diff --git a/gns3server/controller/__init__.py b/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
index 84e02ce9..33552c6a 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from ..config import Config
 from ..utils import parse_version
+from ..utils.images import default_images_directory
 
 from .project import Project
 from .template import Template
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ class Controller:
 
         log.info("Controller is starting")
         self._install_base_configs()
+        self._install_builtin_disks()
         server_config = Config.instance().get_section_config("Server")
         Config.instance().listen_for_config_changes(self._update_config)
         host = server_config.get("host", "localhost")
@@ -279,29 +281,50 @@ class Controller:
         except OSError as e:
             log.error(str(e))
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def install_resource_files(dst_path, resource_name):
+        """
+        Install files from resources to user's file system
+        """
+
+        if hasattr(sys, "frozen") and sys.platform.startswith("win"):
+            resource_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.executable), resource_name))
+            for filename in os.listdir(resource_path):
+                if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(dst_path, filename)):
+                    shutil.copy(os.path.join(resource_path, filename), os.path.join(dst_path, filename))
+        else:
+            for entry in importlib_resources.files(f'gns3server.{resource_name}').iterdir():
+                full_path = os.path.join(dst_path, entry.name)
+                if entry.is_file() and not os.path.exists(full_path):
+                    log.debug(f'Installing {resource_name} resource file "{entry.name}" to "{full_path}"')
+                    shutil.copy(str(entry), os.path.join(dst_path, entry.name))
+
     def _install_base_configs(self):
         """
-        At startup we copy base file to the user location to allow
+        At startup we copy base configs to the user location to allow
         them to customize it
         """
 
         dst_path = self.configs_path()
         log.info(f"Installing base configs in '{dst_path}'")
         try:
-            if hasattr(sys, "frozen") and sys.platform.startswith("win"):
-                resource_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.executable), "configs"))
-                for filename in os.listdir(resource_path):
-                    if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(dst_path, filename)):
-                        shutil.copy(os.path.join(resource_path, filename), os.path.join(dst_path, filename))
-            else:
-                for entry in importlib_resources.files('gns3server.configs').iterdir():
-                    full_path = os.path.join(dst_path, entry.name)
-                    if entry.is_file() and not os.path.exists(full_path):
-                        log.debug(f"Installing base config file {entry.name} to {full_path}")
-                        shutil.copy(str(entry), os.path.join(dst_path, entry.name))
+            Controller.install_resource_files(dst_path, "configs")
         except OSError as e:
             log.error(f"Could not install base config files to {dst_path}: {e}")
 
+    def _install_builtin_disks(self):
+        """
+        At startup we copy built-in Qemu disks to the user location to allow
+        them to use with appliances
+        """
+
+        dst_path = self.disks_path()
+        log.info(f"Installing built-in disks in '{dst_path}'")
+        try:
+            Controller.install_resource_files(dst_path, "disks")
+        except OSError as e:
+            log.error(f"Could not install disk files to {dst_path}: {e}")
+
     def images_path(self):
         """
         Get the image storage directory
@@ -322,6 +345,15 @@ class Controller:
         os.makedirs(configs_path, exist_ok=True)
         return configs_path
 
+    def disks_path(self, emulator_type="qemu"):
+        """
+        Get the disks storage directory
+        """
+
+        disks_path = default_images_directory(emulator_type)
+        os.makedirs(disks_path, exist_ok=True)
+        return disks_path
+
     async def add_compute(self, compute_id=None, name=None, force=False, connect=True, **kwargs):
         """
         Add a server to the dictionary of computes controlled by this controller
diff --git a/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py b/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py
index 15c4da70..679926f1 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py
@@ -100,17 +100,9 @@ class ApplianceManager:
 
         dst_path = self._builtin_appliances_path(delete_first=True)
         log.info(f"Installing built-in appliances in '{dst_path}'")
+        from . import Controller
         try:
-            if hasattr(sys, "frozen") and sys.platform.startswith("win"):
-                resource_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.executable), "appliances"))
-                for filename in os.listdir(resource_path):
-                    shutil.copy(os.path.join(resource_path, filename), os.path.join(dst_path, filename))
-            else:
-                for entry in importlib_resources.files('gns3server.appliances').iterdir():
-                    full_path = os.path.join(dst_path, entry.name)
-                    if entry.is_file():
-                        log.debug(f"Installing built-in appliance file {entry.name} to {full_path}")
-                        shutil.copy(str(entry), os.path.join(dst_path, entry.name))
+            Controller.instance().install_resource_files(dst_path, "appliances")
         except OSError as e:
             log.error(f"Could not install built-in appliance files to {dst_path}: {e}")
 
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty100G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty100G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..94ed3e44
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty100G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty10G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty10G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a4d79b5
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty10G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty150G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty150G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da508060
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty150G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty1T.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty1T.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..62e992ee
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty1T.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty200G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty200G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee7ce517
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty200G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty20G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty20G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..968f8fcf
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty20G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty250G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty250G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7be4641e
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty250G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty30G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty30G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..414611bb
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty30G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty40G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty40G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74d53888
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty40G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty500G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty500G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76d863a8
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty500G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty50G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty50G.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..14366951
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty50G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/disks/empty8G.qcow2 b/gns3server/disks/empty8G.qcow2
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..35f83ab7
Binary files /dev/null and b/gns3server/disks/empty8G.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/gns3server/utils/images.py b/gns3server/utils/images.py
index 93420069..2c5ed130 100644
--- a/gns3server/utils/images.py
+++ b/gns3server/utils/images.py
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ import logging
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def list_images(type):
+def list_images(emulator_type):
     """
-    Scan directories for available image for a type
+    Scan directories for available image for a given emulator type
 
-    :param type: emulator type (dynamips, qemu, iou)
+    :param emulator_type: emulator type (dynamips, qemu, iou)
     """
     files = set()
     images = []
@@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ def list_images(type):
     server_config = Config.instance().get_section_config("Server")
     general_images_directory = os.path.expanduser(server_config.get("images_path", "~/GNS3/images"))
 
-    # Subfolder of the general_images_directory specific to this VM type
-    default_directory = default_images_directory(type)
+    # Subfolder of the general_images_directory specific to this emulator type
+    default_directory = default_images_directory(emulator_type)
 
-    for directory in images_directories(type):
+    for directory in images_directories(emulator_type):
 
         # We limit recursion to path outside the default images directory
         # the reason is in the default directory manage file organization and
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ def list_images(type):
                 if filename not in files:
                     if filename.endswith(".md5sum") or filename.startswith("."):
                         continue
-                    elif ((filename.endswith(".image") or filename.endswith(".bin")) and type == "dynamips") \
-                            or ((filename.endswith(".bin") or filename.startswith("i86bi")) and type == "iou") \
-                            or (not filename.endswith(".bin") and not filename.endswith(".image") and type == "qemu"):
+                    elif ((filename.endswith(".image") or filename.endswith(".bin")) and emulator_type == "dynamips") \
+                            or ((filename.endswith(".bin") or filename.startswith("i86bi")) and emulator_type == "iou") \
+                            or (not filename.endswith(".bin") and not filename.endswith(".image") and emulator_type == "qemu"):
                         files.add(filename)
 
                         # It the image is located in the standard directory the path is relative
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def list_images(type):
                             path = os.path.relpath(os.path.join(root, filename), default_directory)
 
                         try:
-                            if type in ["dynamips", "iou"]:
+                            if emulator_type in ["dynamips", "iou"]:
                                 with open(os.path.join(root, filename), "rb") as f:
                                     # read the first 7 bytes of the file.
                                     elf_header_start = f.read(7)
@@ -102,34 +102,34 @@ def _os_walk(directory, recurse=True, **kwargs):
         yield directory, [], files
 
 
-def default_images_directory(type):
+def default_images_directory(emulator_type):
     """
     :returns: Return the default directory for a node type
     """
     server_config = Config.instance().get_section_config("Server")
     img_dir = os.path.expanduser(server_config.get("images_path", "~/GNS3/images"))
-    if type == "qemu":
+    if emulator_type == "qemu":
         return os.path.join(img_dir, "QEMU")
-    elif type == "iou":
+    elif emulator_type == "iou":
         return os.path.join(img_dir, "IOU")
-    elif type == "dynamips":
+    elif emulator_type == "dynamips":
         return os.path.join(img_dir, "IOS")
     else:
-        raise NotImplementedError("%s node type is not supported", type)
+        raise NotImplementedError("%s node type is not supported", emulator_type)
 
 
-def images_directories(type):
+def images_directories(emulator_type):
     """
     Return all directories where we will look for images
     by priority
 
-    :param type: Type of emulator
+    :param emulator_type: Type of emulator
     """
     server_config = Config.instance().get_section_config("Server")
 
     paths = []
     img_dir = os.path.expanduser(server_config.get("images_path", "~/GNS3/images"))
-    type_img_directory = default_images_directory(type)
+    type_img_directory = default_images_directory(emulator_type)
     try:
         os.makedirs(type_img_directory, exist_ok=True)
         paths.append(type_img_directory)
diff --git a/tests/controller/test_controller.py b/tests/controller/test_controller.py
index 198556a1..86e49109 100644
--- a/tests/controller/test_controller.py
+++ b/tests/controller/test_controller.py
@@ -395,6 +395,31 @@ async def test_install_base_configs(controller, config, tmpdir):
         assert f.read() == 'test'
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "builtin_disk",
+    [
+        "empty8G.qcow2",
+        "empty10G.qcow2",
+        "empty20G.qcow2",
+        "empty30G.qcow2",
+        "empty40G.qcow2",
+        "empty50G.qcow2",
+        "empty100G.qcow2",
+        "empty150G.qcow2",
+        "empty200G.qcow2",
+        "empty250G.qcow2",
+        "empty500G.qcow2",
+        "empty1T.qcow2"
+    ]
+)
+async def test_install_builtin_disks(controller, config, tmpdir, builtin_disk):
+
+    config.set_section_config("Server", {"images_path": str(tmpdir)})
+    controller._install_builtin_disks()
+    # we only install Qemu empty disks at this time
+    assert os.path.exists(str(tmpdir / "QEMU" / builtin_disk))
+
+
 def test_appliances(controller, tmpdir):
 
     my_appliance = {