diff --git a/src/bin/pungi.py b/src/bin/pungi.py
index 5f92c412..51e659b5 100755
--- a/src/bin/pungi.py
+++ b/src/bin/pungi.py
@@ -62,6 +62,15 @@ def main():
     else:
         print >> sys.stdout, "Warning: Reusing existing destination directory."
 
+    if not os.path.exists(config.get('pungi', 'workdirbase')):
+        try:
+            os.makedirs(config.get('pungi', 'workdirbase'))
+        except OSError, e:
+            print >> sys.stderr, "Error: Cannot create working base dir %s" % config.get('pungi', 'workdirbase')
+            sys.exit(1)
+    else:
+        print >> sys.stdout, "Warning: Reusing existing working base directory."
+
     cachedir = config.get('pungi', 'cachedir')
 
     if not os.path.exists(cachedir):
@@ -242,6 +251,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
           help='Multilib method; can be specified multiple times; recommended: devel, runtime')
         parser.add_option("--lookaside-repo", action="append", dest="lookaside_repos", metavar="NAME",
           help='Specify lookaside repo name(s) (packages will used for depsolving but not be included in the output)')
+        parser.add_option("--workdirbase", dest="workdirbase", type="string",
+          action="callback", callback=set_config, callback_args=(config, ),
+          help='base working directory (defaults to destdir + /work)')
 
         parser.add_option("-c", "--config", dest="config",
           help='Path to kickstart config file')
diff --git a/src/pypungi/__init__.py b/src/pypungi/__init__.py
index 6c65bc92..e8cdf964 100644
--- a/src/pypungi/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pypungi/__init__.py
@@ -124,8 +124,7 @@ class PungiBase(object):
             self.compatible_arches[i] = arch_module.get_compatible_arches(i)
 
         self.doLoggerSetup()
-        self.workdir = os.path.join(self.config.get('pungi', 'destdir'),
-                                    'work',
+        self.workdir = os.path.join(self.config.get('pungi', 'workdirbase'),
                                     self.config.get('pungi', 'flavor'),
                                     self.tree_arch)
 
diff --git a/src/pypungi/config.py b/src/pypungi/config.py
index 68759a8a..e0bcf6fc 100644
--- a/src/pypungi/config.py
+++ b/src/pypungi/config.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class Config(SafeConfigParser):
         self.set('pungi', 'version', time.strftime('%Y%m%d', time.localtime()))
         self.set('pungi', 'flavor', '')
         self.set('pungi', 'destdir', os.getcwd())
+        self.set('pungi', 'workdirbase', "%s/work" % self.get('pungi', 'destdir'))
         self.set('pungi', 'bugurl', 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com')
         self.set('pungi', 'cdsize', '695.0')
         self.set('pungi', 'debuginfo', "True")