diff --git a/peel-extensions/src/main/resources/reference.zookeeper.conf b/peel-extensions/src/main/resources/reference.zookeeper.conf
index 64b91a06..e88d2559 100644
--- a/peel-extensions/src/main/resources/reference.zookeeper.conf
+++ b/peel-extensions/src/main/resources/reference.zookeeper.conf
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ system {
             isShared = ${system.default.path.isShared}
             archive.dst = ${app.path.systems}
             config = ${system.zookeeper.path.home}"/conf"
-            data = ${system.zookeeper.path.home}"/data"
+            data = ${java.io.tmpdir}"/"${system.zookeeper.user}"/zookeeper/data"
         }
         startup {
             max.attempts = ${system.default.startup.max.attempts}
diff --git a/peel-extensions/src/main/scala/org/peelframework/zookeeper/beans/system/Zookeeper.scala b/peel-extensions/src/main/scala/org/peelframework/zookeeper/beans/system/Zookeeper.scala
index d2c03f9f..e2ed9e07 100644
--- a/peel-extensions/src/main/scala/org/peelframework/zookeeper/beans/system/Zookeeper.scala
+++ b/peel-extensions/src/main/scala/org/peelframework/zookeeper/beans/system/Zookeeper.scala
@@ -38,57 +38,82 @@ class Zookeeper(
   dependencies : Set[System] = Set(),
   mc           : Mustache.Compiler) extends System("zookeeper", version, configKey, lifespan, dependencies, mc) {
 
-  override def configuration() = SystemConfig(config, {
-    val conf = config.getString(s"system.$configKey.path.config")
-    List(
-      SystemConfig.Entry[Model.Site](s"system.$configKey.config", s"$conf/zoo.cfg", templatePath("conf/zoo.cfg"), mc)
-    )
-  })
+  override def configuration() = SystemConfig(config, List(
+    SystemConfig.Entry[Model.Site](s"system.$configKey.config", s"${c.conf}/zoo.cfg", templatePath("conf/zoo.cfg"), mc)
+  ))
 
   override def start(): Unit = if (!isUp) {
-    this.servers.foreach(start)
+    c.servers.foreach(start)
     isUp = true
   }
 
-  override def stop(): Unit = this.servers.foreach(stop)
+  override def stop(): Unit =
+    c.servers.foreach(stop)
 
-  def isRunning = this.servers.forall(s => isRunning(s))
+  def isRunning =
+    c.servers.forall(s => isRunning(s))
 
-  def cli = new Zookeeper.Cli(config.getString(s"system.$configKey.path.home"), servers.head.host, config.getInt(s"system.$configKey.config.clientPort"))
+  def cli =
+    new Zookeeper.Cli(c.home, c.servers.head.host, c.clientPort)
 
   private def start(s: Zookeeper.Server) = {
     logger.info(s"Starting zookeeper at ${s.host}:${s.leaderPort}:${s.quorumPort}")
-    val user = config.getString(s"system.$configKey.user")
+    val user = c.user
     shell !
       s"""
-        |ssh -t -t "$user@${s.host}" << SSHEND
-        |  ${config.getString(s"system.$configKey.path.home")}/bin/zkServer.sh start
-        |  echo ${s.id} > ${config.getString(s"system.$configKey.config.dataDir")}/myid
-        |  exit
-        |SSHEND
+         |ssh -t -t "$user@${s.host}" << SSHEND
+         |  rm -Rf ${c.dataDir}
+         |  mkdir -p ${c.dataDir}
+         |  ${c.home}/bin/zkServer.sh start
+         |  echo ${s.id} > ${c.dataDir}/myid
+         |  exit
+         |SSHEND
       """.stripMargin.trim
   }
 
   private def stop(s: Zookeeper.Server) = {
     logger.info(s"Stopping zookeeper at ${s.host}:${s.leaderPort}:${s.quorumPort}")
-    val user = config.getString(s"system.$configKey.user")
-    shell ! s""" ssh $user@${s.host} ${config.getString(s"system.$configKey.path.home")}/bin/zkServer.sh stop """
+    shell !
+      s"""
+         |ssh -t -t "${c.user}@${s.host}" << SSHEND
+         |  ${c.home}/bin/zkServer.sh stop
+         |  rm -Rf ${c.dataDir}
+         |  exit
+         |SSHEND
+      """.stripMargin
   }
 
   private def isRunning(s: Zookeeper.Server) = {
-    val user = config.getString(s"system.$configKey.user")
-    val pidFile = s"${config.getString(s"system.$configKey.config.dataDir")}/zookeeper_server.pid"
-
-    (shell !! s""" ssh $user@${s.host} "ps -p `cat $pidFile` >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $$?" """).stripLineEnd.toInt == 0
+    val pidFile = s"${c.dataDir}/zookeeper_server.pid"
+    (shell !! s""" ssh ${c.user}@${s.host} "ps -p `cat $pidFile` >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $$?" """).stripLineEnd.toInt == 0
   }
 
-  private def servers = {
-    // grab servers from config
-    val serverConfigs = config.getConfig(s"system.$configKey.config.server").entrySet().asScala.map(v => v.getKey.substring(1, v.getKey.length() - 1) + ":" + v.getValue.unwrapped().toString)
-    // match and return valid server configs
-    serverConfigs.collect({
-      case Zookeeper.ServerConf(id, host, quorumPort, leaderPort) => Zookeeper.Server(id.toInt, host, quorumPort.toInt, leaderPort.toInt)
-    })
+  // config parameter shorthands
+
+  private object c {
+
+    def conf =
+      config.getString(s"system.$configKey.path.config")
+
+    def user =
+      config.getString(s"system.$configKey.user")
+
+    def home =
+      config.getString(s"system.$configKey.path.home")
+
+    def clientPort =
+      config.getInt(s"system.$configKey.config.clientPort")
+
+    def dataDir =
+      config.getString(s"system.$configKey.config.dataDir")
+
+    def servers =
+      config.getConfig(s"system.$configKey.config.server").entrySet().asScala
+        .map(v => v.getKey.substring(1, v.getKey.length() - 1) + ":" + v.getValue.unwrapped().toString)
+        .collect({
+          case Zookeeper.ServerConf(id, host, quorumPort, leaderPort) =>
+            Zookeeper.Server(id.toInt, host, quorumPort.toInt, leaderPort.toInt)
+        })
   }
 }