diff --git a/docker/runner.Dockerfile b/docker/runner.Dockerfile
index 4ccf461c..d4db73cc 100644
--- a/docker/runner.Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/runner.Dockerfile
@@ -28,7 +28,3 @@ COPY docker/.artifacts/bundle.car $FM_HOME_DIR/bundle.car
 COPY docker/.artifacts/contracts $FM_HOME_DIR/contracts
 COPY --from=builder /app/fendermint/app/config $FM_HOME_DIR/config
 COPY --from=builder /app/output/bin/fendermint /usr/local/bin/fendermint
-
-RUN useradd ipc && chown -R ipc $FM_HOME_DIR
-
-USER ipc
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fendermint/app/options/src/lib.rs b/fendermint/app/options/src/lib.rs
index bfcbf33c..a9008910 100644
--- a/fendermint/app/options/src/lib.rs
+++ b/fendermint/app/options/src/lib.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ pub struct Options {
     )]
     pub home_dir: PathBuf,
 
+    /// Set a custom directory for ipc log files.
+    #[arg(short = 'd', long, default_value = "/tmp/ipc/logs", env = "FM_LOG_DIR")]
+    pub log_dir: PathBuf,
+
     /// Optionally override the default configuration.
     #[arg(short, long, default_value = "dev")]
     pub mode: String,
diff --git a/fendermint/app/src/main.rs b/fendermint/app/src/main.rs
index c921e167..60d96912 100644
--- a/fendermint/app/src/main.rs
+++ b/fendermint/app/src/main.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ async fn main() {
 
     // Log events to stdout.
     if let Some(level) = opts.tracing_level() {
-        create_log(level, &opts.home_dir).expect("cannot create logging");
+        create_log(level, &opts.log_dir).expect("cannot create logging");
     }
 
     if let Err(e) = cmd::exec(&opts).await {
@@ -32,9 +32,8 @@ async fn main() {
     }
 }
 
-fn create_log(level: tracing::Level, home_dir: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-    let log_folder = expand_tilde(home_dir)
-        .join("logs")
+fn create_log(level: tracing::Level, log_dir: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let log_folder = expand_tilde(log_dir)
         .to_str()
         .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("cannot parse log folder"))?
         .to_string();