diff --git a/elasticsearch/defaults/main.yml b/elasticsearch/defaults/main.yml
index c0d46bc9..f1a54e9c 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/elasticsearch/defaults/main.yml
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@ elasticsearch_network_host: "[_site_, _local_]"
 elasticsearch_network_publish_host: "_site_"
 elasticsearch_custom_datadir: Null
 elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir: Null
+elasticsearch_default_tmpdir: /var/lib/elasticsearch/tmp
 elasticsearch_jvm_xms: 2g
 elasticsearch_jvm_xmx: 2g
diff --git a/elasticsearch/tasks/tmpdir.yml b/elasticsearch/tasks/tmpdir.yml
index 1ec97597..bba36dee 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/tasks/tmpdir.yml
+++ b/elasticsearch/tasks/tmpdir.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
   changed_when: False
 
 - block:
-  - name: "Create {{ elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir }}"
+  - name: "Create {{ elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir or elasticsearch_default_tmpdir | mandatory }}"
     file:
-      path: "{{ elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir }}"
+      path: "{{ elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir or elasticsearch_default_tmpdir | mandatory }}"
       owner: elasticsearch
       group: elasticsearch
       mode: 0755
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
   - name: change JVM tmpdir
     lineinfile:
       dest: /etc/elasticsearch/jvm.options
-      line: "-Djava.io.tmpdir={{ elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir }}"
+      line: "-Djava.io.tmpdir={{ elasticsearch_custom_tmpdir or elasticsearch_default_tmpdir | mandatory }}"
       regexp: "^-Djava.io.tmpdir="
       insertafter: "## JVM configuration"
     notify: