diff --git a/src/core/paths.cpp b/src/core/paths.cpp
index 57cd0f4d..689d99e4 100644
--- a/src/core/paths.cpp
+++ b/src/core/paths.cpp
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@ QsPaths* QsPaths::instance() {
 	return instance;
 }
 
-void QsPaths::init(QString shellId, QString pathId) {
+void QsPaths::init(QString shellId, QString pathId, QString dataOverride, QString stateOverride) {
 	auto* instance = QsPaths::instance();
 	instance->shellId = std::move(shellId);
 	instance->pathId = std::move(pathId);
+	instance->shellDataOverride = std::move(dataOverride);
+	instance->shellStateOverride = std::move(stateOverride);
 }
 
 QDir QsPaths::crashDir(const QString& id) {
@@ -211,9 +213,16 @@ void QsPaths::linkPathDir() {
 
 QDir QsPaths::shellDataDir() {
 	if (this->shellDataState == DirState::Unknown) {
-		auto dir = QDir(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::AppDataLocation));
-		dir = QDir(dir.filePath("by-shell"));
-		dir = QDir(dir.filePath(this->shellId));
+		QDir dir;
+		if (this->shellDataOverride.isEmpty()) {
+			dir = QDir(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::AppDataLocation));
+			dir = QDir(dir.filePath("by-shell"));
+			dir = QDir(dir.filePath(this->shellId));
+		} else {
+			auto basedir = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation);
+			dir = QDir(this->shellDataOverride.replace("$BASE", basedir));
+		}
+
 		this->mShellDataDir = dir;
 
 		qCDebug(logPaths) << "Initialized data path:" << dir.path();
@@ -241,12 +250,24 @@ QDir QsPaths::shellStateDir() {
 			auto home = QDir(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::HomeLocation));
 			dir = QDir(home.filePath(".local/state"));
 		}
-#else
-		auto dir = QDir(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::StateLocation));
-#endif
 
-		dir = QDir(dir.filePath("by-shell"));
-		dir = QDir(dir.filePath(this->shellId));
+		if (this->shellStateOverride.isEmpty()) {
+			dir = QDir(dir.filePath("quickshell/by-shell"));
+			dir = QDir(dir.filePath(this->shellId));
+		} else {
+			dir = QDir(this->shellStateOverride.replace("$BASE", dir.path()));
+		}
+#else
+		QDir dir;
+		if (this->shellStateOverride.isEmpty()) {
+			dir = QDir(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::StateLocation));
+			dir = QDir(dir.filePath("by-shell"));
+			dir = QDir(dir.filePath(this->shellId));
+		} else {
+			auto basedir = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::GenericStateLocation);
+			dir = QDir(this->shellStateOverride.replace("$BASE", basedir));
+		}
+#endif
 		this->mShellStateDir = dir;
 
 		qCDebug(logPaths) << "Initialized state path:" << dir.path();
diff --git a/src/core/paths.hpp b/src/core/paths.hpp
index d750d7f1..baaf9b25 100644
--- a/src/core/paths.hpp
+++ b/src/core/paths.hpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ QDataStream& operator>>(QDataStream& stream, InstanceLockInfo& info);
 class QsPaths {
 public:
 	static QsPaths* instance();
-	static void init(QString shellId, QString pathId);
+	static void init(QString shellId, QString pathId, QString dataOverride, QString stateOverride);
 	static QDir crashDir(const QString& id);
 	static QString basePath(const QString& id);
 	static QString ipcPath(const QString& id);
@@ -57,4 +57,7 @@ private:
 	DirState shellDataState = DirState::Unknown;
 	DirState shellStateState = DirState::Unknown;
 	DirState shellCacheState = DirState::Unknown;
+
+	QString shellDataOverride;
+	QString shellStateOverride;
 };
diff --git a/src/core/qmlglobal.hpp b/src/core/qmlglobal.hpp
index 5ccec3b2..0290024f 100644
--- a/src/core/qmlglobal.hpp
+++ b/src/core/qmlglobal.hpp
@@ -111,10 +111,16 @@ class QuickshellGlobal: public QObject {
 	/// The per-shell data directory.
 	///
 	/// Usually `~/.local/share/quickshell/by-shell/<shell-id>`
+	///
+	/// Can be overridden using `//@ pragma DataDir $BASE/path` in the root qml file, where `$BASE`
+	/// corrosponds to `$XDG_DATA_HOME` (usually `~/.local/share`).
 	Q_PROPERTY(QString dataDir READ dataDir CONSTANT);
 	/// The per-shell state directory.
 	///
 	/// Usually `~/.local/state/quickshell/by-shell/<shell-id>`
+	///
+	/// Can be overridden using `//@ pragma StateDir $BASE/path` in the root qml file, where `$BASE`
+	/// corrosponds to `$XDG_STATE_HOME` (usually `~/.local/state`).
 	Q_PROPERTY(QString stateDir READ stateDir CONSTANT);
 	/// The per-shell cache directory.
 	///
diff --git a/src/launch/launch.cpp b/src/launch/launch.cpp
index 848da499..5d265442 100644
--- a/src/launch/launch.cpp
+++ b/src/launch/launch.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ int launch(const LaunchArgs& args, char** argv, QCoreApplication* coreApplicatio
 		bool desktopSettingsAware = true;
 		QString iconTheme = qEnvironmentVariable("QS_ICON_THEME");
 		QHash<QString, QString> envOverrides;
+		QString dataDir;
+		QString stateDir;
 	} pragmas;
 
 	auto stream = QTextStream(&file);
@@ -100,6 +102,10 @@ int launch(const LaunchArgs& args, char** argv, QCoreApplication* coreApplicatio
 				pragmas.envOverrides.insert(var, val);
 			} else if (pragma.startsWith("ShellId ")) {
 				shellId = pragma.sliced(8).trimmed();
+			} else if (pragma.startsWith("DataDir ")) {
+				pragmas.dataDir = pragma.sliced(8).trimmed();
+			} else if (pragma.startsWith("StateDir ")) {
+				pragmas.stateDir = pragma.sliced(9).trimmed();
 			} else {
 				qCritical() << "Unrecognized pragma" << pragma;
 				return -1;
@@ -140,7 +146,7 @@ int launch(const LaunchArgs& args, char** argv, QCoreApplication* coreApplicatio
 	}
 #endif
 
-	QsPaths::init(shellId, pathId);
+	QsPaths::init(shellId, pathId, pragmas.dataDir, pragmas.stateDir);
 	QsPaths::instance()->linkRunDir();
 	QsPaths::instance()->linkPathDir();
 	LogManager::initFs();