diff --git a/backuppc/manifests/init.pp b/backuppc/manifests/init.pp
index 3dfe6bd..198e2c6 100644
--- a/backuppc/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/backuppc/manifests/init.pp
@@ -58,6 +58,24 @@ class backuppc::server {
                      Group["backuppc"], ],
     }
 
+    if $backuppc_datadir {
+        file { "${backuppc_datadir}":
+            ensure  => directory,
+            mode    => 0750,
+            owner   => backuppc,
+            group   => root,
+        }
+
+        file { "/var/lib/BackupPC":
+            ensure  => "${backuppc_datadir}",
+            force   => true,
+            backup  => ".orig",
+            require => [ Package["BackupPC"], File["${backuppc_datadir}"] ],
+            before  => [ Exec["generate-backuppc-sshkey"],
+                         Service["backuppc"], ],
+        }
+    }
+
     apache::configfile { "BackupPC.conf":
         http    => false,
         content => template("backuppc/BackupPC.conf.erb"),