sacrifice:~/chef/chef# git diff
diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/config.rb b/chef/lib/chef/config.rb
index 83b28d3..b02054e 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/config.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/config.rb
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ class Chef
     executable_path ENV['PATH'] ? ENV['PATH'].split(File::PATH_SEPARATOR) : []
     file_cache_path "/var/chef/cache"
     file_store_path "/var/chef/store"
+    file_backup_path nil
     group nil
     http_retry_count 5
     http_retry_delay 5
diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/provider/file.rb b/chef/lib/chef/provider/file.rb
index 4b6cc7c..e8955d6 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/provider/file.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/provider/file.rb
@@ -165,12 +165,16 @@ class Chef
           time = Time.now
           savetime = time.strftime("%Y%m%d%H%M%S")
           backup_filename = "#{@new_resource.path}.chef-#{savetime}"
+          prefix = Chef::Config[:file_backup_path] || ""
+          if Chef::Config[:file_backup_path]
+            FileUtils.mkdir_p(::File.dirname(Chef::Config[:file_backup_path] + backup_filename))
+          end
           Chef::Log.info("Backing up #{@new_resource} to #{backup_filename}")
-          FileUtils.cp(file, backup_filename)
+          FileUtils.cp(file, prefix + backup_filename)

           # Clean up after the number of backups
           slice_number = @new_resource.backup - 1
-          backup_files = Dir["#{@new_resource.path}.chef-*"].sort { |a,b| b <=> a }
+          backup_files = Dir[prefix + "#{@new_resource.path}.chef-*"].sort { |a,b| b <=> a }
           if backup_files.length >= @new_resource.backup
             remainder = backup_files.slice(slice_number..-1)
             remainder.each do |backup_to_delete|
diff --git a/chef/spec/unit/provider/file_spec.rb b/chef/spec/unit/provider/file_spec.rb
index ceff5b7..e8e0d5d 100644
--- a/chef/spec/unit/provider/file_spec.rb
+++ b/chef/spec/unit/provider/file_spec.rb
@@ -246,6 +246,19 @@ describe Chef::Provider::File do
     FileUtils.should_not_receive(:cp)
     @provider.backup
   end
+  it "should put the backup backup file in the directory specified by Chef::Config[:file_backup_path]" do
+    @provider.load_current_resource
+    @provider.new_resource.stub!(:path).and_return("/tmp/s-20080705111233")
+    @provider.new_resource.stub!(:backup).and_return(2)
+    Chef::Config.stub!(:[]).with(:file_backup_path).and_return("/some_prefix")
+    Dir.stub!(:[]).and_return([ "/some_prefix/tmp/s-20080705111233", "/some_prefix/tmp/s-20080705111232", "/som
+    FileUtils.should_receive(:mkdir_p).with("/some_prefix/tmp").once
+    FileUtils.should_receive(:rm).with("/some_prefix/tmp/s-20080705111232").once.and_return(true)
+    FileUtils.should_receive(:rm).with("/some_prefix/tmp/s-20080705111223").once.and_return(true)
+    FileUtils.stub!(:cp).and_return(true)
+    File.stub!(:exist?).and_return(true)
+    @provider.backup
+  end
 end

 describe Chef::Provider::File, "action_create_if_missing" do