diff --git a/src/oira/statistics/deployment/initializer.py b/src/oira/statistics/deployment/initializer.py
index b856ae2..63e4dc5 100644
--- a/src/oira/statistics/deployment/initializer.py
+++ b/src/oira/statistics/deployment/initializer.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from time import sleep
 
 import logging
+import os
 
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -179,7 +180,7 @@ def set_up_database(self, country=None, engine="postgres"):
             "dbname": db_name,
         }
         if engine == "sqlite":
-            details["db"] = f"/home/oira/statistics/var/{db_name}.sqlite"
+            details["db"] = os.path.join(self.args.database_path, f"{db_name}.sqlite")
         else:
             details.update(
                 {
diff --git a/src/oira/statistics/deployment/scripts.py b/src/oira/statistics/deployment/scripts.py
index 052769a..d97c758 100644
--- a/src/oira/statistics/deployment/scripts.py
+++ b/src/oira/statistics/deployment/scripts.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import argparse
 import logging
+import os
 import requests
 import sys
 
@@ -82,6 +83,13 @@ def get_metabase_args():
         required=True,
         help=("Password for connecting to the postgresql server"),
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--database-path",
+        type=str,
+        required=False,
+        default="/home/oira/statistics",
+        help=("Path to the statisitics databases (sqlite)"),
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--database-name-statistics",
         type=str,
@@ -210,10 +218,15 @@ def init_statistics_databases(args):
         database_engine = (
             "postgresql" if args.database_engine == "postgres" else args.database_engine
         )
-        database_url = (
-            f"{database_engine}://{args.database_user}:{args.database_password}@"
-            f"{args.database_host}:{args.database_port}/{database_name}"
-        )
+        if database_engine != "sqlite":
+            database_url = (
+                f"{database_engine}://{args.database_user}:{args.database_password}@"
+                f"{args.database_host}:{args.database_port}/{database_name}"
+            )
+        else:
+            db_path = os.path.join(args.database_path, f"{database_name}.sqlite")
+            database_url = f"{database_engine}://{db_path}"
+
         engine = create_engine(database_url)
         try:
             model.Base.metadata.create_all(bind=engine, checkfirst=True)
diff --git a/templates/init-metabase.tmpl b/templates/init-metabase.tmpl
index 3c7991f..5f46754 100644
--- a/templates/init-metabase.tmpl
+++ b/templates/init-metabase.tmpl
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ ${parts.buildout['bin-directory']}/init-metabase-instance \\
     {% if parts[instance].get('database-engine') %} \\
     --database-engine='${parts[instance]['database-engine']}' \\
     {% end %} \\
+    {% if parts[instance].get('database-path') %} \\
+    --database-path='${parts[instance]['database-path']}' \\
+    {% end %} \\
     --database-name='${parts[instance]['database-name']}' \\
     --database-host='${parts[instance]['database-host']}' \\
     --database-port='${parts[instance]['database-port']}' \\