diff --git a/server/core/adminusers.c b/server/core/adminusers.c
index e20f9d1c3..53734e9cc 100644
--- a/server/core/adminusers.c
+++ b/server/core/adminusers.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ char	fname[1024], *home;
 char	uname[80], passwd[80];
 
 	initialise();
-    sprintf(fname, "%s/passwd", get_cachedir());
+    sprintf(fname, "%s/passwd", get_datadir());
 	if ((fp = fopen(fname, "r")) == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 	if ((rval = users_alloc()) == NULL)
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ FILE	*fp;
 char	fname[1024], *home, *cpasswd;
 
 	initialise();
-    sprintf(fname, "%s/passwd", get_cachedir());
+    sprintf(fname, "%s/passwd", get_datadir());
         
 	if (users == NULL)
 	{
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ char* admin_remove_user(
         /**
          * Open passwd file and remove user from the file.
          */
-        sprintf(fname, "%s/passwd", get_cachedir());
-        sprintf(fname_tmp, "%s/passwd_tmp", get_cachedir());
+        sprintf(fname, "%s/passwd", get_datadir());
+        sprintf(fname_tmp, "%s/passwd_tmp", get_datadir());
         /**
          * Rewrite passwd file from memory.
          */
diff --git a/server/core/gateway.c b/server/core/gateway.c
index 462d28e8e..3ab50609b 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.c
+++ b/server/core/gateway.c
@@ -1047,6 +1047,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		    break;
 		case 'D':
 		    sprintf(datadir,"%s",optarg);
+		    maxscaledatadir = strdup(optarg);
 		    datadir_defined = true;
 		    break;
 		case 'C':
diff --git a/server/core/gwdirs.c b/server/core/gwdirs.c
index 9bf0185cd..1fe8af008 100644
--- a/server/core/gwdirs.c
+++ b/server/core/gwdirs.c
@@ -17,3 +17,13 @@ char* get_cachedir()
 {
     return cachedir?cachedir:(char*)default_cachedir;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * Get the service cache directory
+ * @return The path to the cache directory
+ */
+char* get_datadir()
+{
+    return maxscaledatadir?maxscaledatadir:(char*)default_datadir;
+}
diff --git a/server/core/secrets.c b/server/core/secrets.c
index b0ddc084b..2ec3e75a9 100644
--- a/server/core/secrets.c
+++ b/server/core/secrets.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int		fd;
 int             len;
 static int	reported = 0;
 
-	snprintf(secret_file, PATH_MAX, "%s/.secrets", get_cachedir());
+	snprintf(secret_file, PATH_MAX, "%s/.secrets", get_datadir());
 
 	/* Try to access secrets file */
 	if (access(secret_file, R_OK) == -1) 
diff --git a/server/include/gwdirs.h.in b/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
index ac8fcf4af..66e34426f 100644
--- a/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
+++ b/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ static const char* default_cnf_fname = "maxscale.cnf";
 static const char* default_configdir = "/etc/";
 static const char* default_piddir = "/var/run/maxscale/";
 static const char* default_logdir = "/var/log/maxscale/";
-static const char* default_datadir = "/var/cache/maxscale/";
+static const char* default_datadir = "/var/lib/maxscale/";
 static const char* default_libdir = "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_LIBDIR@";
 static const char* default_cachedir = "/var/cache/maxscale/";
 static const char* default_langdir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/lib/maxscale/";
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ static char* configdir = NULL;
 static char* logdir = NULL;
 static char* libdir = NULL;
 static char* cachedir = NULL;
+static char* maxscaledatadir = NULL;
 static char* langdir = NULL;
 
 char* get_libdir();
+char* get_datadir();
 char* get_cachedir();
 #endif
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_file.c b/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_file.c
index 32fbad28c..91944eea1 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_file.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_file.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ struct dirent	*dp;
 
 	if (router->binlogdir == NULL)
 	{
-		strcpy(path, get_cachedir());
+		strcpy(path, get_datadir());
 		strncat(path,"/",PATH_MAX);
 		strncat(path, router->service->name,PATH_MAX);
 
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ blr_cache_response(ROUTER_INSTANCE *router, char *response, GWBUF *buf)
 char	path[PATH_MAX+1], *ptr;
 int	fd;
 
-	strcpy(path,get_cachedir());
+	strcpy(path,get_datadir());
 	strncat(path,"/",PATH_MAX);
 	strncat(path, router->service->name, PATH_MAX);
 
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ char	path[PATH_MAX+1], *ptr;
 int	fd;
 GWBUF	*buf;
 
-	strcpy(path, get_cachedir());
+	strcpy(path, get_datadir());
 	strncat(path, "/", PATH_MAX);
 	strncat(path, router->service->name, PATH_MAX);
 	strncat(path, "/.cache/", PATH_MAX);