diff --git a/roles/zoneminder/tasks/main.yml b/roles/zoneminder/tasks/main.yml
index 80a7908..87e5d46 100644
--- a/roles/zoneminder/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/zoneminder/tasks/main.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,29 @@
     name: zoneminder-httpd
     state: installed
 
+- name: fix selinux contexts from data directory
+  sefcontext:
+    path: "/export/zoneminder(/.*)?"
+    setype: zoneminder_var_lib_t
+
+- name: create data directory
+  file:
+    path: /export/zoneminder
+    state: directory
+    mode: 0750
+    owner: apache
+    group: apache
+    setype: _default
+
+- name: link data directory
+  file:
+    dest: /srv/zoneminder
+    src: /export/zoneminder
+    state: link
+    owner: root
+    group: "{{ ansible_wheel }}"
+    follow: false
+
 - name: create config
   template:
     dest: /etc/zm/conf.d/local.conf
diff --git a/roles/zoneminder/templates/zm.conf b/roles/zoneminder/templates/zm.conf
index 43ac372..b420a31 100644
--- a/roles/zoneminder/templates/zm.conf
+++ b/roles/zoneminder/templates/zm.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # {{ ansible_managed }}
 
+ZM_DIR_EVENTS=/srv/zoneminder
+
 ZM_DB_HOST=localhost
 ZM_DB_NAME=zm
 ZM_DB_USER=zmuser