diff --git a/lib/bootstrap.py b/lib/bootstrap.py
index fd7ff835a7cea0531491cb0329889f756fc1e59b..04ca5058d77a81ad1cfb4dc333c7dd58174ecebc 100644
--- a/lib/bootstrap.py
+++ b/lib/bootstrap.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 #
 
-# Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 Google Inc.
+# Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 Google Inc.
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -245,10 +245,43 @@ def _InitFileStorage(file_storage_dir):
   return file_storage_dir
 
 
+def _InitSharedFileStorage(shared_file_storage_dir):
+  """Initialize if needed the shared file storage.
+
+  @param shared_file_storage_dir: the user-supplied value
+  @return: either empty string (if file storage was disabled at build
+      time) or the normalized path to the storage directory
+
+  """
+  if not constants.ENABLE_SHARED_FILE_STORAGE:
+    return ""
+
+  shared_file_storage_dir = os.path.normpath(shared_file_storage_dir)
+
+  if not os.path.isabs(shared_file_storage_dir):
+    raise errors.OpPrereqError("The shared file storage directory you"
+                               " passed is not an absolute path.",
+                               errors.ECODE_INVAL)
+
+  if not os.path.exists(shared_file_storage_dir):
+    try:
+      os.makedirs(shared_file_storage_dir, 0750)
+    except OSError, err:
+      raise errors.OpPrereqError("Cannot create file storage directory"
+                                 " '%s': %s" % (shared_file_storage_dir, err),
+                                 errors.ECODE_ENVIRON)
+
+  if not os.path.isdir(shared_file_storage_dir):
+    raise errors.OpPrereqError("The file storage directory '%s' is not"
+                               " a directory." % shared_file_storage_dir,
+                               errors.ECODE_ENVIRON)
+  return shared_file_storage_dir
+
+
 def InitCluster(cluster_name, mac_prefix, # pylint: disable-msg=R0913
-                master_netdev, file_storage_dir, candidate_pool_size,
-                secondary_ip=None, vg_name=None, beparams=None,
-                nicparams=None, ndparams=None, hvparams=None,
+                master_netdev, file_storage_dir, shared_file_storage_dir,
+                candidate_pool_size, secondary_ip=None, vg_name=None,
+                beparams=None, nicparams=None, ndparams=None, hvparams=None,
                 enabled_hypervisors=None, modify_etc_hosts=True,
                 modify_ssh_setup=True, maintain_node_health=False,
                 drbd_helper=None, uid_pool=None, default_iallocator=None,
@@ -347,6 +380,7 @@ def InitCluster(cluster_name, mac_prefix, # pylint: disable-msg=R0913
                                  errors.ECODE_INVAL)
 
   file_storage_dir = _InitFileStorage(file_storage_dir)
+  shared_file_storage_dir = _InitSharedFileStorage(shared_file_storage_dir)
 
   if not re.match("^[0-9a-z]{2}:[0-9a-z]{2}:[0-9a-z]{2}$", mac_prefix):
     raise errors.OpPrereqError("Invalid mac prefix given '%s'" % mac_prefix,
diff --git a/lib/client/gnt_cluster.py b/lib/client/gnt_cluster.py
index 981696fef7604e88217aa9c1969aaf719a74f4c8..f83f894e98a7a4c7485de4dd6b9bce2a6090bc1b 100644
--- a/lib/client/gnt_cluster.py
+++ b/lib/client/gnt_cluster.py
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ def InitCluster(opts, args):
                         mac_prefix=opts.mac_prefix,
                         master_netdev=master_netdev,
                         file_storage_dir=opts.file_storage_dir,
+                        shared_file_storage_dir=opts.shared_file_storage_dir,
                         enabled_hypervisors=hvlist,
                         hvparams=hvparams,
                         beparams=beparams,
@@ -1223,7 +1224,7 @@ commands = {
      SECONDARY_IP_OPT, VG_NAME_OPT, MAINTAIN_NODE_HEALTH_OPT,
      UIDPOOL_OPT, DRBD_HELPER_OPT, NODRBD_STORAGE_OPT,
      DEFAULT_IALLOCATOR_OPT, PRIMARY_IP_VERSION_OPT, PREALLOC_WIPE_DISKS_OPT,
-     NODE_PARAMS_OPT],
+     NODE_PARAMS_OPT, GLOBAL_SHARED_FILEDIR_OPT],
     "[opts...] <cluster_name>", "Initialises a new cluster configuration"),
   'destroy': (
     DestroyCluster, ARGS_NONE, [YES_DOIT_OPT],