diff --git a/HACKING.md b/HACKING.md
index 01217be328..0d1b435581 100644
--- a/HACKING.md
+++ b/HACKING.md
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ $ # Edit configuration options as appropriate
 $ SCYLLA_HOME=$HOME/scylla build/release/scylla
 ```
 
-The `scylla.yaml` file in the repository by default writes all database data to `/var/lib/scylla`, which likely requires root access. Change the `data_file_directories` and `commitlog_directory` fields as appropriate.
+The `scylla.yaml` file in the repository by default writes all database data to `/var/lib/scylla`, which likely requires root access. Change the `data_file_directories`, `commitlog_directory` and `schema_commitlog_directory` fields as appropriate.
 
 Scylla has a number of requirements for the file-system and operating system to operate ideally and at peak performance. However, during development, these requirements can be relaxed with the `--developer-mode` flag.
 
diff --git a/conf/scylla.yaml b/conf/scylla.yaml
index 72900a8a7f..eb25fba0ac 100644
--- a/conf/scylla.yaml
+++ b/conf/scylla.yaml
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ num_tokens: 256
 # separate spindle than the data directories.
 # commitlog_directory: /var/lib/scylla/commitlog
 
+# schema commit log. A special commitlog instance
+# used for schema and system tables.
+# When running on magnetic HDD, this should be a
+# separate spindle than the data directories.
+# schema_commitlog_directory: /var/lib/scylla/commitlog/schema
+
 # commitlog_sync may be either "periodic" or "batch."
 #
 # When in batch mode, Scylla won't ack writes until the commit log
diff --git a/db/config.cc b/db/config.cc
index b28baecc36..74be53db26 100644
--- a/db/config.cc
+++ b/db/config.cc
@@ -303,6 +303,8 @@ db::config::config(std::shared_ptr<db::extensions> exts)
         "The directory in which Scylla will put all its subdirectories. The location of individual subdirs can be overriden by the respective *_directory options.")
     , commitlog_directory(this, "commitlog_directory", value_status::Used, "",
         "The directory where the commit log is stored. For optimal write performance, it is recommended the commit log be on a separate disk partition (ideally, a separate physical device) from the data file directories.")
+    , schema_commitlog_directory(this, "schema_commitlog_directory", value_status::Used, "",
+        "The directory where the schema commit log is stored. This is a special commitlog instance used for schema and system tables. For optimal write performance, it is recommended the commit log be on a separate disk partition (ideally, a separate physical device) from the data file directories.")
     , data_file_directories(this, "data_file_directories", "datadir", value_status::Used, { },
         "The directory location where table data (SSTables) is stored")
     , hints_directory(this, "hints_directory", value_status::Used, "",
@@ -950,6 +952,10 @@ void db::config::add_per_partition_rate_limit_extension() {
 
 void db::config::setup_directories() {
     maybe_in_workdir(commitlog_directory, "commitlog");
+    if (!schema_commitlog_directory.is_set()) {
+        schema_commitlog_directory(commitlog_directory() + "/schema");
+    }
+    maybe_in_workdir(schema_commitlog_directory, "schema_commitlog");
     maybe_in_workdir(data_file_directories, "data");
     maybe_in_workdir(hints_directory, "hints");
     maybe_in_workdir(view_hints_directory, "view_hints");
diff --git a/db/config.hh b/db/config.hh
index 3fda6ef7d2..4e2e86d251 100644
--- a/db/config.hh
+++ b/db/config.hh
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ public:
     named_value<bool> listen_interface_prefer_ipv6;
     named_value<sstring> work_directory;
     named_value<sstring> commitlog_directory;
+    named_value<sstring> schema_commitlog_directory;
     named_value<string_list> data_file_directories;
     named_value<sstring> hints_directory;
     named_value<sstring> view_hints_directory;
diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_blocktune.py b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_blocktune.py
index 104236095b..3223567413 100644
--- a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_blocktune.py
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_blocktune.py
@@ -86,3 +86,4 @@ def tune_yaml(path, nomerges):
     for fs in y['data_file_directories']:
         tune_fs(fs, nomerges)
     tune_fs(y['commitlog_directory'], nomerges)
+    tune_fs(y['schema_commitlog_directory'], nomerges)
diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_fstrim b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_fstrim
index 477b7127f9..3e9cb25080 100755
--- a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_fstrim
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_fstrim
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ def main():
         mountpoints.add(find_mount_point(d))
 
     mountpoints.add(find_mount_point(cfg['commitlog_directory']))
+    mountpoints.add(find_mount_point(cfg['schema_commitlog_directory']))
     # workaround of #2649
     subprocess.call(["/opt/scylladb/scripts/scylla-blocktune", "--set-nomerges", "1"])
     for d in mountpoints:
diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py
index c6b9abb067..d810e8cddf 100644
--- a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ def parse_scylla_dirs_with_default(conf='/etc/scylla/scylla.yaml'):
             not len(y['data_file_directories']) or \
             not " ".join(y['data_file_directories']).strip():
         y['data_file_directories'] = [os.path.join(y['workdir'], 'data')]
-    for t in [ "commitlog", "hints", "view_hints", "saved_caches" ]:
+    for t in [ "commitlog", "schema_commitlog", "hints", "view_hints", "saved_caches" ]:
         key = "%s_directory" % t
         if key not in y or not y[key]:
             y[key] = os.path.join(y['workdir'], t)
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ def get_scylla_dirs():
     dirs = []
     dirs.extend(y['data_file_directories'])
     dirs.append(y['commitlog_directory'])
+    dirs.append(y['schema_commitlog_directory'])
 
     if 'hints_directory' in y and y['hints_directory']:
         dirs.append(y['hints_directory'])
diff --git a/docs/operating-scylla/scylla-yaml.inc b/docs/operating-scylla/scylla-yaml.inc
index 3c4c818ff3..741c9e0cce 100644
--- a/docs/operating-scylla/scylla-yaml.inc
+++ b/docs/operating-scylla/scylla-yaml.inc
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ scylla.yaml is equivalent to the Apache Cassandra cassandra.yaml configuration f
    # separate spindle than the data directories.
    commitlog_directory: /var/lib/scylla/commitlog
 
+   # schema commit log. A special commitlog instance
+   # used for schema and system tables.
+   # When running on magnetic HDD, this should be a
+   # separate spindle than the data directories.
+   # schema_commitlog_directory: /var/lib/scylla/commitlog/schema
+
    # seed_provider class_name is saved for future use.
    # A seed address is mandatory.
    seed_provider:
diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index a4444e04b2..e4862dfe02 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -995,6 +995,7 @@ To start the scylla server proper, simply invoke as: scylla server (or just scyl
             utils::directories::set dir_set;
             dir_set.add(cfg->data_file_directories());
             dir_set.add(cfg->commitlog_directory());
+            dir_set.add(cfg->schema_commitlog_directory());
             dirs.emplace(cfg->developer_mode());
             dirs->create_and_verify(std::move(dir_set)).get();
 
diff --git a/replica/database.cc b/replica/database.cc
index 9c13977909..951b5fe5a3 100644
--- a/replica/database.cc
+++ b/replica/database.cc
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ void database::maybe_init_schema_commitlog() {
     _uses_schema_commitlog = true;
 
     db::commitlog::config c;
-    c.commit_log_location = _cfg.commitlog_directory();
+    c.commit_log_location = _cfg.schema_commitlog_directory();
     c.fname_prefix = db::schema_tables::COMMITLOG_FILENAME_PREFIX;
     c.metrics_category_name = "schema-commitlog";
     c.commitlog_total_space_in_mb = 10 << 20;
diff --git a/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc b/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
index f4aef7eef3..fde28689d9 100644
--- a/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
+++ b/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
@@ -511,6 +511,7 @@ public:
                 data_dir_path = cfg->data_file_directories()[0];
             }
             cfg->commitlog_directory.set(data_dir_path + "/commitlog.dir");
+            cfg->schema_commitlog_directory.set(cfg->commitlog_directory() + "/schema");
             cfg->hints_directory.set(data_dir_path + "/hints.dir");
             cfg->view_hints_directory.set(data_dir_path + "/view_hints.dir");
             cfg->num_tokens.set(256);
@@ -522,6 +523,7 @@ public:
             }
             create_directories((data_dir_path + "/system").c_str());
             create_directories(cfg->commitlog_directory().c_str());
+            create_directories(cfg->schema_commitlog_directory().c_str());
             create_directories(cfg->hints_directory().c_str());
             create_directories(cfg->view_hints_directory().c_str());
             for (unsigned i = 0; i < smp::count; ++i) {