diff --git a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
index 5d95b26b..58002014 100644
--- a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QProcess>
 #include <QTime>
+#include <QStorageInfo>
+#include <QVariantMap>
+#include <QVariant>
+#include <QMap>
 
 namespace {
     static const int DAEMON_START_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 30;
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ DaemonManager *DaemonManager::instance(const QStringList *args)
     return m_instance;
 }
 
-bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, bool testnet)
+bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, bool testnet, const QString &dataDir)
 {
     // prepare command line arguments and pass to monerod
     QStringList arguments;
@@ -54,8 +58,19 @@ bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, bool testnet)
             arguments << str;
     }
 
+    // Custom data-dir
+    if(!dataDir.isEmpty()) {
+        if(testnet)
+            arguments << "--testnet-data-dir";
+        else
+            arguments << "--data-dir";
+        arguments << dataDir;
+    }
+
     arguments << "--check-updates" << "disabled";
 
+
+
     qDebug() << "starting monerod " + m_monerod;
     qDebug() << "With command line arguments " << arguments;
 
@@ -236,6 +251,44 @@ void DaemonManager::exit()
     m_app_exit = true;
 }
 
+QVariantMap DaemonManager::validateDataDir(const QString &dataDir) const
+{
+    QVariantMap result;
+    bool valid = true;
+    bool readOnly = false;
+    int  storageAvailable = 0;
+    bool lmdbExists = true;
+
+    QStorageInfo storage(dataDir);
+    if (storage.isValid() && storage.isReady()) {
+        if (storage.isReadOnly()) {
+            readOnly = true;
+            valid = false;
+        }
+
+        // Make sure there is 20GB storage available
+        storageAvailable = storage.bytesAvailable()/1000/1000/1000;
+        if (storageAvailable < 20) {
+            valid = false;
+        }
+    } else {
+        valid = false;
+    }
+
+
+    if (!QDir(dataDir+"/lmdb").exists()) {
+        lmdbExists = false;
+        valid = false;
+    }
+
+    result.insert("valid", valid);
+    result.insert("lmdbExists", lmdbExists);
+    result.insert("readOnly", readOnly);
+    result.insert("storageAvailable", storageAvailable);
+
+    return result;
+}
+
 DaemonManager::DaemonManager(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
 {
diff --git a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
index 428630e1..2b9c8b84 100644
--- a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
+++ b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QUrl>
 #include <QProcess>
+#include <QVariantMap>
 
 class DaemonManager : public QObject
 {
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ public:
 
     static DaemonManager * instance(const QStringList *args);
 
-    Q_INVOKABLE bool start(const QString &flags, bool testnet);
+    Q_INVOKABLE bool start(const QString &flags, bool testnet, const QString &dataDir = "");
     Q_INVOKABLE bool stop(bool testnet);
 
     // return true if daemon process is started
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ public:
     // Send daemon command from qml and prints output in console window.
     Q_INVOKABLE bool sendCommand(const QString &cmd, bool testnet) const;
     Q_INVOKABLE void exit();
+    Q_INVOKABLE QVariantMap validateDataDir(const QString &dataDir) const;
 
 private: