diff --git a/helm/numtracker/templates/statefulset.yaml b/helm/numtracker/templates/statefulset.yaml
index 58e14f5..97a5b5c 100644
--- a/helm/numtracker/templates/statefulset.yaml
+++ b/helm/numtracker/templates/statefulset.yaml
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ spec:
               value: {{ .Values.numtracker.storage.mount }}/{{ .Values.numtracker.db.fileName }}
             - name: NUMTRACKER_PORT
               value: "{{- .Values.service.port -}}"
+            {{- with .Values.numtracker.rootTrackerDirectory }}
+            - name: NUMTRACKER_ROOT_DIRECTORY
+              value: {{ . }}
+            {{ end }}
             {{- if .Values.numtracker.tracing.enabled }}
             - name: NUMTRACKER_TRACING
               value: {{ .Values.numtracker.tracing.host }}
diff --git a/src/numtracker.rs b/src/numtracker.rs
index 1bc666d..33e1069 100644
--- a/src/numtracker.rs
+++ b/src/numtracker.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 pub use tests::TempTracker;
 use tokio::fs as async_fs;
 use tokio::sync::{Mutex, MutexGuard};
-use tracing::{instrument, trace};
+use tracing::{info, instrument, trace};
 
 /// Central controller to access external directory trackers. Prevents concurrent access to the same
 /// beamline's directory.
@@ -35,10 +35,18 @@ impl NumTracker {
     pub fn for_root_directory<P: AsRef<Path>>(root: Option<P>) -> Result<Self, Error> {
         let mut bl_locks: HashMap<String, Mutex<PathBuf>> = Default::default();
         if let Some(dir) = root {
+            info!(
+                "Managing external number tracker files in subdirectories of {:?}",
+                dir.as_ref()
+            );
             for entry in dir.as_ref().read_dir()? {
                 let dir = entry?;
                 if dir.file_type()?.is_dir() {
                     if let Ok(name) = dir.file_name().into_string() {
+                        info!(
+                            "Using {:?} as external tracker directory for {name}",
+                            dir.path()
+                        );
                         bl_locks.insert(name, Mutex::new(dir.path()));
                     }
                 }