diff --git a/gns3server/config.py b/gns3server/config.py
index f2ef0353..4dfefbcf 100644
--- a/gns3server/config.py
+++ b/gns3server/config.py
@@ -122,6 +122,17 @@ class Config(object):
             return self._config["DEFAULT"]
         return self._config[section]
 
+    def set_section_config(self, section, content):
+        """
+        Set a specific configuration section. It's not
+        dumped on the disk.
+
+        :param section: Section name
+        :param content: A dictonary with section content
+        """
+
+        self._config[section] = content
+
     @staticmethod
     def instance():
         """
diff --git a/gns3server/modules/project.py b/gns3server/modules/project.py
index aceb2a2b..e6de01c5 100644
--- a/gns3server/modules/project.py
+++ b/gns3server/modules/project.py
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ class Project:
                 raise aiohttp.web.HTTPBadRequest(text="{} is not a valid UUID".format(uuid))
             self._uuid = uuid
 
+        config = Config.instance().get_section_config("Server")
         self._location = location
         if location is None:
-            self._location = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+            self._location = config.get("project_directory", self._get_default_project_directory())
         else:
-            config = Config.instance().get_section_config("Server")
             if config.get("local", False) is False:
                 raise aiohttp.web.HTTPForbidden(text="You are not allowed to modifiy the project directory location")
 
@@ -61,6 +61,19 @@ class Project:
         except OSError as e:
             raise aiohttp.web.HTTPInternalServerError(text="Could not create project directory: {}".format(e))
 
+    def _get_default_project_directory(self):
+        """
+        Return the default location for the project directory
+        depending of the operating system
+        """
+
+        path = os.path.normpath(os.path.expanduser("~/GNS3/projects"))
+        try:
+            os.makedirs(path, exist_ok=True)
+        except OSError as e:
+            raise aiohttp.web.HTTPInternalServerError(text="Could not create project directory: {}".format(e))
+        return path
+
     @property
     def uuid(self):
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 1a80a456..41682bb3 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@
 import pytest
 import socket
 import asyncio
+import tempfile
+import shutil
 from aiohttp import web
+
+from gns3server.config import Config
 from gns3server.web.route import Route
 # TODO: get rid of *
 from gns3server.handlers import *
@@ -100,3 +104,17 @@ def free_console_port(request, port_manager):
     # the test do whatever the test want
     port_manager.release_console_port(port)
     return port
+
+
+@pytest.yield_fixture(autouse=True)
+def run_around_tests():
+    tmppath = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+
+    config = Config.instance()
+    server_section = config.get_section_config("Server")
+    server_section["project_directory"] = tmppath
+    config.set_section_config("Server", server_section)
+
+    yield
+
+    shutil.rmtree(tmppath)
diff --git a/tests/modules/test_project.py b/tests/modules/test_project.py
index bc93b04c..ee20d306 100644
--- a/tests/modules/test_project.py
+++ b/tests/modules/test_project.py
@@ -130,3 +130,11 @@ def test_project_close_temporary_project(manager):
     assert os.path.exists(directory)
     project.close()
     assert os.path.exists(directory) is False
+
+
+def test_get_default_project_directory():
+
+    project = Project()
+    path = os.path.normpath(os.path.expanduser("~/GNS3/projects"))
+    assert project._get_default_project_directory() == path
+    assert os.path.exists(path)