diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 4a66f3a7a..7d6348789 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -658,7 +658,6 @@ private:
 };
 
 // Initialise and enter main loop.
-
 void OMW::Engine::go()
 {
     assert (!mContentFiles.empty());
@@ -687,7 +686,8 @@ void OMW::Engine::go()
     mViewer->setUseConfigureAffinity(false);
 #endif
 
-    mScreenCaptureOperation = new WriteScreenshotToFileOperation(mCfgMgr.getUserDataPath().string(),
+    mScreenCaptureOperation = new WriteScreenshotToFileOperation(
+        mCfgMgr.getScreenshotPath().string(),
         Settings::Manager::getString("screenshot format", "General"));
 
     mScreenCaptureHandler = new osgViewer::ScreenCaptureHandler(mScreenCaptureOperation);
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
index 3bc6e1772..0ba2d1519 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ ConfigurationManager::ConfigurationManager(bool silent)
     boost::filesystem::create_directories(mFixedPath.getUserDataPath());
 
     mLogPath = mFixedPath.getUserConfigPath();
+
+    mScreenshotPath = mFixedPath.getUserDataPath() / "screenshots";
+
+    // probably not necessary but validate the creation of the screenshots directory and fallback to the original behavior if it fails
+    boost::system::error_code dirErr;
+    if (!boost::filesystem::create_directories(mScreenshotPath, dirErr) && !boost::filesystem::is_directory(mScreenshotPath)) {
+        mScreenshotPath = mFixedPath.getUserDataPath();
+    }
 }
 
 ConfigurationManager::~ConfigurationManager()
@@ -196,4 +204,9 @@ const boost::filesystem::path& ConfigurationManager::getLogPath() const
     return mLogPath;
 }
 
+const boost::filesystem::path& ConfigurationManager::getScreenshotPath() const
+{
+    return mScreenshotPath;
+}
+
 } /* namespace Cfg */
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
index df131e671..446abd4dc 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ struct ConfigurationManager
     const boost::filesystem::path& getCachePath() const;
 
     const boost::filesystem::path& getLogPath() const;
+    const boost::filesystem::path& getScreenshotPath() const;
 
     private:
         typedef Files::FixedPath<> FixedPathType;
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ struct ConfigurationManager
         FixedPathType mFixedPath;
 
         boost::filesystem::path mLogPath;
+        boost::filesystem::path mScreenshotPath;
 
         TokensMappingContainer mTokensMapping;