diff --git a/services/immich/.env b/services/immich/.env
index c683e938..aab430db 100644
--- a/services/immich/.env
+++ b/services/immich/.env
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ TZ=Europe/Amsterdam # See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_tim
 # PUID=1000
 
 # The location where your uploaded files are stored
-UPLOAD_LOCATION=./library
+UPLOAD_LOCATION=./${SERVICE}-data/upload
 
 # The location where your database files are stored. Network shares are not supported for the database
-DB_DATA_LOCATION=./postgres
+DB_DATA_LOCATION=./${SERVICE}-data/database
 
 # To set a timezone, change the TZ value above to a TZ identifier from this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones#List
 
diff --git a/services/immich/README.md b/services/immich/README.md
index d2f81a5c..1bb9a1cc 100644
--- a/services/immich/README.md
+++ b/services/immich/README.md
@@ -25,4 +25,6 @@ In this deployment, the `tailscale-immich` service runs the Tailscale client to
 
 * **Keep `TS_ACCEPT_DNS` disabled.** The `application` service shares the DNS configuration of the `tailscale` service. With `TS_ACCEPT_DNS=true`, Tailscale replaces Docker's DNS with MagicDNS, which cannot resolve the `database`, `redis`, and `immich-machine-learning` services. Immich then fails to start with `getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND database`. You can reach Immich over your Tailnet without this setting.
 * **Resolving MagicDNS names from Immich.** If Immich itself must look up other Tailnet devices by name, such as an OAuth provider or SMTP server, uncomment the `dns` block of the `tailscale` service and set `100.100.100.100` as the DNS server. Docker keeps resolving the service names and forwards all other lookups to MagicDNS. Use the full name, such as `device.example.ts.net`.
+* **Storage locations.** `UPLOAD_LOCATION` and `DB_DATA_LOCATION` in `.env` set where Immich stores your media and its database. The defaults are `./immich-data/upload` and `./immich-data/database`. To move your media to another disk, set `UPLOAD_LOCATION` to an absolute path. Keep the database on a local disk, because Immich does not support network shares for it.
+* **Updating an existing installation.** Earlier versions of this stack ignored both variables and always used the default folders. If your `.env` still contains `UPLOAD_LOCATION=./library` or `DB_DATA_LOCATION=./postgres`, replace them with the defaults above before you restart. Otherwise Immich starts with an empty library and a new database. Your existing files stay untouched in `./immich-data`.
 * **Renamed services.** Immich connects to the hostnames `database` and `redis` by default. If you rename these services in `compose.yaml`, set `DB_HOSTNAME` and `REDIS_HOSTNAME` in `.env` to the new names.
diff --git a/services/immich/compose.yaml b/services/immich/compose.yaml
index 9a4800fa..5ef15283 100644
--- a/services/immich/compose.yaml
+++ b/services/immich/compose.yaml
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ services:
     #   service: cpu # set to one of [nvenc, quicksync, rkmpp, vaapi, vaapi-wsl] for accelerated transcoding
     volumes:
       # Do not edit the next line. If you want to change the media storage location on your system, edit the value of UPLOAD_LOCATION in the .env file
-      - ./${SERVICE}-data/upload:/data
+      - ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data
       - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
     env_file:
       - .env
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ services:
       # DB_STORAGE_TYPE: 'HDD'
     volumes:
       # Do not edit the next line. If you want to change the database storage location on your system, edit the value of DB_DATA_LOCATION in the .env file
-      - ./${SERVICE}-data/database:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+      - ${DB_DATA_LOCATION}:/var/lib/postgresql/data
     # Healthcheck: defined by the image (/usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh), so this file does not override it.
     # The image's check connects over the Unix socket, so it can report ready during first-start initialization.
     restart: always