diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 9615e34c..87e6f5d6 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -160,8 +160,7 @@ Default
     ``false``
 Description
     Use an extractor's current target directory as
-    `base-directory <extractor.*.base-directory_>`__
-    for any spawned child extractors.
+    base-directory_ for any spawned child extractors.
 
 
 extractor.*.parent-metadata
@@ -5548,8 +5547,23 @@ Example
     * ``"metadata"``
     * ``["..", "metadata", "\fF {id // 500 * 500}"]``
 Description
-    Directory where metadata files are stored in relative to the
-    current target location for file downloads.
+    Directory where metadata files are stored in
+    relative to `metadata.base-directory`_.
+
+
+metadata.base-directory
+-----------------------
+Type
+    * ``bool``
+    * |Path|_
+Default
+    ``false``
+Description
+    Selects the relative location for metadata files.
+
+    * ``false``: current target location for file downloads (base-directory_ + directory_)
+    * ``true``: current base-directory_ location
+    * any |Path|_: custom location
 
 
 metadata.extension
@@ -6561,6 +6575,7 @@ Description
 .. |open()| replace:: the built-in ``open()`` function
 .. |json.dump()| replace:: ``json.dump()``
 
+.. _directory: `extractor.*.directory`_
 .. _base-directory: `extractor.*.base-directory`_
 .. _date-format: `extractor.*.date-format`_
 .. _deviantart.metadata: `extractor.deviantart.metadata`_
diff --git a/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py b/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
index a520a34c..e89b1700 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
@@ -55,6 +55,20 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
             self._json_encode = self._make_encoder(options, 4).encode
             ext = "json"
 
+        base_directory = options.get("base-directory")
+        if base_directory:
+            if base_directory is True:
+                self._base = lambda p: p.basedirectory
+            else:
+                sep = os.sep
+                altsep = os.altsep
+                base_directory = util.expand_path(base_directory)
+                if altsep and altsep in base_directory:
+                    base_directory = base_directory.replace(altsep, sep)
+                if base_directory[-1] != sep:
+                    base_directory += sep
+                self._base = lambda p: base_directory
+
         directory = options.get("directory")
         if isinstance(directory, list):
             self._directory = self._directory_format
@@ -147,11 +161,14 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
             except Exception:
                 pass
 
-    def _directory(self, pathfmt):
+    def _base(self, pathfmt):
         return pathfmt.realdirectory
 
+    def _directory(self, pathfmt):
+        return self._base(pathfmt)
+
     def _directory_custom(self, pathfmt):
-        return os.path.join(pathfmt.realdirectory, self._metadir)
+        return os.path.join(self._base(pathfmt), self._metadir)
 
     def _directory_format(self, pathfmt):
         formatters = pathfmt.directory_formatters
@@ -161,7 +178,7 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
             pathfmt.directory_conditions = ()
             segments = pathfmt.build_directory(pathfmt.kwdict)
             directory = pathfmt.clean_path(os.sep.join(segments) + os.sep)
-            return os.path.join(pathfmt.realdirectory, directory)
+            return os.path.join(self._base(pathfmt), directory)
         finally:
             pathfmt.directory_conditions = conditions
             pathfmt.directory_formatters = formatters
diff --git a/test/test_postprocessor.py b/test/test_postprocessor.py
index 3e6d1dfa..edd85756 100644
--- a/test/test_postprocessor.py
+++ b/test/test_postprocessor.py
@@ -452,6 +452,27 @@ class MetadataTest(BasePostprocessorTest):
         path = self.pathfmt.realdirectory + "../json/12500/file.ext.json"
         m.assert_called_once_with(path, "w", encoding="utf-8")
 
+    def test_metadata_basedirectory(self):
+        self._create({"base-directory": True})
+
+        with patch("builtins.open", mock_open()) as m:
+            self._trigger()
+
+        path = self.pathfmt.basedirectory + "file.ext.json"
+        m.assert_called_once_with(path, "w", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    def test_metadata_basedirectory_custom(self):
+        self._create({
+            "base-directory": "/home/test",
+            "directory": "meta",
+        })
+
+        with patch("builtins.open", mock_open()) as m:
+            self._trigger()
+
+        path = "/home/test/meta/file.ext.json"
+        m.assert_called_once_with(path, "w", encoding="utf-8")
+
     def test_metadata_filename(self):
         self._create({
             "filename"        : "{category}_{filename}_/meta/\n\r.data",