diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -21,3 +21,9 @@
  - The `getmininginfo` RPC now omits `currentblocksize` and `currentblocktx`
    when a block was never assembled via RPC on this node.
 
+Seeder
+------
+  - Added the `seederdir` option to the seeder allowing a directory to be
+    specified for the files the seeder writes to and reads from (default is the
+    `~/.bitcoin` directory).  See help for more details.
+
diff --git a/src/seeder/main.cpp b/src/seeder/main.cpp
--- a/src/seeder/main.cpp
+++ b/src/seeder/main.cpp
@@ -94,6 +94,26 @@
         ipv6_proxy = gArgs.GetArg("-proxyipv6", DEFAULT_IPV6_PROXY);
         SelectParams(gArgs.GetChainName());
 
+        if (!CheckSeederDirOption()) {
+            tfm::format(std::cout,
+                        "Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n",
+                        gArgs.GetArg("-seederdir", ""));
+            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        }
+
+        // Warn about relative -seederdir path
+        if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-seederdir") &&
+            !fs::path(gArgs.GetArg("-seederdir", "")).is_absolute()) {
+            tfm::format(
+                std::cout,
+                "Warning: relative seederdir option '%s' specified, which will "
+                "be interpreted relative to the current working directory "
+                "'%s'. This is fragile, because if the seeder is started in "
+                "the future from a different location, it will be unable to "
+                "locate the current data files.\n",
+                gArgs.GetArg("-seederdir", ""), fs::current_path().string());
+        }
+
         if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-filter")) {
             // Parse whitelist additions
             std::string flagString = gArgs.GetArg("-filter", "");
@@ -154,6 +174,10 @@
         gArgs.AddArg("-help-debug",
                      "Show all debugging options (usage: --help -help-debug)",
                      ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
+        gArgs.AddArg("-seederdir=<dir>",
+                     "Specify directory to hold the subdirectory for files the "
+                     "seeder writes to and reads from (default: ~/.bitcoin/",
+                     ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
         SetupChainParamsBaseOptions();
 
         gArgs.AddArg("-help", "", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY,
@@ -382,15 +406,16 @@
         {
             std::vector<CAddrReport> v = db.GetAll();
             sort(v.begin(), v.end(), StatCompare);
-            FILE *f = fsbridge::fopen("dnsseed.dat.new", "w+");
+            FILE *f = fsbridge::fopen(GetSeederDir() / "dnsseed.dat.new", "w+");
             if (f) {
                 {
                     CAutoFile cf(f, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
                     cf << db;
                 }
-                rename("dnsseed.dat.new", "dnsseed.dat");
+                rename(GetSeederDir() / "dnsseed.dat.new",
+                       GetSeederDir() / "dnsseed.dat");
             }
-            fsbridge::ofstream d{"dnsseed.dump"};
+            fsbridge::ofstream d{GetSeederDir() / "dnsseed.dump"};
             tfm::format(
                 d, "# address                                        good  "
                    "lastSuccess    %%(2h)   %%(8h)   %%(1d)   %%(7d)  "
@@ -413,7 +438,8 @@
                 stat[3] += rep.uptime[3];
                 stat[4] += rep.uptime[4];
             }
-            fsbridge::ofstream ff{"dnsstats.log", std::ios_base::app};
+            fsbridge::ofstream ff{GetSeederDir() / "dnsstats.log",
+                                  std::ios_base::app};
             tfm::format(ff, "%llu %g %g %g %g %g\n",
                         (unsigned long long)(time(nullptr)), stat[0], stat[1],
                         stat[2], stat[3], stat[4]);
@@ -534,7 +560,8 @@
         tfm::format(std::cerr, "No e-mail address set. Please use -m.\n");
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
-    FILE *f = fsbridge::fopen("dnsseed.dat", "r");
+
+    FILE *f = fsbridge::fopen(GetSeederDir() / "dnsseed.dat", "r");
     if (f) {
         tfm::format(std::cout, "Loading dnsseed.dat...");
         CAutoFile cf(f, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
diff --git a/src/util/system.h b/src/util/system.h
--- a/src/util/system.h
+++ b/src/util/system.h
@@ -83,10 +83,13 @@
 fs::path GetDefaultDataDir();
 // The blocks directory is always net specific.
 const fs::path &GetBlocksDir();
+// The seeder directory is always net specific.
+const fs::path &GetSeederDir();
 const fs::path &GetDataDir(bool fNetSpecific = true);
 // Return true if -datadir option points to a valid directory or is not
 // specified.
 bool CheckDataDirOption();
+bool CheckSeederDirOption();
 /** Tests only */
 void ClearDatadirCache();
 fs::path GetConfigFile(const std::string &confPath);
diff --git a/src/util/system.cpp b/src/util/system.cpp
--- a/src/util/system.cpp
+++ b/src/util/system.cpp
@@ -645,6 +645,7 @@
 }
 
 static fs::path g_blocks_path_cache_net_specific;
+static fs::path seederPathCachedNetSpecific;
 static fs::path pathCached;
 static fs::path pathCachedNetSpecific;
 static RecursiveMutex csPathCached;
@@ -675,6 +676,31 @@
     return path;
 }
 
+const fs::path &GetSeederDir() {
+    LOCK(csPathCached);
+    fs::path &path = seederPathCachedNetSpecific;
+
+    // Cache the path to avoid calling fs::create_directories on every call of
+    // this function
+    if (!path.empty()) {
+        return path;
+    }
+    if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-seederdir")) {
+        path = fs::system_complete(gArgs.GetArg("-seederdir", ""));
+        if (!fs::is_directory(path)) {
+            path = "";
+            return path;
+        }
+    } else {
+        path = GetDataDir(false);
+    }
+
+    path /= BaseParams().DataDir();
+    path /= "seeder";
+    fs::create_directories(path);
+    return path;
+}
+
 const fs::path &GetDataDir(bool fNetSpecific) {
     LOCK(csPathCached);
     fs::path &path = fNetSpecific ? pathCachedNetSpecific : pathCached;
@@ -719,12 +745,19 @@
     return datadir.empty() || fs::is_directory(fs::system_complete(datadir));
 }
 
+bool CheckSeederDirOption() {
+    std::string seederdir = gArgs.GetArg("-seederdir", "");
+    return seederdir.empty() ||
+           fs::is_directory(fs::system_complete(seederdir));
+}
+
 void ClearDatadirCache() {
     LOCK(csPathCached);
 
     pathCached = fs::path();
     pathCachedNetSpecific = fs::path();
     g_blocks_path_cache_net_specific = fs::path();
+    seederPathCachedNetSpecific = fs::path();
 }
 
 fs::path GetConfigFile(const std::string &confPath) {