diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c
index e3efa3b4d..f349ad7d3 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c
@@ -1281,6 +1281,13 @@ fu_common_get_path(FuPathKind path_kind)
 			return g_build_filename(tmp, NULL);
 		basedir = fu_common_get_path(FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_PKG);
 		return g_build_filename(basedir, "quirks.d", NULL);
+	/* /var/lib/fwupd/metadata */
+	case FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_METADATA:
+		tmp = g_getenv("FWUPD_LOCALSTATEDIR_METADATA");
+		if (tmp != NULL)
+			return g_build_filename(tmp, NULL);
+		basedir = fu_common_get_path(FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_PKG);
+		return g_build_filename(basedir, "metadata", NULL);
 	/* /var/cache/fwupd */
 	case FU_PATH_KIND_CACHEDIR_PKG:
 		tmp = g_getenv("CACHE_DIRECTORY");
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h
index 81909f8a4..101d3fea9 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ typedef guint FuEndianType;
  * @FU_PATH_KIND_DATADIR_QUIRKS:	The quirks data store (IE /usr/share/fwupd/quirks.d)
  * @FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_QUIRKS:	The local state directory for quirks (IE
  * /var/lib/fwupd/quirks.d)
+ * @FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_METADATA: The local state directory for metadata (IE
+ * /var/lib/fwupd/metadata)
  *
  * Path types to use when dynamically determining a path at runtime
  **/
@@ -103,6 +105,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	FU_PATH_KIND_FIRMWARE_SEARCH,
 	FU_PATH_KIND_DATADIR_QUIRKS,
 	FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_QUIRKS,
+	FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_METADATA,
 	/*< private >*/
 	FU_PATH_KIND_LAST
 } FuPathKind;
diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index b86ab6f53..ca9da7cf7 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -6594,6 +6594,7 @@ static gboolean
 fu_engine_ensure_paths_exist(GError **error)
 {
 	FuPathKind path_kinds[] = {FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_QUIRKS,
+				   FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_METADATA,
 				   FU_PATH_KIND_CACHEDIR_PKG,
 				   FU_PATH_KIND_LAST};
 	for (guint i = 0; path_kinds[i] != FU_PATH_KIND_LAST; i++) {
diff --git a/src/fu-remote-list.c b/src/fu-remote-list.c
index fb22b2415..2efcecece 100644
--- a/src/fu-remote-list.c
+++ b/src/fu-remote-list.c
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ fu_remote_list_add_for_path(FuRemoteList *self, const gchar *path, GError **erro
 	while ((tmp = g_dir_read_name(dir)) != NULL) {
 		g_autofree gchar *filename = g_build_filename(path_remotes, tmp, NULL);
 		g_autoptr(FwupdRemote) remote = fwupd_remote_new();
-		g_autofree gchar *localstatedir = NULL;
 		g_autofree gchar *remotesdir = NULL;
 
 		/* skip invalid files */
@@ -179,8 +178,7 @@ fu_remote_list_add_for_path(FuRemoteList *self, const gchar *path, GError **erro
 		}
 
 		/* set directory to store data */
-		localstatedir = fu_common_get_path(FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_PKG);
-		remotesdir = g_build_filename(localstatedir, "remotes.d", NULL);
+		remotesdir = fu_common_get_path(FU_PATH_KIND_LOCALSTATEDIR_METADATA);
 		fwupd_remote_set_remotes_dir(remote, remotesdir);
 
 		/* load from keyfile */