diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 656aafd5..d6f916e1 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ func (c *Config) CheckLoggerConfig() error {
 	log.GlobalLogConfig = &c.Logging
 	log.RWM.Unlock()
 
-	logPath := filepath.Join(common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS), "logs")
+	logPath := c.GetDataPath("logs")
 	err := common.CreateDir(logPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1325,7 +1325,7 @@ func (c *Config) checkGCTScriptConfig() error {
 		c.GCTScript.MaxVirtualMachines = gctscript.DefaultMaxVirtualMachines
 	}
 
-	scriptPath := filepath.Join(common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS), "scripts")
+	scriptPath := c.GetDataPath("scripts")
 	err := common.CreateDir(scriptPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1362,7 +1362,7 @@ func (c *Config) checkDatabaseConfig() error {
 	}
 
 	if c.Database.Driver == database.DBSQLite || c.Database.Driver == database.DBSQLite3 {
-		databaseDir := filepath.Join(common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS), "database")
+		databaseDir := c.GetDataPath("database")
 		err := common.CreateDir(databaseDir)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -1845,3 +1845,14 @@ func (c *Config) AssetTypeEnabled(a asset.Item, exch string) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	return true, nil
 }
+
+// GetDataPath gets the data path for the given subpath
+func (c *Config) GetDataPath(elem ...string) string {
+	var baseDir string
+	if c.DataDirectory != "" {
+		baseDir = c.DataDirectory
+	} else {
+		baseDir = common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS)
+	}
+	return filepath.Join(append([]string{baseDir}, elem...)...)
+}
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 39985340..68c3d7bd 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -2034,3 +2036,43 @@ func TestRemoveExchange(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("exchange shouldn't exist")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetDataPath(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		dir  string
+		elem []string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "empty",
+			dir:  "",
+			elem: []string{},
+			want: common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "empty a b",
+			dir:  "",
+			elem: []string{"a", "b"},
+			want: filepath.Join(common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS), "a", "b"),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "target",
+			dir:  "target",
+			elem: []string{"a", "b"},
+			want: filepath.Join("target", "a", "b"),
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			c := &Config{
+				DataDirectory: tt.dir,
+			}
+			if got := c.GetDataPath(tt.elem...); got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("Config.GetDataPath() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/config/config_types.go b/config/config_types.go
index 57e08dcf..0af2cb2a 100644
--- a/config/config_types.go
+++ b/config/config_types.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ var (
 // Exchanges
 type Config struct {
 	Name              string                  `json:"name"`
+	DataDirectory     string                  `json:"dataDirectory"`
 	EncryptConfig     int                     `json:"encryptConfig"`
 	GlobalHTTPTimeout time.Duration           `json:"globalHTTPTimeout"`
 	Database          database.Config         `json:"database"`
diff --git a/config_example.json b/config_example.json
index 1bd16444..a43e7974 100644
--- a/config_example.json
+++ b/config_example.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
  "name": "Skynet",
+ "dataDirectory": "",
  "encryptConfig": 0,
  "globalHTTPTimeout": 15000000000,
  "database": {
diff --git a/engine/engine.go b/engine/engine.go
index 303c3dbc..2b3627c4 100644
--- a/engine/engine.go
+++ b/engine/engine.go
@@ -70,16 +70,13 @@ func NewFromSettings(settings *Settings) (*Engine, error) {
 	if settings == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("engine: settings is nil")
 	}
+	// collect flags
+	flag.Visit(func(f *flag.Flag) { flagSet[f.Name] = true })
 
 	var b Engine
-	b.Config = &config.Cfg
-	filePath, err := config.GetFilePath(settings.ConfigFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	var err error
 
-	log.Printf("Loading config file %s..\n", filePath)
-	err = b.Config.LoadConfig(filePath, settings.EnableDryRun)
+	b.Config, err = loadConfigWithSettings(settings)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load config. Err: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -95,8 +92,8 @@ func NewFromSettings(settings *Settings) (*Engine, error) {
 		gctlog.Infoln(gctlog.Global, "Logger initialised.")
 	}
 
-	b.Settings.ConfigFile = filePath
-	b.Settings.DataDir = settings.DataDir
+	b.Settings.ConfigFile = settings.ConfigFile
+	b.Settings.DataDir = b.Config.GetDataPath()
 	b.Settings.CheckParamInteraction = settings.CheckParamInteraction
 
 	err = utils.AdjustGoMaxProcs(settings.GoMaxProcs)
@@ -104,14 +101,38 @@ func NewFromSettings(settings *Settings) (*Engine, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to adjust runtime GOMAXPROCS value. Err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	ValidateSettings(&b, settings)
+	validateSettings(&b, settings)
 	return &b, nil
 }
 
-// ValidateSettings validates and sets all bot settings
-func ValidateSettings(b *Engine, s *Settings) {
-	flag.Visit(func(f *flag.Flag) { flagSet[f.Name] = true })
+// loadConfigWithSettings creates configuration based on the provided settings
+func loadConfigWithSettings(settings *Settings) (*config.Config, error) {
+	filePath, err := config.GetFilePath(settings.ConfigFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	log.Printf("Loading config file %s..\n", filePath)
 
+	conf := &config.Cfg
+	err = conf.ReadConfig(filePath, settings.EnableDryRun)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(config.ErrFailureOpeningConfig, filePath, err)
+	}
+	// Apply overrides from settings
+	if flagSet["datadir"] {
+		// warn if dryrun isn't enabled
+		if !settings.EnableDryRun {
+			log.Println("Command line argument '-datadir' induces dry run mode.")
+		}
+		settings.EnableDryRun = true
+		conf.DataDirectory = settings.DataDir
+	}
+
+	return conf, conf.CheckConfig()
+}
+
+// validateSettings validates and sets all bot settings
+func validateSettings(b *Engine, s *Settings) {
 	b.Settings.Verbose = s.Verbose
 	b.Settings.EnableDryRun = s.EnableDryRun
 	b.Settings.EnableAllExchanges = s.EnableAllExchanges
diff --git a/engine/engine_test.go b/engine/engine_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e53387c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/engine_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/thrasher-corp/gocryptotrader/config"
+)
+
+func TestLoadConfigWithSettings(t *testing.T) {
+	empty := ""
+	somePath := "somePath"
+	// Clean up after the tests
+	defer os.RemoveAll(somePath)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		flags    []string
+		settings *Settings
+		want     *string
+		wantErr  bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "invalid file",
+			settings: &Settings{
+				ConfigFile: "nonExistent.json",
+			},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "test file",
+			settings: &Settings{
+				ConfigFile:   config.TestFile,
+				EnableDryRun: true,
+			},
+			want:    &empty,
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "data dir in settings overrides config data dir",
+			flags: []string{"datadir"},
+			settings: &Settings{
+				ConfigFile:   config.TestFile,
+				DataDir:      somePath,
+				EnableDryRun: true,
+			},
+			want:    &somePath,
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// prepare the 'flags'
+			flagSet = make(map[string]bool)
+			for _, v := range tt.flags {
+				flagSet[v] = true
+			}
+			// Run the test
+			got, err := loadConfigWithSettings(tt.settings)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("loadConfigWithSettings() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if got != nil || tt.want != nil {
+				if (got == nil && tt.want != nil) || (got != nil && tt.want == nil) {
+					t.Errorf("loadConfigWithSettings() = is nil %v, want nil %v", got == nil, tt.want == nil)
+				} else if got.DataDirectory != *tt.want {
+					t.Errorf("loadConfigWithSettings() = %v, want %v", got.DataDirectory, *tt.want)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}