diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b93cce99..9f120676 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ OS_RELEASE = $(shell ./os-release)
 
 # special defaults for mariux64
 ifeq (${OS_RELEASE}, mariux64)
-   MXQ_INITIAL_PATH := ${MXQ_INITIAL_PATH}:/usr/local/package/bin
-
+   MXQ_INITIAL_PATH   := ${MXQ_INITIAL_PATH}:/usr/local/package/bin
+   CFLAGS_MXQ_INITIAL_TMPDIR      = -DMXQ_INITIAL_TMPDIR=\"/scratch/local\"
 endif
 
 ########################################################################
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@ mxqd.o: $(mxq_job.h)
 mxqd.o: $(mx_mysql.h)
 mxqd.o: CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_MYSQL)
 mxqd.o: CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_MXQ_INITIAL_PATH)
+mxqd.o: CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_MXQ_INITIAL_TMPDIR)
 mxqd.o: CFLAGS += -Wno-unused-but-set-variable
 
 clean: CLEAN += mxqd.o
diff --git a/mxqd.c b/mxqd.c
index 633f711c..5a8eaf01 100644
--- a/mxqd.c
+++ b/mxqd.c
@@ -779,6 +779,9 @@ static int init_child_process(struct mxq_group_list *group, struct mxq_job *j)
     mx_setenv_forever("USERNAME", g->user_name);
     mx_setenv_forever("LOGNAME",  g->user_name);
     mx_setenv_forever("PATH",     MXQ_INITIAL_PATH);
+#ifdef MXQ_INITIAL_TMPDIR
+    mx_setenv_forever("TMPDIR", MXQ_INITIAL_TMPDIR);
+#endif
     mx_setenv_forever("PWD",      j->job_workdir);
     mx_setenv_forever("HOME",     passwd->pw_dir);
     mx_setenv_forever("SHELL",    passwd->pw_shell);