diff --git a/manifests/server/config_entry.pp b/manifests/server/config_entry.pp
index 9054888..a3c029c 100644
--- a/manifests/server/config_entry.pp
+++ b/manifests/server/config_entry.pp
@@ -73,6 +73,18 @@ define postgresql::server::config_entry (
           before  => Class['postgresql::server::reload'],
         }
       }
+
+      if $name == 'data_directory' {
+        augeas { 'override PGDATA in /etc/sysconfig/pgsql/postgresql':
+          lens    => 'Shellvars.lns',
+          incl    => '/etc/sysconfig/pgsql/*',
+          context => '/files/etc/sysconfig/pgsql/postgresql',
+          changes => "set PGDATA ${value}",
+          require => File['/etc/sysconfig/pgsql/postgresql'],
+          notify  => Class['postgresql::server::service'],
+          before  => Class['postgresql::server::reload'],
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/alternative_pgdata_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/alternative_pgdata_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e7c3d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/acceptance/alternative_pgdata_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+require 'spec_helper_acceptance'
+
+# These tests ensure that postgres can change itself to an alternative pgdata
+# location properly.
+describe 'postgres::server', :unless => UNSUPPORTED_PLATFORMS.include?(fact('osfamily')) do
+  it 'on an alternative pgdata location' do
+    pp = <<-EOS
+      class { 'postgresql::server': data_directory => '/var/pgsql' }
+    EOS
+
+    apply_manifest(pp, :catch_failures => true)
+    apply_manifest(pp, :catch_changes => true)
+  end
+
+  it 'can connect with psql' do
+    psql('--command="\l" postgres', 'postgres') do |r|
+      expect(r.stdout).to match(/List of databases/)
+    end
+  end
+
+end
+
+
+