diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa411644..85e39f96 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ which is a diff between normal old `package-name` and your fixed version. Commit
 
   Make regexps used in --include or --exclude filters case-sensitive.
 
+* `--patches-dir`
+
+  Specifies patches directory. defaults to `patches`
+
 ### Updating patches
 
 Use exactly the same process as for making patches in the first place, i.e. make more changes, run patch-package, commit the changes to the patch file.
@@ -105,6 +109,10 @@ Run `patch-package` without arguments to apply all patches in your project.
 
   This option was added to help people using CircleCI avoid [an issue around caching and patch file updates](https://github.com/ds300/patch-package/issues/37) but might be useful in other contexts too.
 
+* `--patches-dir`
+
+  Specifies patches directory. defaults to `patches`
+
 #### Notes
 
 To apply patches individually, you may use `git`:
diff --git a/src/applyPatches.ts b/src/applyPatches.ts
index ea0e040f..700422b1 100644
--- a/src/applyPatches.ts
+++ b/src/applyPatches.ts
@@ -55,8 +55,9 @@ function getInstalledPackageVersion(
 export const applyPatchesForApp = (
   appPath: AppPath,
   reverse: boolean,
+  patchDir: string = "patches",
 ): void => {
-  const patchesDirectory = path.join(appPath, "patches") as PatchesDirectory
+  const patchesDirectory = path.join(appPath, patchDir) as PatchesDirectory
   const files = findPatchFiles(patchesDirectory)
 
   if (files.length === 0) {
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 0e7f3b9f..b6e79321 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { detectPackageManager } from "./detectPackageManager"
 const appPath = getAppRootPath()
 const argv = minimist(process.argv.slice(2), {
   boolean: ["use-yarn", "case-sensitive-path-filtering", "reverse"],
+  string: ["patch-dir"],
 })
 const packageNames = argv._
 
@@ -37,11 +38,12 @@ if (argv.help || argv.h) {
         detectPackageManager(appPath, argv["use-yarn"] ? "yarn" : null),
         include,
         exclude,
+        argv["patch-dir"],
       )
     })
   } else {
     console.log("patch-package: Applying patches...")
-    applyPatchesForApp(appPath, !!argv["reverse"])
+    applyPatchesForApp(appPath, !!argv["reverse"], argv["patch-dir"])
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/makePatch.ts b/src/makePatch.ts
index 306753cd..d82468a4 100644
--- a/src/makePatch.ts
+++ b/src/makePatch.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export const makePatch = (
   packageManager: PackageManager,
   includePaths: RegExp,
   excludePaths: RegExp,
+  patchDir: string = "patches",
 ) => {
   const nodeModulesPath = join(appPath, "node_modules")
   const packagePath = join(nodeModulesPath, packageName)
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ export const makePatch = (
   const tmpRepoPackagePath = join(tmpRepoNodeModulesPath, packageName)
 
   try {
-    const patchesDir = join(appPath, "patches")
+    const patchesDir = join(appPath, patchDir)
 
     if (!fs.existsSync(patchesDir)) {
       fs.mkdirSync(patchesDir)
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@ export const makePatch = (
         fs.mkdirSync(dirname(patchPath))
       }
       fs.writeFileSync(patchPath, patch)
-      console.log(`${green("✔")} Created file patches/${patchFileName}`)
+      console.log(`${green("✔")} Created file ${patchDir}/${patchFileName}`)
     }
   } catch (e) {
     console.error(e)