diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c b/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
index 3f4bf126eed0..5ccef7d597fa 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ static ssize_t target_core_item_dbroot_store(struct config_item *item,
 
 	mutex_unlock(&g_tf_lock);
 
+	pr_debug("Target_Core_ConfigFS: db_root set to %s\n", db_root);
+
 	return read_bytes;
 }
 
@@ -3213,6 +3215,27 @@ void target_setup_backend_cits(struct target_backend *tb)
 	target_core_setup_dev_stat_cit(tb);
 }
 
+static void target_init_dbroot(void)
+{
+	struct file *fp;
+
+	snprintf(db_root_stage, DB_ROOT_LEN, DB_ROOT_PREFERRED);
+	fp = filp_open(db_root_stage, O_RDONLY, 0);
+	if (IS_ERR(fp)) {
+		pr_err("db_root: cannot open: %s\n", db_root_stage);
+		return;
+	}
+	if (!S_ISDIR(file_inode(fp)->i_mode)) {
+		filp_close(fp, NULL);
+		pr_err("db_root: not a valid directory: %s\n", db_root_stage);
+		return;
+	}
+	filp_close(fp, NULL);
+
+	strncpy(db_root, db_root_stage, DB_ROOT_LEN);
+	pr_debug("Target_Core_ConfigFS: db_root set to %s\n", db_root);
+}
+
 static int __init target_core_init_configfs(void)
 {
 	struct configfs_subsystem *subsys = &target_core_fabrics;
@@ -3293,6 +3316,8 @@ static int __init target_core_init_configfs(void)
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out;
 
+	target_init_dbroot();
+
 	return 0;
 
 out:
diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_internal.h b/drivers/target/target_core_internal.h
index 1d5afc3ae017..dead30b1d32c 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_internal.h
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ extern struct se_portal_group xcopy_pt_tpg;
 /* target_core_configfs.c */
 #define DB_ROOT_LEN		4096
 #define	DB_ROOT_DEFAULT		"/var/target"
+#define	DB_ROOT_PREFERRED	"/etc/target"
 
 extern char db_root[];