diff --git a/internal/manager/api_impl/varrepl_test.go b/internal/manager/api_impl/varrepl_test.go
index 02c0dbfa..de779f63 100644
--- a/internal/manager/api_impl/varrepl_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/api_impl/varrepl_test.go
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ func TestReplaceJobsVariable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Having the Shaman enabled should create an implicit variable "{jobs}".
 	conf := config.GetTestConfig(func(c *config.Conf) {
+		c.StoragePath = "/path/to/flamenco-storage"
 		c.Shaman.Enabled = true
-		c.Shaman.StoragePath = "/path/to/shaman/storage"
 	})
 
 	task := varreplTestTask()
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/config.go b/internal/manager/config/config.go
index 9edd2e78..a5499528 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/config.go
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ type Base struct {
 	SSDPDiscovery bool `yaml:"autodiscoverable"`
 
 	// Storage configuration:
-	Shaman shaman_config.Config `yaml:"shaman"`
+	StoragePath string               `yaml:"storage_path"`
+	Shaman      shaman_config.Config `yaml:"shaman"`
 
 	// TLS certificate management. TLSxxx has priority over ACME.
 	// TLSKey         string `yaml:"tlskey"`
@@ -233,6 +234,7 @@ func (c *Conf) processAfterLoading(override ...func(c *Conf)) {
 		overrideFunc(c)
 	}
 
+	c.processStorage()
 	c.addImplicitVariables()
 	c.ensureVariablesUnique()
 	c.constructVariableLookupTable()
@@ -242,20 +244,30 @@ func (c *Conf) processAfterLoading(override ...func(c *Conf)) {
 	c.checkTLS()
 }
 
+func (c *Conf) processStorage() {
+	// Shaman should use the Flamenco storage location.
+	if c.Shaman.Enabled {
+		c.Shaman.StoragePath = c.StoragePath
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *Conf) addImplicitVariables() {
 	c.implicitVariables = make(map[string]Variable)
 
-	if !c.Shaman.Enabled {
-		return
+	var jobStorage string
+	if c.Shaman.Enabled {
+		jobStorage = c.Shaman.CheckoutPath()
+	} else {
+		jobStorage = c.StoragePath
 	}
 
-	// Shaman adds a variable to allow job submission to create
-	// checkout-dir-relative paths.
-	shamanCheckoutPath := c.Shaman.CheckoutPath()
-	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(shamanCheckoutPath)
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(jobStorage)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("unable to find absolute path of Shaman checkout path")
-		absPath = shamanCheckoutPath
+		log.Warn().
+			Str("storagePath", jobStorage).
+			Bool("shamanEnabled", c.Shaman.Enabled).
+			Err(err).Msg("unable to find absolute path of storage path")
+		absPath = jobStorage
 	}
 	c.implicitVariables["jobs"] = Variable{
 		IsTwoWay: false,
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/defaults.go b/internal/manager/config/defaults.go
index 3a9ee971..002c1a58 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/defaults.go
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ var defaultConfig = Conf{
 		DatabaseDSN:   "flamenco-manager.sqlite",
 		TaskLogsPath:  "./task-logs",
 		SSDPDiscovery: true,
+		StoragePath:   "./flamenco-storage",
 
 		Shaman: shaman_config.Config{
-			Enabled:     false,
-			StoragePath: "./shaman-file-storage",
+			Enabled: false,
 			GarbageCollect: shaman_config.GarbageCollect{
 				Period:            24 * time.Hour,
 				MaxAge:            31 * 24 * time.Hour,
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/settings_test.go b/internal/manager/config/settings_test.go
index 1866e36d..08f634c8 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/settings_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/settings_test.go
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ func TestVariableValidation(t *testing.T) {
 // TODO: Test two-way variables. Even though they're not currently in the
 // default configuration, they should work.
 
-func TestShamanImplicitVariables(t *testing.T) {
+func TestStorageImplicitVariablesWithShaman(t *testing.T) {
 	c := DefaultConfig(func(c *Conf) {
-		// Having the Shaman enabled should create an implicit variable "{jobs}".
+		// Having the Shaman enabled should create an implicit variable "{jobs}" at the Shaman checkout path.
+		c.StoragePath = "/path/to/shaman/storage"
 		c.Shaman.Enabled = true
-		c.Shaman.StoragePath = "/path/to/shaman/storage"
 
 		c.Variables["jobs"] = Variable{
 			IsTwoWay: true,
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ func TestShamanImplicitVariables(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		}
-
 	})
 
 	assert.NotContains(t, c.Variables, "jobs", "implicit variables should erase existing variables with the same name")
@@ -67,3 +66,29 @@ func TestShamanImplicitVariables(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, c.implicitVariables["jobs"].IsTwoWay)
 	assert.Equal(t, c.Shaman.CheckoutPath(), c.implicitVariables["jobs"].Values[0].Value)
 }
+
+func TestStorageImplicitVariablesWithoutShaman(t *testing.T) {
+	c := DefaultConfig(func(c *Conf) {
+		// Having the Shaman disabled should create an implicit variable "{jobs}" at the storage path.
+		c.StoragePath = "/path/to/shaman/storage"
+		c.Shaman.Enabled = false
+
+		c.Variables["jobs"] = Variable{
+			IsTwoWay: true,
+			Values: []VariableValue{
+				{
+					Audience: VariableAudienceAll,
+					Platform: VariablePlatformAll,
+					Value:    "this value should not be seen",
+				},
+			},
+		}
+	})
+
+	assert.NotContains(t, c.Variables, "jobs", "implicit variables should erase existing variables with the same name")
+	if !assert.Contains(t, c.implicitVariables, "jobs") {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+	assert.False(t, c.implicitVariables["jobs"].IsTwoWay)
+	assert.Equal(t, c.StoragePath, c.implicitVariables["jobs"].Values[0].Value)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/shaman/config/config.go b/pkg/shaman/config/config.go
index 334cb96a..7c47bffa 100644
--- a/pkg/shaman/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/shaman/config/config.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	TestTempDir string `yaml:"-"`
 
 	Enabled        bool           `yaml:"enabled"`
-	StoragePath    string         `yaml:"storagePath"`
+	StoragePath    string         `yaml:"-"` // Needs to be set externally, not saved in config.
 	GarbageCollect GarbageCollect `yaml:"garbageCollect"`
 }