diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 2a6e3e5..7fee186 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@ EXPOSE 5000
 COPY usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/api-server.py /usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/api-server.py
 COPY usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/requirements.txt /usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/requirements.txt
 COPY usr/local/bin/hourly-rsync.sh /etc/cron.hourly/hourly-api-rsync
+COPY docker-entrypoint.sh /
 RUN mkdir /mnt/efs
 RUN chmod +x /etc/cron.hourly/hourly-api-rsync
 RUN touch /etc/crontab /etc/cron.*/*
 WORKDIR /usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/
 RUN pip3 install -r /usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/requirements.txt
+ENTRYPOINT ["/docker-entrypoint.sh"]
 CMD printenv | grep -v "no_proxy" > /etc/environment && /etc/init.d/cron start && python3 -u /usr/share/jupyter-canvas-api/api-server.py
diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..120d3a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eo pipefail
+
+BASE_DIR="${BASE_DIR:-/mnt/efs}"
+DEFAULT_JNOTE_HOME="$BASE_DIR/${JNOTE_COURSE_CODE,,}"
+DEFAULT_JNOTE_SNAP="$BASE_DIR/${JNOTE_COURSE_CODE,,}-snap"
+DEFAULT_JNOTE_INTSNAP="$BASE_DIR/${JNOTE_COURSE_CODE,,}-internal"
+
+export JNOTE_HOME="${JNOTE_HOME:-$DEFAULT_JNOTE_HOME}"
+export JNOTE_SNAP="${JNOTE_SNAP:-$DEFAULT_JNOTE_SNAP}"
+export JNOTE_INTSNAP="${JNOTE_INTSNAP:-$DEFAULT_JNOTE_INTSNAP}"
+
+mkdir -p $JNOTE_HOME $JNOTE_SNAP $JNOTE_INTSNAP
+chmod 777 $JNOTE_HOME $JNOTE_SNAP $JNOTE_INTSNAP
+
+exec "$@"
diff --git a/kube-manifests/jupyterhub-api-pod.yml b/kube-manifests/jupyterhub-api-pod.yml
index 447ccba..7c4897a 100644
--- a/kube-manifests/jupyterhub-api-pod.yml
+++ b/kube-manifests/jupyterhub-api-pod.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ metadata:
 spec:
   replicas: 1
   selector:
-    matchLabels:     
+    matchLabels:
       run: jupyterhub-api-app
       app: jhub-api
       organization: ubc
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ spec:
           memory: 2G
          limits:
           cpu: "500m"
-          memory: 2G 
+          memory: 2G
         env:
         - name: JUPYTER_API_KEY
-          valueFrom: 
+          valueFrom:
              secretKeyRef:
                 name: jupyterhub-api-key
                 key: jupyterhub-api-key
@@ -49,12 +49,13 @@ spec:
           value: "5000"
         - name: JUPYTER_API_HOST
           value: "0.0.0.0"
-        - name: JNOTE_HOME
-          value: "/mnt/efs/dsci-100-home/"
-        - name: JNOTE_SNAP
-          value: "/mnt/efs/dsci-100-snap/"         
-        - name: JNOTE_INTSNAP
-          value: "/mnt/efs/dsci-100-internal/"   
+          # optional, to override default values
+#        - name: JNOTE_HOME
+#          value: "/mnt/efs/dsci-100-home/"
+#        - name: JNOTE_SNAP
+#          value: "/mnt/efs/dsci-100-snap/"
+#        - name: JNOTE_INTSNAP
+#          value: "/mnt/efs/dsci-100-internal/"
         ports:
          - containerPort: 5000
         volumeMounts: