diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-control.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-control.nix
index 95d78a87ac85..0cc190d619b6 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-control.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-control.nix
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 with lib;
 
 let
+  globalCfg = config.services.scion;
   cfg = config.services.scion.scion-control;
   toml = pkgs.formats.toml { };
+  connectionDir = if globalCfg.stateless then "/run" else "/var/lib";
   defaultConfig = {
     general = {
       id = "cs";
@@ -12,13 +14,13 @@ let
       reconnect_to_dispatcher = true;
     };
     beacon_db = {
-      connection = "/run/scion-control/control.beacon.db";
+      connection = "${connectionDir}/scion-control/control.beacon.db";
     };
     path_db = {
-      connection = "/run/scion-control/control.path.db";
+      connection = "${connectionDir}/scion-control/control.path.db";
     };
     trust_db = {
-      connection = "/run/scion-control/control.trust.db";
+      connection = "${connectionDir}/scion-control/control.trust.db";
     };
     log.console = {
       level = "info";
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ in
         DynamicUser = true;
         Restart = "on-failure";
         BindPaths = [ "/dev/shm:/run/shm" ];
-        RuntimeDirectory = "scion-control";
+        ${if globalCfg.stateless then "RuntimeDirectory" else "StateDirectory"} = "scion-control";
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-daemon.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-daemon.nix
index 8528bec1d52e..6ee2a4b505f2 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-daemon.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-daemon.nix
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 with lib;
 
 let
+  globalCfg = config.services.scion;
   cfg = config.services.scion.scion-daemon;
   toml = pkgs.formats.toml { };
+  connectionDir = if globalCfg.stateless then "/run" else "/var/lib";
   defaultConfig = {
     general = {
       id = "sd";
@@ -12,10 +14,10 @@ let
       reconnect_to_dispatcher = true;
     };
     path_db = {
-      connection = "/run/scion-daemon/sd.path.db";
+      connection = "${connectionDir}/scion-daemon/sd.path.db";
     };
     trust_db = {
-      connection = "/run/scion-daemon/sd.trust.db";
+      connection = "${connectionDir}/scion-daemon/sd.trust.db";
     };
     log.console = {
       level = "info";
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ in
         ExecStart = "${pkgs.scion}/bin/scion-daemon --config ${configFile}";
         Restart = "on-failure";
         DynamicUser = true;
-        RuntimeDirectory = "scion-daemon";
+        ${if globalCfg.stateless then "RuntimeDirectory" else "StateDirectory"} = "scion-daemon";
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-dispatcher.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-dispatcher.nix
index 7c9f5e6a385e..1f4193fae79e 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-dispatcher.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-dispatcher.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 with lib;
 
 let
+  globalCfg = config.services.scion;
   cfg = config.services.scion.scion-dispatcher;
   toml = pkgs.formats.toml { };
   defaultConfig = {
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ in
         ExecStartPre = "${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/rm -rf /run/shm/dispatcher";
         ExecStart = "${pkgs.scion}/bin/scion-dispatcher --config ${configFile}";
         Restart = "on-failure";
-        RuntimeDirectory = "scion-dispatcher";
+        ${if globalCfg.stateless then "RuntimeDirectory" else "StateDirectory"} = "scion-dispatcher";
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-router.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-router.nix
index 2cac44ab767e..47ff320b6a8f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-router.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion-router.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 with lib;
 
 let
+  globalCfg = config.services.scion;
   cfg = config.services.scion.scion-router;
   toml = pkgs.formats.toml { };
   defaultConfig = {
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ in
         ExecStart = "${pkgs.scion}/bin/scion-router --config ${configFile}";
         Restart = "on-failure";
         DynamicUser = true;
-        RuntimeDirectory = "scion-router";
+        ${if globalCfg.stateless then "RuntimeDirectory" else "StateDirectory"} = "scion-router";
       };
     };
   };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion.nix
index b8bfef8b93b5..0ae959484d32 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/scion/scion.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,22 @@ in
 {
   options.services.scion = {
     enable = mkEnableOption "all of the scion components and services";
+    stateless = mkOption {
+      type = types.bool;
+      default = true;
+      description = ''
+        Setting this value to false (stateful) can lead to improved caching and
+        performance.
+
+        This option decides whether to persist the SCION path sqlite databases
+        on disk or not. Persisting this data can lead to database corruption in
+        extreme cases such as power outage, meaning SCION fails to work on the
+        next boot. This is being investigated.
+
+        If true, /run/scion-* is used for data
+        If false, use /var/lib/scion-* is used for data
+      '';
+    };
     bypassBootstrapWarning = mkOption {
       type = types.bool;
       default = false;