diff --git a/exampleConfig.js b/exampleConfig.js
index 12e995f6..96f4bb2b 100644
--- a/exampleConfig.js
+++ b/exampleConfig.js
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ Optional Variables:
     log:            location of log file for frequent keys [default: STDOUT]
     hostname:       the hostname of the current machine
                     (used in conjuction with 'append_hostname') [default: undefined]
- append_hostname:   when true, statsd will append the hostname to _all_ stats' keys
+  append_hostname:   when true, statsd will append the hostname to _all_ stats' keys
                     [default: false]
+  rootDir:         root directory for all graphite metrics
+                    [default: 'stats']
 
 */
 {
diff --git a/stats.js b/stats.js
index 9e916a50..1fc1bab4 100644
--- a/stats.js
+++ b/stats.js
@@ -37,14 +37,20 @@ config.configFile(process.argv[2], function (config, oldConfig) {
     }, config.debugInterval || 10000);
   }
 
-  var stat_suffix = ''
+  var stat_suffix = '';
   if (config.hostname && (config.append_hostname || false)) {
       stat_suffix = '.' + config.hostname;
       if (config.debug) {
-          util.log("Using hostname as suffix: " + stat_suffix)
+          util.log("Using hostname as suffix: " + stat_suffix);
       }
   }
 
+  // grab rootDir graphite directory from config or default to 'stats'
+  var rootDir = config.rootDir || 'stats';
+  if (config.debug) {
+      util.log("Using root directory: " + rootDir);
+  }
+
 
   if (server === undefined) {
 
@@ -207,8 +213,8 @@ config.configFile(process.argv[2], function (config, oldConfig) {
         var value = counters[key];
         var valuePerSecond = value / (flushInterval / 1000); // calculate "per second" rate
 
-        statString += 'stats.'        + key + stat_suffix + ' ' + valuePerSecond + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-        statString += 'stats_counts.' + key + stat_suffix + ' ' + value          + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        statString += rootDir + '.'        + key + stat_suffix + ' ' + valuePerSecond + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        statString += rootDir + '_counts.' + key + stat_suffix + ' ' + value          + ' ' + ts + "\n";
 
         counters[key] = 0;
         numStats += 1;
@@ -247,15 +253,15 @@ config.configFile(process.argv[2], function (config, oldConfig) {
 
             var clean_pct = '' + pct;
             clean_pct.replace('.', '_');
-            message += 'stats.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.mean_'  + clean_pct + ' ' + mean           + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-            message += 'stats.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.upper_' + clean_pct + ' ' + maxAtThreshold + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+            message += rootDir + '.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.mean_'  + clean_pct + ' ' + mean           + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+            message += rootDir + '.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.upper_' + clean_pct + ' ' + maxAtThreshold + ' ' + ts + "\n";
           }
 
           timers[key] = [];
 
-          message += 'stats.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.upper ' + max   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-          message += 'stats.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.lower ' + min   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-          message += 'stats.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.count ' + count + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+          message += rootDir + '.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.upper ' + max   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+          message += rootDir + '.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.lower ' + min   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+          message += rootDir + '.timers.' + key + stat_suffix + '.count ' + count + ' ' + ts + "\n";
           statString += message;
 
           numStats += 1;
@@ -263,7 +269,7 @@ config.configFile(process.argv[2], function (config, oldConfig) {
       }
 
       for (key in gauges) {
-        statString += 'stats.gauges.' + key + stat_suffix + ' ' + gauges[key] + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        statString += rootDir + '.gauges.' + key + stat_suffix + ' ' + gauges[key] + ' ' + ts + "\n";
         numStats += 1;
       }