diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_full.yml b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_full.yml
index 35165b596676718f74fcf01580d31614a58fbba0..98dfcfd53ad0437c79b92ad42b3d68efa126167d 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_full.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_full.yml
@@ -663,6 +663,33 @@ oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_test:
     DISTRIBUTION: debian
     RELEASE: bookworm
 
+oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_custom_datadir:
+  image: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/tezos/docker-images/ci-docker:v1.12.0
+  stage: publishing_tests
+  tags:
+  - gcp
+  needs:
+  - oc.docker-systemd_tests_debian
+  - apt_repo_debian
+  dependencies: []
+  timeout: 60 minutes
+  before_script:
+  - ./scripts/ci/docker_initialize.sh
+  script:
+  - ./scripts/ci/systemd-packages-test.sh scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
+    images/packages/debian-systemd-tests.Dockerfile
+  services:
+  - docker:${DOCKER_VERSION}-dind
+  variables:
+    DOCKER_VERSION: 24.0.7
+    FLAVOUR: systemd-tests
+    DEP_IMAGE: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE/tezos/$FLAVOUR-$DISTRIBUTION-$RELEASE
+    DEP_IMAGE_PROTECTED: ${GCP_PROTECTED_REGISTRY}/tezos/tezos/$FLAVOUR-$DISTRIBUTION-$RELEASE
+    PREFIX: ""
+    DISTRIBUTION: debian
+    RELEASE: bookworm
+    DATADIR: /custom/.tezos-node
+
 oc.upgrade_bin_debian_bookworm-systemd:
   image: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/tezos/docker-images/ci-docker:v1.12.0
   stage: publishing_tests
diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial.yml b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial.yml
index 32a720e870b6b433cad8fef7ddb1f9b636e4fd00..2919dfd62eff173b89d8b9c18ace2d8360ccf636 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial.yml
@@ -387,6 +387,33 @@ oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_test:
     DISTRIBUTION: debian
     RELEASE: bookworm
 
+oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_custom_datadir:
+  image: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/tezos/docker-images/ci-docker:v1.12.0
+  stage: publishing_tests
+  tags:
+  - gcp
+  needs:
+  - oc.docker-systemd_tests_debian
+  - apt_repo_debian
+  dependencies: []
+  timeout: 60 minutes
+  before_script:
+  - ./scripts/ci/docker_initialize.sh
+  script:
+  - ./scripts/ci/systemd-packages-test.sh scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
+    images/packages/debian-systemd-tests.Dockerfile
+  services:
+  - docker:${DOCKER_VERSION}-dind
+  variables:
+    DOCKER_VERSION: 24.0.7
+    FLAVOUR: systemd-tests
+    DEP_IMAGE: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE/tezos/$FLAVOUR-$DISTRIBUTION-$RELEASE
+    DEP_IMAGE_PROTECTED: ${GCP_PROTECTED_REGISTRY}/tezos/tezos/$FLAVOUR-$DISTRIBUTION-$RELEASE
+    PREFIX: ""
+    DISTRIBUTION: debian
+    RELEASE: bookworm
+    DATADIR: /custom/.tezos-node
+
 oc.upgrade_bin_debian_bookworm-systemd:
   image: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/tezos/docker-images/ci-docker:v1.12.0
   stage: publishing_tests
diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial_auto.yml b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial_auto.yml
index 8db875e24953aff1e1be7bcd03f5139bc18a3afc..401ec4fd9098c1924c83063522c5e32b5d6d7f5b 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial_auto.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/debian_repository_partial_auto.yml
@@ -387,6 +387,33 @@ oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_test:
     DISTRIBUTION: debian
     RELEASE: bookworm
 
+oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_custom_datadir:
+  image: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/tezos/docker-images/ci-docker:v1.12.0
+  stage: publishing_tests
+  tags:
+  - gcp
+  needs:
+  - oc.docker-systemd_tests_debian
+  - apt_repo_debian
+  dependencies: []
+  timeout: 60 minutes
+  before_script:
+  - ./scripts/ci/docker_initialize.sh
+  script:
+  - ./scripts/ci/systemd-packages-test.sh scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
+    images/packages/debian-systemd-tests.Dockerfile
+  services:
+  - docker:${DOCKER_VERSION}-dind
+  variables:
+    DOCKER_VERSION: 24.0.7
+    FLAVOUR: systemd-tests
+    DEP_IMAGE: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE/tezos/$FLAVOUR-$DISTRIBUTION-$RELEASE
+    DEP_IMAGE_PROTECTED: ${GCP_PROTECTED_REGISTRY}/tezos/tezos/$FLAVOUR-$DISTRIBUTION-$RELEASE
+    PREFIX: ""
+    DISTRIBUTION: debian
+    RELEASE: bookworm
+    DATADIR: /custom/.tezos-node
+
 oc.upgrade_bin_debian_bookworm-systemd:
   image: ${GCP_REGISTRY}/tezos/docker-images/ci-docker:v1.12.0
   stage: publishing_tests
diff --git a/ci/bin/debian_repository.ml b/ci/bin/debian_repository.ml
index ff2c7e7802dbefb17bc7303f9cdf608f54899121..0e8524b12b6bd8a83cff0592770feb3bfd0106ea 100644
--- a/ci/bin/debian_repository.ml
+++ b/ci/bin/debian_repository.ml
@@ -522,6 +522,29 @@ let jobs pipeline_type =
            scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh \
            images/packages/debian-systemd-tests.Dockerfile";
         ];
+      job_install_systemd_bin
+        ~__POS__
+        ~name:"oc.install_bin_debian_bookworm_systemd_custom_datadir"
+        ~dependencies:
+          (Dependent
+             [
+               Job job_docker_systemd_test_debian_dependencies;
+               Job job_apt_repo_debian;
+             ])
+        ~variables:
+          (variables
+             ~kind:"systemd-tests"
+             [
+               ("PREFIX", "");
+               ("DISTRIBUTION", "debian");
+               ("RELEASE", "bookworm");
+               ("DATADIR", "/custom/.tezos-node");
+             ])
+        [
+          "./scripts/ci/systemd-packages-test.sh \
+           scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh \
+           images/packages/debian-systemd-tests.Dockerfile";
+        ];
       job_install_systemd_bin
         ~__POS__
         ~name:"oc.upgrade_bin_debian_bookworm-systemd"
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-active.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-active.service
index c4d06be5062ce1923a208c34ff3416240907e060..4be9d69e4958df03564f351b25005696ca2e5b0f 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-active.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-active.service
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-baker-active
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-accuser-active
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 User=tezos
 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/octez-accuser-$PROTOCOL run $RUNTIME_OPTS"
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-next.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-next.service
index 702005221181cbb6303254222f11e5aad7075f21..e5d64662e64c60229eed05cd1139974070da2da3 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-next.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-accuser-next.service
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-baker-next
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-accuser-next
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 User=tezos
 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/octez-accuser-$PROTOCOL run $RUNTIME_OPTS"
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-active.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-active.service
index 453a403bbd8727a9a5a7737dbdbe0c205f225c54..3ad64254b29a7d0250e8c705eb4e0bc2a5167d36 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-active.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-active.service
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ After=network.target
 # We use the octez-node default to determine the node's DATADIR
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-node
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-baker-active
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 User=tezos
 
 # We wrap the command in /bin/sh to use identify the baker associated to $PROTOCOL
-ExecStart=/bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/octez-baker-$PROTOCOL --base-dir /var/tezos/.tezos-client run with local node $DATADIR --liquidity-baking-toggle-vote $LQVOTE $RUNTIME_OPTS $BAKING_KEY"
+ExecStart=/bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/octez-baker-$PROTOCOL --base-dir $HOME/.tezos-client run with local node $DATADIR --liquidity-baking-toggle-vote $LQVOTE $RUNTIME_OPTS $BAKING_KEY"
 
 ExecStartPre=+touch /var/log/tezos/baker-active.log
 ExecStartPre=+chown tezos:tezos /var/log/tezos/baker-active.log
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-next.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-next.service
index 9c5c2303f20a6456559907c8fa1d06893e5e8f3c..4ebfb4a6c2044c1f3eab72a76a566d9301800557 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-next.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.octez-baker-next.service
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ After=network.target
 # We use the octez-node default to determine the node's DATADIR
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-node
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-baker-next
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 User=tezos
 
 # We wrap the command in /bin/sh to use identify the baker associated to $PROTOCOL
-ExecStart=/bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/octez-baker-$PROTOCOL --base-dir /var/tezos/.tezos-client run with local node $DATADIR --liquidity-baking-toggle-vote $LQVOTE $RUNTIME_OPTS $BAKING_KEY"
+ExecStart=/bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/octez-baker-$PROTOCOL --base-dir $HOME/.tezos-client run with local node $DATADIR --liquidity-baking-toggle-vote $LQVOTE $RUNTIME_OPTS $BAKING_KEY"
 
 ExecStartPre=+touch /var/log/tezos/baker-next.log
 ExecStartPre=+chown tezos:tezos /var/log/tezos/baker-next.log
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-dal-node.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-dal-node.service
index edd701ebb285e84d3c222948e6b585c7e30c9936..7b0c756ed2d0e724debca1fcd79ea9c7e0494c9a 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-dal-node.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-dal-node.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 
 [Service]
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-dal-node
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 User=tezos
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/octez-dal-node run $RUNTIME_OPTS
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst
index 3b9324acf3bb6daaac80ce6cbbfc04c7625c2fed..8320d4868ac64f302e542269f827437492414263 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ set -e
 
 db_version 2.0
 
-TEZOS_HOME=/var/tezos
+if [ -e /etc/default/octez-node ]; then
+  . /etc/default/octez-node
+  TEZOS_HOME=$(dirname $DATADIR)
+fi
 
 # work directory to store temporary files associated to this package
 mkdir -p /run/octez-node
@@ -24,12 +27,11 @@ configure)
   if [ -z "${2:-}" ] || [ -z "$DPKG_RUNNING_VERSION" ]; then
     # these are the defaults for the package and only used
     # in the "configure" stage.
-    DATADIR="$TEZOS_HOME/.tezos-node"
 
     # shellcheck disable=SC2119
     if ! id "tezos" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
       adduser --quiet --disabled-password \
-        --home $TEZOS_HOME --shell /bin/bash \
+        --home "$TEZOS_HOME" --shell /bin/bash \
         --gecos "admin user for octez" tezos
     else
       # setup data directory in case the tezos user was already present
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ configure)
       db_get octez-node/history-mode
       HISTORY_MODE=${RET}
 
-      if [ ! -e $DATADIR/config.json ]; then
+      if [ ! -e "$DATADIR/config.json" ]; then
         su tezos -c "/usr/bin/octez-node config init --data-dir=$DATADIR            --network=\"$NETWORK\" \
               --history-mode=\"$HISTORY_MODE\" \
               --net-addr=\"[::]:9732\" \
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm
index 87dec5e9449e4f6d0b63f1822cf2d1b36d883f73..fe5e6dfa25bc331fcc6912d6bf381c3754c053e7 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ set -e
 # wrapper script if available
 debsystemctl=$(command -v deb-systemd-invoke || echo systemctl)
 
+if [ -e /etc/default/octez-node ]; then
+  . /etc/default/octez-node
+fi
+
 case "${1}" in
 remove)
   # Clean up the temporary directory
@@ -18,7 +22,6 @@ remove)
   rm -Rf /run/octez-node
   ;;
 purge)
-  DATADIR=/var/tezos
   # display a warning before proceding
   db_get octez-node/purge_warning || true
   case "$RET" in
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.service
index 4ab7ccdef46216d1f76c9311ae5a2bc5de1cb583..b3f3362cd5ab84050d57a222407d041b769be05a 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.service
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 TimeoutSec=600s
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-node
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 TimeoutSec=1500
 User=tezos
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-smart-rollup-node.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-smart-rollup-node.service
index 72d0577f21a861d53e46fcebaaedd5b63941706f..6e5505f7d5c13b386e8046076ca8007e99b83344 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-smart-rollup-node.service
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-smart-rollup-node.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ After=network.target octez-node.service
 
 [Service]
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/octez-smart-rollup-node
-WorkingDirectory=/var/tezos
+WorkingDirectory=~
 Restart=on-failure
 User=tezos
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/octez-smart-rollup-node run $RUNTIME_OPTS
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/octez-node-prestart.sh b/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/octez-node-prestart.sh
index 87a3ba1edad7827f34d9ec456bcba3b9df839d5f..c971e6ba5f573ca47d5220bef2fa34113ca5b049 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/octez-node-prestart.sh
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/octez-node-prestart.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ if [ "$(whoami)" != "tezos" ]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-DATADIR=/var/tezos/.tezos-node
+if [ -e /etc/default/octez-node ]; then
+  #shellcheck disable=SC1091
+  . /etc/default/octez-node
+fi
 
 # Function to get a Debconf value
 get_value() {
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/snapshot-import.sh b/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/snapshot-import.sh
index c0cb229dbcec043bce00027104637ebf39359653..29faf20dd4a4f5959126c626ecb85424fadaca17 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/snapshot-import.sh
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/scripts/snapshot-import.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ fi
 NETWORK=mainnet
 HISTORY_MODE=rolling
 SNAPSHOT_NO_CHECK=""
-DATADIR=/var/tezos/.tezos-node
+
+if [ -e /etc/default/octez-node ]; then
+  #shellcheck disable=SC1091
+  . /etc/default/octez-node
+fi
 
 # Function to display help message
 display_help() {
@@ -62,7 +66,7 @@ trap 'rm -f /tmp/$HISTORY_MODE' EXIT
 # We simply check if the config file exist. But we don't
 # try to update the octez node configuration. Trying to
 # do anything automatically might lead to data loss.
-if [ ! -e $DATADIR/config.json ]; then
+if [ ! -e "$DATADIR/config.json" ]; then
   echo "Init node in $DATADIR"
   /usr/bin/octez-node config init --data-dir="$DATADIR" \
     --network="$NETWORK" \
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh b/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
index 7e40d8ff55bf40e3e93c33453a5a49403828ce2a..a082a44ebe56e57ff8356a6e027e7d03650d3148 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
+++ b/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 set -eu
 set -x
 
-REPO="https://storage.googleapis.com/$GCP_LINUX_PACKAGES_BUCKET/$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME"
+REPO="https://storage.googleapis.com/${GCP_LINUX_PACKAGES_BUCKET:-tezos-linux-repo}/$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME"
 DISTRO=$1
 RELEASE=$2
+DATADIR=${3:-}
 
 # For the upgrade script in the CI, we do not want debconf to ask questions
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
@@ -44,6 +45,15 @@ fi
 
 sudo apt-get install -y octez-baker
 
+if [ -n "$DATADIR" ]; then
+  echo "Setup Custom data dir"
+  usermod -m -d /custom tezos
+  if [ -e /var/tezos/.tezos-node ]; then
+    cp -a /var/tezos/.tezos-node /custom/
+  fi
+  echo "DATADIR=/custom/.tezos-node" >> /etc/default/octez-node
+fi
+
 sudo systemctl enable octez-node
 sudo systemctl start octez-node.service
 sudo systemctl status octez-node.service
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/tests/systemd-docker-test.sh b/scripts/packaging/tests/systemd-docker-test.sh
index 441ac4c6870581796b2d72a0ec6128d754a15c5e..1746858d1fdad9001af97feb9e8da85804a02023 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/tests/systemd-docker-test.sh
+++ b/scripts/packaging/tests/systemd-docker-test.sh
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ docker exec \
   -e "CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA=$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA" \
   -e "GCP_LINUX_PACKAGES_BUCKET=$GCP_LINUX_PACKAGES_BUCKET" \
   -i systemd \
-  /bin/sh -c "$TESTFILE $DISTRIBUTION $RELEASE"
+  /bin/sh -c "$TESTFILE $DISTRIBUTION $RELEASE ${DATADIR:-}"
 
 # Capture exit status
 EXIT=$?