diff --git a/Dockerfile.template b/Dockerfile.template
index 878d10f..7a471be 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.template
+++ b/Dockerfile.template
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ RUN mkdir /cache/ /senpy-plugins /data/
 
 VOLUME /data/
 
-ENV PIP_CACHE_DIR=/cache/
+ENV PIP_CACHE_DIR=/cache/ SENPY_DATA=/data
 
 ONBUILD COPY . /senpy-plugins/
 ONBUILD RUN python -m senpy --only-install -f /senpy-plugins
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ RUN pip install --use-wheel -r test-requirements.txt -r requirements.txt
 COPY . /usr/src/app/
 RUN pip install --no-deps --no-index .
 
-ENTRYPOINT ["python", "-m", "senpy", "-f", "/senpy-plugins/", "--host", "0.0.0.0"]
\ No newline at end of file
+ENTRYPOINT ["python", "-m", "senpy", "-f", "/senpy-plugins/", "--host", "0.0.0.0"]
diff --git a/senpy/plugins/__init__.py b/senpy/plugins/__init__.py
index fdc6882..9f5e889 100644
--- a/senpy/plugins/__init__.py
+++ b/senpy/plugins/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ standard_library.install_aliases()
 
 import inspect
 import os.path
+import os
 import pickle
 import logging
 import tempfile
@@ -92,8 +93,8 @@ class ShelfMixin(object):
     @property
     def shelf_file(self):
         if 'shelf_file' not in self or not self['shelf_file']:
-            self.shelf_file = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(),
-                                           self.name + '.p')
+            sd = os.environ.get('SENPY_DATA', tempfile.gettempdir())
+            self.shelf_file = os.path.join(sd, self.name + '.p')
         return self['shelf_file']
 
     def save(self):