diff --git a/docker-compose/Makefile b/docker-compose/Makefile
index 0b2f8f7c2a3acec4948ca50cb45a3d9a401d89de..6c2e767c8dfcac11cd1fb1d54f035e7b73b1f48a 100644
--- a/docker-compose/Makefile
+++ b/docker-compose/Makefile
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 DOCKER_COMPOSE_ARGS := DISPLAY=$(DISPLAY) XAUTHORITY=$(XAUTHORITY) TANGO_HOST=$(TANGO_HOST) \
-		NETWORK_MODE=$(NETWORK_MODE) XAUTHORITY_MOUNT=$(XAUTHORITY_MOUNT) TANGO_SKA_CONTAINER_MOUNT=$(TANGO_SKA_CONTAINER_MOUNT) TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_MOUNT=$(TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_MOUNT) MYSQL_HOST=$(MYSQL_HOST) \
+		NETWORK_MODE=$(NETWORK_MODE) XAUTHORITY_MOUNT=$(XAUTHORITY_MOUNT) TANGO_SKA_CONTAINER_MOUNT=$(TANGO_SKA_CONTAINER_MOUNT) TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_MOUNT=$(TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_MOUNT) TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_DIR=${TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_DIR} MYSQL_HOST=$(MYSQL_HOST) \
 		CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX=$(CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX) COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS=true
 
 
diff --git a/docker-compose/jupyter.yml b/docker-compose/jupyter.yml
index 1a690384f387ec883bf2a87e73736fa3b1d125af..bd517ab133eeb8a1020d6fe7753f08a4d73e88c7 100644
--- a/docker-compose/jupyter.yml
+++ b/docker-compose/jupyter.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ services:
   jupyter:
     build:
         context: jupyter
+        args:
+            JUPYTER_WORKDIR: ${TANGO_LOFAR_CONTAINER_DIR}/jupyter-notebooks
     container_name: ${CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX}jupyter
     network_mode: ${NETWORK_MODE}
     volumes:
diff --git a/docker-compose/jupyter/Dockerfile b/docker-compose/jupyter/Dockerfile
index 96fbec4987d8597380d2cf902b5c846b479f6462..a7324d49157e9b7f0c3b95c483c603306905f9af 100644
--- a/docker-compose/jupyter/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker-compose/jupyter/Dockerfile
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ RUN sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/tini
 ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/tini", "--"]
 
 # Start jupyter notebooks on startup of container
+ARG JUPYTER_WORKDIR=/app # working directory is what Jupyter will expose as storage for its notebooks
+WORKDIR ${JUPYTER_WORKDIR}
 CMD ["jupyter", "notebook", "--port=8888", "--no-browser", "--ip=0.0.0.0", "--allow-root", "--NotebookApp.token=", "--NotebookApp.password="]
diff --git a/jupyter-notebooks/test.txt b/jupyter-notebooks/test.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..30d74d258442c7c65512eafab474568dd706c430
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jupyter-notebooks/test.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test
\ No newline at end of file