diff --git a/src/main/java/JettyLauncher.java b/src/main/java/JettyLauncher.java
index 7b85a1e..4bb5848 100644
--- a/src/main/java/JettyLauncher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/JettyLauncher.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
                         contextPath = dim[1];
                     } else if(dim[0].equals("--https") && (dim[1].equals("1") || dim[1].equals("true"))) {
                         forceHttps = true;
+                    } else if(dim[0].equals("--data")){
+                        System.setProperty("gitbucket.home", dim[1]);
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/main/scala/servlet/AutoUpdateListener.scala b/src/main/scala/servlet/AutoUpdateListener.scala
index 5ebc4cb..e38966d 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/servlet/AutoUpdateListener.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/servlet/AutoUpdateListener.scala
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
   /**
    * The version file (GITBUCKET_HOME/version).
    */
-  val versionFile = new File(GitBucketHome, "version")
+  lazy val versionFile = new File(GitBucketHome, "version")
   
   /**
    * Returns the current version from the version file.
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@
   private val logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(classOf[AutoUpdateListener])
   
   override def contextInitialized(event: ServletContextEvent): Unit = {
+    val datadir = event.getServletContext.getInitParameter("gitbucket.home")
+    if(datadir != null){
+      System.setProperty("gitbucket.home", datadir)
+    }
     org.h2.Driver.load()
     event.getServletContext.setInitParameter("db.url", s"jdbc:h2:${DatabaseHome}")
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/util/Directory.scala b/src/main/scala/util/Directory.scala
index 383a3be..8ea3325 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/util/Directory.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/util/Directory.scala
@@ -8,9 +8,15 @@
  */
 object Directory {
 
-  val GitBucketHome = (scala.util.Properties.envOrNone("GITBUCKET_HOME") match {
-    case Some(env) => new File(env)
-    case None => new File(System.getProperty("user.home"), "gitbucket")
+  val GitBucketHome = (System.getProperty("gitbucket.home") match {
+    // -Dgitbucket.home=<path>
+    case path if(path != null) => new File(path)
+    case _ => scala.util.Properties.envOrNone("GITBUCKET_HOME") match {
+      // environment variable GITBUCKET_HOME
+      case Some(env) => new File(env)
+      // default is HOME/gitbucket
+      case None => new File(System.getProperty("user.home"), "gitbucket")
+    }
   }).getAbsolutePath
 
   val GitBucketConf = new File(GitBucketHome, "gitbucket.conf")
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
index fbd2d05..481584b 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
@@ -27,28 +27,6 @@
     <servlet-name>GitRepositoryServlet</servlet-name>
     <url-pattern>/git/*</url-pattern>
   </servlet-mapping>
-  <!--
-  <filter>
-    <filter-name>TransactionFilter</filter-name>
-    <filter-class>servlet.TransactionFilter</filter-class>
-  </filter>
-  
-  <filter-mapping>
-    <filter-name>TransactionFilter</filter-name>
-    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
-  </filter-mapping>
-  -->
-  <!--
-  <filter>
-    <filter-name>BasicAuthenticationFilter</filter-name>
-    <filter-class>servlet.BasicAuthenticationFilter</filter-class>
-  </filter>
-  
-  <filter-mapping>
-    <filter-name>BasicAuthenticationFilter</filter-name>
-    <url-pattern>/git/*</url-pattern>
-  </filter-mapping>
-  -->
 
   <!-- ===================================================================== -->
   <!-- H2 database configuration -->
@@ -56,7 +34,7 @@
   <listener>
     <listener-class>servlet.AutoUpdateListener</listener-class>
   </listener>
-  
+
   <context-param>
     <param-name>db.user</param-name>
     <param-value>sa</param-value>
@@ -103,4 +81,14 @@
     <session-timeout>1440</session-timeout>
   </session-config>
 
+  <!-- ===================================================================== -->
+  <!-- Optional configurations -->
+  <!-- ===================================================================== -->
+  <!--
+  <context-param>
+    <param-name>gitbucket.home</param-name>
+    <param-value>PATH_TO_DATADIR</param-value>
+  </context-param>
+  -->
+
 </web-app>
\ No newline at end of file