diff --git a/app/js/CompileManager.js b/app/js/CompileManager.js
index 3bf54bc..5bf3e94 100644
--- a/app/js/CompileManager.js
+++ b/app/js/CompileManager.js
@@ -53,9 +53,12 @@ module.exports = CompileManager = {
     }
     const compileDir = getCompileDir(request.project_id, request.user_id)
     const lockFile = Path.join(compileDir, '.project-lock')
+    // create local home and tmp directories in the compile dir
+    const homeDir = Path.join(compileDir, '.project-home')
+    const tmpDir = Path.join(compileDir, '.project-tmp')
     // use a .project-lock file in the compile directory to prevent
     // simultaneous compiles
-    return fse.ensureDir(compileDir, function(error) {
+    async.each([compileDir, homeDir, tmpDir], fse.ensureDir, function (error) {
       if (error != null) {
         return callback(error)
       }
diff --git a/config/settings.defaults.js b/config/settings.defaults.js
index ba63e24..01383be 100644
--- a/config/settings.defaults.js
+++ b/config/settings.defaults.js
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ if (process.env.DOCKER_RUNNER) {
       image:
         process.env.TEXLIVE_IMAGE || 'quay.io/sharelatex/texlive-full:2017.1',
       env: {
-        HOME: '/tmp'
+        HOME: process.env.TEXLIVE_HOME || '/tmp',
+        TMPDIR: process.env.TEXLIVE_TMPDIR || '/tmp'
       },
       socketPath: '/var/run/docker.sock',
       user: process.env.TEXLIVE_IMAGE_USER || 'tex'