diff --git a/elk_metrics_6x/bootstrap-embedded-ansible.sh b/elk_metrics_6x/bootstrap-embedded-ansible.sh
index 3a5882b9..d4251b2e 100755
--- a/elk_metrics_6x/bootstrap-embedded-ansible.sh
+++ b/elk_metrics_6x/bootstrap-embedded-ansible.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ if [[ ! -e "${ANSIBLE_EMBED_HOME}/bin/ansible" ]]; then
   fi
   eval "${ANSIBLE_EMBED_HOME}/bin/pip install --upgrade --force pip"
   eval "${ANSIBLE_EMBED_HOME}/bin/pip install --upgrade ansible==2.5.5.0 --isolated"
+  eval "${ANSIBLE_EMBED_HOME}/bin/pip install --upgrade jmespath --isolated"
   echo "Ansible can be found here: ${ANSIBLE_EMBED_HOME}/bin"
 fi
 
diff --git a/elk_metrics_6x/installElastic.yml b/elk_metrics_6x/installElastic.yml
index 84032bbe..02eac46c 100644
--- a/elk_metrics_6x/installElastic.yml
+++ b/elk_metrics_6x/installElastic.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
   vars:
     temp_dir: /var/lib/elasticsearch/tmp
+    nfs_query: "[?fstype=='nfs' || fstype=='nfs4']"
 
   environment: "{{ deployment_environment_variables | default({}) }}"
 
@@ -172,6 +173,26 @@
         src: "templates/logrotate.j2"
         dest: "/etc/logrotate.d/elasticsearch"
 
+    - name: Ensure nfs client is available if necessary
+      package:
+        name: nfs-common
+        state: present
+      when:
+        - elastic_shared_fs_repos is defined
+        - (elastic_shared_fs_repos|json_query(nfs_query)) | length > 0
+
+    - name: Ensure backup filesystems are mounted
+      mount:
+        fstype: "{{ item.fstype }}"
+        src: "{{ item.src }}"
+        opts: "{{ item.opts }}"
+        path: "{{ item.path }}"
+        state: "{{ item.state }}"
+      with_items:
+        - "{{ elastic_shared_fs_repos }}"
+      when:
+        - elastic_shared_fs_repos is defined and elastic_shared_fs_repos | length > 0
+
   handlers:
     - name: Enable and restart elastic
       systemd:
diff --git a/elk_metrics_6x/templates/elasticsearch.yml.j2 b/elk_metrics_6x/templates/elasticsearch.yml.j2
index 29e918df..d49ffb6f 100644
--- a/elk_metrics_6x/templates/elasticsearch.yml.j2
+++ b/elk_metrics_6x/templates/elasticsearch.yml.j2
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ path.data: /var/lib/elasticsearch
 # path.logs: /path/to/logs
 #path.logs: /var/lib/elasticsearch/logs/
 path.logs: /var/log/elasticsearch/
+#
+# Path to shared filesystem repos
+#
+# path.repo: ["/mount/backups", "/mount/longterm_backups"]
+#
+
+{% if elastic_shared_fs_repos is defined and elastic_shared_fs_repos|length > 0 %}
+path.repo: {{ elastic_shared_fs_repos | json_query("[*].path") | to_json }}
+{% endif %}
 
 # Set the global default index store. More information on these settings can be
 # found here:
diff --git a/elk_metrics_6x/vars/variables.yml b/elk_metrics_6x/vars/variables.yml
index a37cd1c2..78e9afc0 100644
--- a/elk_metrics_6x/vars/variables.yml
+++ b/elk_metrics_6x/vars/variables.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ elastic_vip_url: >-
   http://{{ hostvars[groups['kibana'][0]]['ansible_host'] ~ ':' ~ elastic_port }}
   {% endif %}
 
+#define this in host/group vars as needed to mount remote filesystems
+#set the client address as appropriate, eth1 assumes osa container mgmt network
+#mountpoints and server paths are just examples
+#elastic_shared_fs_repos:
+#  - fstype: nfs4
+#    src: "<nfs-server-ip>:/esbackup"
+#    opts: clientaddr="{{ ansible_eth1['ipv4']['address'] }}"
+#    path: "/elastic-backup"
+#    state: mounted
+
 # kibana vars
 kibana_interface: 0.0.0.0
 kibana_port: 5601