diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c09000f..2c6998e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,19 @@ A simple, rsync-based PocketBase deployment tool.
 
 ### `init`
 
-Start a new PocketBase project (optionally provide a service name via `pb init <name>`)
+Start a new PocketBase project (optionally provide a service name via `pb init <name>`) with a `pb.toml`:
+
+```toml
+[server]
+ip = '127.0.0.1'
+port = 8090
+domain = 'example.com'
+
+[pocketbase]
+version = '0.35.1'
+service = 'rusty-dusty'
+volume = 'pb_data'
+```
 
 ### `dev`
 
@@ -27,7 +39,7 @@ Provision a remote PocketBase server. This will:
 
 ### `logs`
 
-Connects to the configured server and streams `/root/pb/{service}/{service}.log` via `tail -n 100 -F`.
+Streams the remote logs (`/root/pb/{service}/{service}.log`).
 
 ### `secrets`
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 9efe1eb..ce9818d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
@@ -285,7 +286,10 @@ func runDev() error {
 	return cmd.Run()
 }
 
-const defaultPocketbaseVersion = "0.35.1"
+const (
+	defaultPocketbaseVersion = "0.35.1"
+	defaultPocketbaseVolume  = "pb_data"
+)
 
 func init() {
 	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
@@ -297,6 +301,7 @@ func writePBConfig(path, serviceName string) error {
 	const tmpl = `[pocketbase]
 version = "%s"
 service = "%s"
+volume = "%s"
 
 [server]
 ip = "127.0.0.1"
@@ -304,7 +309,7 @@ port = 8090
 domain = "example.com"
 
 `
-	return os.WriteFile(path, []byte(fmt.Sprintf(tmpl, defaultPocketbaseVersion, serviceName)), 0o644)
+	return os.WriteFile(path, []byte(fmt.Sprintf(tmpl, defaultPocketbaseVersion, serviceName, defaultPocketbaseVolume)), 0o644)
 }
 
 func generateServiceName() string {
@@ -914,6 +919,7 @@ type serverConfig struct {
 type pocketBaseConfig struct {
 	Version     string `toml:"version"`
 	ServiceName string `toml:"service"`
+	Volume      string `toml:"volume"`
 }
 
 type deploymentContext struct {
@@ -926,6 +932,8 @@ type deploymentContext struct {
 	envFile        string
 	unitServiceDir string
 	unitEnvFile    string
+	volume         string
+	unitVolume     string
 	configPath     string
 }
 
@@ -970,6 +978,12 @@ func buildDeploymentContext() (*deploymentContext, error) {
 	envFile := renderServiceTemplate(defaultEnvFileTemplate, serviceName)
 	unitServiceDir := renderServiceTemplate(defaultServiceDirTemplate, "%i")
 	unitEnvFile := renderServiceTemplate(defaultEnvFileTemplate, "%i")
+	volumeTemplate := cfg.PocketBase.Volume
+	if volumeTemplate == "" {
+		volumeTemplate = defaultPocketbaseVolume
+	}
+	volume := resolveVolumePath(volumeTemplate, serviceDir, serviceName)
+	unitVolume := resolveVolumePath(volumeTemplate, unitServiceDir, "%i")
 
 	return &deploymentContext{
 		serverIP:       serverIP,
@@ -981,6 +995,8 @@ func buildDeploymentContext() (*deploymentContext, error) {
 		envFile:        envFile,
 		unitServiceDir: unitServiceDir,
 		unitEnvFile:    unitEnvFile,
+		volume:         volume,
+		unitVolume:     unitVolume,
 		configPath:     configPath,
 	}, nil
 }
@@ -1041,13 +1057,13 @@ func performSetup(ctx *deploymentContext) error {
 
 	step++
 	printStep(step, totalSetupSteps, "deploying PocketBase binary")
-	if err := runSSHCommand(ctx.serverIP, pocketbaseSetupScript(ctx.serviceDir, ctx.envFile, ctx.version, assetURL, ctx.port)); err != nil {
+	if err := runSSHCommand(ctx.serverIP, pocketbaseSetupScript(ctx.serviceDir, ctx.envFile, ctx.version, assetURL, ctx.volume, ctx.port)); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("PocketBase setup failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	step++
 	printStep(step, totalSetupSteps, "configuring systemd service")
-	if err := runSSHCommand(ctx.serverIP, systemdScript(ctx.unitServiceDir, ctx.unitEnvFile, ctx.serviceName)); err != nil {
+	if err := runSSHCommand(ctx.serverIP, systemdScript(ctx.unitServiceDir, ctx.unitEnvFile, ctx.unitVolume, ctx.serviceName)); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("systemd setup failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -1402,6 +1418,17 @@ func renderServiceTemplate(tpl, serviceName string) string {
 	return strings.ReplaceAll(tpl, "{service}", serviceName)
 }
 
+func resolveVolumePath(volumeTemplate, baseDir, serviceName string) string {
+	value := renderServiceTemplate(volumeTemplate, serviceName)
+	if value == "" {
+		return baseDir
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(value, "/") {
+		return value
+	}
+	return path.Join(baseDir, value)
+}
+
 func translateMachineArch(value string) (string, error) {
 	machine := strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(value))
 
@@ -1496,7 +1523,7 @@ systemctl reload-or-restart caddy.service
 `, serviceName, domain, port)
 }
 
-func pocketbaseSetupScript(serviceDir, envFile, version, assetURL string, port int) string {
+func pocketbaseSetupScript(serviceDir, envFile, version, assetURL, volume string, port int) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`set -euo pipefail
 service_dir="%s"
 mkdir -p "$service_dir"
@@ -1511,19 +1538,23 @@ if [ ! -x "$binary" ]; then
   rm -f "$tmp"
 fi
 env_file="%s"
+data_dir="%s"
 current_port=""
 if [ -f "$env_file" ]; then
   current_port=$(grep '^PORT=' "$env_file" | head -n 1 | cut -d= -f2)
 fi
+if [ -n "$data_dir" ]; then
+  mkdir -p "$data_dir"
+fi
 if [ "$current_port" != "%d" ]; then
   cat <<'EOF' > "$env_file"
 PORT=%d
 EOF
 fi
-`, serviceDir, serviceDir, assetURL, envFile, port, port)
+`, serviceDir, serviceDir, assetURL, envFile, volume, port, port)
 }
 
-func systemdScript(serviceDir, envFile, serviceName string) string {
+func systemdScript(serviceDir, envFile, volume, serviceName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`set -euo pipefail
 cat <<'EOF' > /etc/systemd/system/pb@.service
 [Unit]
@@ -1541,7 +1572,7 @@ StandardOutput   = append:%s/%%i.log
 StandardError    = append:%s/%%i.log
 WorkingDirectory = %s
 EnvironmentFile  = %s
-ExecStart        = %s/pocketbase serve --http="127.0.0.1:${PORT}"
+ExecStart        = %s/pocketbase serve --dir=%s --http="127.0.0.1:${PORT}"
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy = multi-user.target
@@ -1549,7 +1580,7 @@ EOF
 	systemctl daemon-reload
 	systemctl --no-block enable --now pb@%s
 	systemctl --no-block restart pb@%s
-`, serviceDir, serviceDir, serviceDir, envFile, serviceDir, serviceName, serviceName)
+`, serviceDir, serviceDir, serviceDir, envFile, serviceDir, volume, serviceName, serviceName)
 }
 
 func systemdRestartScript(serviceName string) string {