.Log.WithError(errors.WithStack(err)).Error("Error accessing pod metadata")
 				continue
 			}
-			// Don't run hooks if pod is excluded
-			if !itemBlock.itemBackupper.itemInclusionChecks(itemBlock.Log, false, metadata, item.Item, item.Gr) {
-				continue
-			}
 			// Don't run hooks if pod has already been backed up
 			if !itemBlock.itemBackupper.backupRequest.BackedUpItems.Has(key) {
 				preHookPods = append(preHookPods, item)
diff --git a/pkg/backup/itemblock.go b/pkg/backup/itemblock.go
index 4ea8e74b1f..b845e03ea3 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/itemblock.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/itemblock.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 
 	"github.com/vmware-tanzu/velero/pkg/itemblock"
@@ -60,6 +61,18 @@ func (b *BackupItemBlock) addKubernetesResource(item *kubernetesResource, log lo
 		log.WithError(errors.WithStack(err)).Error("Error decoding JSON from file")
 		return nil
 	}
+
+	metadata, err := meta.Accessor(unstructured)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(errors.WithStack(err)).Warn("Error accessing item metadata")
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Don't add to ItemBlock if item is excluded
+	// itemInclusionChecks logs the reason
+	if !b.itemBackupper.itemInclusionChecks(log, false, metadata, &unstructured, item.groupResource) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	log.Infof("adding %s %s/%s to ItemBlock", item.groupResource, item.namespace, item.name)
 	b.AddUnstructured(item.groupResource, &unstructured, item.preferredGVR)
 	return &unstructured