diff --git a/src/builder.rs b/src/builder.rs
index 5c2b474f4..70bd85050 100644
--- a/src/builder.rs
+++ b/src/builder.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use super::{Error, Session};
 use std::borrow::Cow;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::Stdio;
 use tempfile::Builder;
 use tokio::io::AsyncReadExt;
@@ -10,10 +11,11 @@ use tokio::process;
 pub struct SessionBuilder {
     user: Option<String>,
     port: Option<String>,
-    keyfile: Option<std::path::PathBuf>,
+    keyfile: Option<PathBuf>,
     connect_timeout: Option<String>,
     server_alive_interval: Option<u64>,
     known_hosts_check: KnownHosts,
+    control_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 impl Default for SessionBuilder {
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ impl Default for SessionBuilder {
             connect_timeout: None,
             server_alive_interval: None,
             known_hosts_check: KnownHosts::Add,
+            control_dir: None,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ impl SessionBuilder {
     /// Set the keyfile to use (`ssh -i`).
     ///
     /// Defaults to `None`.
-    pub fn keyfile(&mut self, p: impl AsRef<std::path::Path>) -> &mut Self {
+    pub fn keyfile(&mut self, p: impl AsRef<Path>) -> &mut Self {
         self.keyfile = Some(p.as_ref().to_path_buf());
         self
     }
@@ -81,6 +84,15 @@ impl SessionBuilder {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Set the directory in which the temporary directory containing the control socket will
+    /// be created.
+    ///
+    /// If not set, `./` will be used (the current directory).
+    pub fn control_directory(&mut self, p: impl AsRef<Path>) -> &mut Self {
+        self.control_dir = Some(p.as_ref().to_path_buf());
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Connect to the host at the given `host` over SSH.
     ///
     /// The format of `destination` is the same as the `destination` argument to `ssh`. It may be
@@ -137,9 +149,12 @@ impl SessionBuilder {
 
     pub(crate) async fn just_connect<S: AsRef<str>>(&self, host: S) -> Result<Session, Error> {
         let destination = host.as_ref();
+
+        let defaultdir = Path::new("./").to_path_buf();
+        let socketdir = self.control_dir.as_ref().unwrap_or(&defaultdir);
         let dir = Builder::new()
             .prefix(".ssh-connection")
-            .tempdir_in("./")
+            .tempdir_in(socketdir)
             .map_err(Error::Master)?;
         let mut init = process::Command::new("ssh");
 
diff --git a/tests/openssh.rs b/tests/openssh.rs
index a12299743..8179ecc6c 100644
--- a/tests/openssh.rs
+++ b/tests/openssh.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,24 @@ async fn it_connects() {
     session.close().await.unwrap();
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+#[cfg_attr(not(ci), ignore)]
+async fn control_dir() {
+    let dirname = std::path::Path::new("control-test");
+    assert!(!dirname.exists());
+    std::fs::create_dir(dirname).unwrap();
+    let session = SessionBuilder::default()
+        .control_directory(&dirname)
+        .connect(&addr())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    session.check().await.unwrap();
+    let mut iter = std::fs::read_dir(&dirname).unwrap();
+    assert!(iter.next().is_some());
+    session.close().await.unwrap();
+    std::fs::remove_dir(&dirname).unwrap();
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 #[cfg_attr(not(ci), ignore)]
 async fn terminate_on_drop() {