diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fc84d24..160c60c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ Which is based on [Keep A Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/)
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- feat: add gitlab_data_dir variable
+
 ## [v1.0.0] - 2020-04-11
 
 - first version
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index de603c9..bc16926 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Install and configure a Gitlab server
 ## Role variables
 
 - `gitlab_url` - set the gitlab url (default: `http://gitlab.example.com`)
+- `gitlab_data_dir` - set the path for repository
 - `gitlab_config` - set the config
 
 ```
diff --git a/molecule/default/converge.yml b/molecule/default/converge.yml
index abc5dc8..ad5cafc 100644
--- a/molecule/default/converge.yml
+++ b/molecule/default/converge.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   roles:
     - ansible-role-gitlab
   vars:
+    gitlab_data_dir: /opt/data/git
     gitlab_config:
       prometheus:
         enable: false
diff --git a/molecule/default/tests/test_default.py b/molecule/default/tests/test_default.py
index 2127091..70e6f4c 100644
--- a/molecule/default/tests/test_default.py
+++ b/molecule/default/tests/test_default.py
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ def test_packages(host):
   package = host.package('gitlab-ce')
   assert package.is_installed
 
+def test_git_directory(host):
+  path = host.file('/opt/data/git')
+  assert path.exists
+  assert path.is_directory
+
 def test_config_file(host):
   config = host.file('/etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb')
   assert config.exists
diff --git a/templates/gitlab.rb.j2 b/templates/gitlab.rb.j2
index b5ebc26..a1dfbfb 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab.rb.j2
+++ b/templates/gitlab.rb.j2
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 # {{ ansible_managed }}
 
 external_url '{{ gitlab_url }}'
+{% if gitlab_data_dir is defined %}
 
 git_data_dirs({
   "default" => {
     "path" => "{{ gitlab_data_dir }}"
    }
 })
+{% endif %}
 {% for module, options in gitlab_config.items() %}
 
 {% for option, value in options.items() %}