diff --git a/funannotate2/annotate.py b/funannotate2/annotate.py
index e5ee0d9..bb7f369 100755
--- a/funannotate2/annotate.py
+++ b/funannotate2/annotate.py
@@ -363,7 +363,8 @@ def annotate(args):
         else:
             # choose best busco species
             busco_species = choose_best_busco_species(taxonomy)
-        # Ensure the BUSCO lineage is available under FUNANNOTATE2_DB,
+        # Ensure the BUSCO lineage is available under BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH,
+        # falling back to FUNANNOTATE2_DB i BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH is not set,
         # downloading it if needed. In dockerized usage the lineage from a
         # previous train/predict run is gone when annotate starts in a fresh
         # container, so this guards against the cryptic "<path> is not a
diff --git a/funannotate2/config.py b/funannotate2/config.py
index 66e9a2d..775c0c3 100755
--- a/funannotate2/config.py
+++ b/funannotate2/config.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
             os.path.dirname(env["AUGUSTUS_CONFIG"]), "scripts"
         )
 
+if "BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH" in os.environ:
+    env["BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH"] = os.environ["BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH"]
+
 
 augustus_species = {
     "pea_aphid": {
diff --git a/funannotate2/utilities.py b/funannotate2/utilities.py
index b4a9d54..8f3c1b4 100755
--- a/funannotate2/utilities.py
+++ b/funannotate2/utilities.py
@@ -162,9 +162,10 @@ def get_odb_version(downloads_json_file):
 def ensure_busco_lineage(species, logger):
     """
     Ensure the BUSCO lineage `<species>_<odb_version>` is present under
-    FUNANNOTATE2_DB, downloading and extracting it from the URL in
-    downloads.json if missing. The check is a no-op when the directory
-    already exists, so callers can invoke this idempotently.
+    BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH, falling back to FUNANNOTATE2_DB if not, downloading
+    and extracting it from the URL in downloads.json if missing. The check
+    is a no-op when the directory already exists, so callers can invoke this
+    idempotently.
 
     Parameters:
     - species (str): BUSCO lineage species name (e.g. "fungi", "aspergillus").
@@ -179,21 +180,26 @@ def ensure_busco_lineage(species, logger):
     """
     downloads_json = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "downloads_v2.json")
     odb_version = get_odb_version(downloads_json)
-    busco_model_path = os.path.join(
-        env["FUNANNOTATE2_DB"], f"{species}_{odb_version}"
-    )
+
+    if "BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH" in env:
+        busco_dir_path = env["BUSCO_DOWNLOAD_PATH"]
+    else:
+        busco_dir_path = env["FUNANNOTATE2_DB"]
+    busco_model_path = os.path.join(busco_dir_path,
+            f"{species}_{odb_version}"
+        )
     if os.path.isdir(busco_model_path):
         return busco_model_path
     download_urls = load_json(downloads_json)
     busco_url = download_urls["busco"][species][0]
-    busco_tgz = os.path.join(env["FUNANNOTATE2_DB"], os.path.basename(busco_url))
+    busco_tgz = os.path.join(busco_dir_path, os.path.basename(busco_url))
     logger.info(f"Downloading {species}_{odb_version} model from {busco_url}")
     download(busco_url, busco_tgz, wget=False)
     if os.path.isfile(busco_tgz):
         runSubprocess(
             ["tar", "-zxf", os.path.basename(busco_tgz)],
             logger,
-            cwd=env["FUNANNOTATE2_DB"],
+            cwd=busco_dir_path,
         )
         if os.path.isdir(busco_model_path):
             os.remove(busco_tgz)