diff --git a/src/run_modules/experiment_setup.py b/src/run_modules/experiment_setup.py
index b04c0e2ac2a2262c92c5f7149014206d0d390e18..7450ff40b7d580b69c4aaf46a029f7e8567f36f0 100644
--- a/src/run_modules/experiment_setup.py
+++ b/src/run_modules/experiment_setup.py
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ class ExperimentSetup(RunEnvironment):
         super().__init__()
 
         # experiment setup
-        self._set_param("data_path", data_path, default=helpers.prepare_host(sampling=sampling))
+        if data_path is None:
+            self._set_param("data_path", data_path, default=helpers.prepare_host(sampling=sampling))
+        else:
+            self._set_param("data_path", data_path)
         self._set_param("hostname", helpers.get_host())
         # self._set_param("hostname", "jwc0123")
         self._set_param("hpc_hosts", hpc_hosts, default=DEFAULT_HPC_HOST_LIST + DEFAULT_HPC_LOGIN_LIST)