diff --git a/crates/sui/src/sui_commands.rs b/crates/sui/src/sui_commands.rs
index 8a539ade6fbbe..4ad70d523a5be 100644
--- a/crates/sui/src/sui_commands.rs
+++ b/crates/sui/src/sui_commands.rs
@@ -203,6 +203,13 @@ pub enum SuiCommand {
         #[clap(long)]
         epoch_duration_ms: Option<u64>,
 
+        /// Make the fullnode dump executed checkpoints as files to this directory. This is
+        /// incompatible with --no-full-node.
+        ///
+        /// If --with-indexer is set, this defaults to a temporary directory.
+        #[clap(long, value_name = "DATA_INGESTION_DIR")]
+        data_ingestion_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
+
         /// Start the network without a fullnode
         #[clap(long = "no-full-node")]
         no_full_node: bool,
@@ -368,6 +375,7 @@ impl SuiCommand {
 
                 indexer_feature_args,
                 fullnode_rpc_port,
+                data_ingestion_dir,
                 no_full_node,
                 epoch_duration_ms,
             } => {
@@ -378,6 +386,7 @@ impl SuiCommand {
                     force_regenesis,
                     epoch_duration_ms,
                     fullnode_rpc_port,
+                    data_ingestion_dir,
                     no_full_node,
                 )
                 .await?;
@@ -597,6 +606,7 @@ async fn start(
     force_regenesis: bool,
     epoch_duration_ms: Option<u64>,
     fullnode_rpc_port: u16,
+    mut data_ingestion_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
     no_full_node: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
     if force_regenesis {
@@ -706,14 +716,15 @@ async fn start(
         sui_config_path
     };
 
-    let data_ingestion_path = tempdir()?.into_path();
-
     // the indexer requires to set the fullnode's data ingestion directory
     // note that this overrides the default configuration that is set when running the genesis
     // command, which sets data_ingestion_dir to None.
+    if with_indexer.is_some() && data_ingestion_dir.is_none() {
+        data_ingestion_dir = Some(tempdir()?.into_path())
+    }
 
-    if with_indexer.is_some() {
-        swarm_builder = swarm_builder.with_data_ingestion_dir(data_ingestion_path.clone());
+    if let Some(ref dir) = data_ingestion_dir {
+        swarm_builder = swarm_builder.with_data_ingestion_dir(dir.clone());
     }
 
     let mut fullnode_url = sui_config::node::default_json_rpc_address();
@@ -754,7 +765,8 @@ async fn start(
             pg_address.clone(),
             None,
             None,
-            Some(data_ingestion_path.clone()),
+            // We ensured above that this is set to something if --with-indexer is set
+            data_ingestion_dir,
             None,
             None, /* start_checkpoint */
             None, /* end_checkpoint */
diff --git a/crates/sui/tests/cli_tests.rs b/crates/sui/tests/cli_tests.rs
index 9c171705b4172..3a1a86fef4d31 100644
--- a/crates/sui/tests/cli_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/sui/tests/cli_tests.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ async fn test_genesis() -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
 
     // Start network without authorities
     let start = SuiCommand::Start {
+        data_ingestion_dir: None,
         config_dir: Some(config),
         force_regenesis: false,
         with_faucet: None,