diff --git a/src/database.rs b/src/database.rs
index 307b48a..c7fc954 100644
--- a/src/database.rs
+++ b/src/database.rs
@@ -701,10 +701,15 @@ pub struct OpenResult {
 
 pub const DATABASE_FILENAME: &str = "upend.sqlite3";
 
-pub fn open_upend<P: AsRef<Path>>(dirpath: P, reinitialize: bool) -> Result<OpenResult> {
+pub fn open_upend<P: AsRef<Path>>(
+    dirpath: P,
+    db_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    reinitialize: bool,
+) -> Result<OpenResult> {
     embed_migrations!("./migrations/upend/");
 
-    let database_path: PathBuf = dirpath.as_ref().join(DATABASE_FILENAME);
+    let database_path = db_path.unwrap_or_else(|| dirpath.as_ref().join(DATABASE_FILENAME));
+
     if reinitialize {
         let _ = fs::remove_file(&database_path);
     }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index f54d2b9..0a60a8c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 .help("address and port to bind the Web interface on")
                 .required(true),
         )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::with_name("DB_PATH")
+                .long("db-path")
+                .help("path to sqlite db file (\"$VAULT_PATH/upend.sqlite\" by default)"),
+        )
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("NO_BROWSER")
                 .long("no-browser")
@@ -73,8 +78,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     let vault_path = PathBuf::from(matches.value_of("DIRECTORY").unwrap());
 
-    let open_result = database::open_upend(&vault_path, matches.is_present("REINITIALIZE"))
-        .expect("failed to open database!");
+    let open_result = database::open_upend(
+        &vault_path,
+        matches.value_of("DB_PATH").map(PathBuf::from),
+        matches.is_present("REINITIALIZE"),
+    )
+    .expect("failed to open database!");
 
     let db_pool = open_result.pool;