diff --git a/backuphelper.cpp b/backuphelper.cpp
index d8c7172..feac001 100644
--- a/backuphelper.cpp
+++ b/backuphelper.cpp
@@ -33,20 +33,6 @@ namespace TagParser {
 
 namespace BackupHelper {
 
-/*!
- * \brief Returns the directory used to store backup files.
- *
- * Setting this value allows creation of backup files in a custom location
- * instead of the directory of the file being modified.
- *
- * \todo Add this as member variable to MediaFileInfo to avoid global.
- */
-string &backupDirectory()
-{
-    static string backupDir;
-    return backupDir;
-}
-
 /*!
  * \brief Restores the original file from the specified backup file.
  * \param originalPath Specifies the path to the original file.
@@ -111,6 +97,8 @@ static bool isRelative(const std::string &path)
 
 /*!
  * \brief Creates a backup file for the specified file.
+ * \param backupDir Specifies the directory to store backup files. If empty, the directory of the file
+ *                  to be backuped is used.
  * \param originalPath Specifies the path of the file to be backuped.
  * \param backupPath Contains the path of the created backup file when this function returns.
  * \param originalStream Specifies a std::fstream for the original file.
@@ -132,10 +120,10 @@ static bool isRelative(const std::string &path)
  * \throws Throws std::ios_base::failure on failure.
  * \todo Implement callback for progress updates (copy).
  */
-void createBackupFile(const std::string &originalPath, std::string &backupPath, NativeFileStream &originalStream, NativeFileStream &backupStream)
+void createBackupFile(const std::string &backupDir, const std::string &originalPath, std::string &backupPath, NativeFileStream &originalStream,
+    NativeFileStream &backupStream)
 {
     // determine dirs
-    const auto &backupDir(backupDirectory());
     const auto backupDirRelative(isRelative(backupDir));
     const auto originalDir(backupDirRelative ? BasicFileInfo::containingDirectory(originalPath) : string());
 
diff --git a/backuphelper.h b/backuphelper.h
index 9142c1b..1e26e5b 100644
--- a/backuphelper.h
+++ b/backuphelper.h
@@ -12,11 +12,10 @@ class Diagnostics;
 
 namespace BackupHelper {
 
-TAG_PARSER_EXPORT std::string &backupDirectory();
 TAG_PARSER_EXPORT void restoreOriginalFileFromBackupFile(const std::string &originalPath, const std::string &backupPath,
     IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &originalStream, IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &backupStream);
-TAG_PARSER_EXPORT void createBackupFile(const std::string &originalPath, std::string &backupPath, IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &originalStream,
-    IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &backupStream);
+TAG_PARSER_EXPORT void createBackupFile(const std::string &backupDir, const std::string &originalPath, std::string &backupPath,
+    IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &originalStream, IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &backupStream);
 TAG_PARSER_EXPORT void handleFailureAfterFileModified(MediaFileInfo &mediaFileInfo, const std::string &backupPath,
     IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &outputStream, IoUtilities::NativeFileStream &backupStream, Diagnostics &diag,
     const std::string &context = "making file");
diff --git a/matroska/matroskacontainer.cpp b/matroska/matroskacontainer.cpp
index 800d4d4..e532652 100644
--- a/matroska/matroskacontainer.cpp
+++ b/matroska/matroskacontainer.cpp
@@ -1497,7 +1497,7 @@ void MatroskaContainer::internalMakeFile(Diagnostics &diag, AbortableProgressFee
         if (fileInfo().saveFilePath().empty()) {
             // move current file to temp dir and reopen it as backupStream, recreate original file
             try {
-                BackupHelper::createBackupFile(fileInfo().path(), backupPath, outputStream, backupStream);
+                BackupHelper::createBackupFile(fileInfo().backupDirectory(), fileInfo().path(), backupPath, outputStream, backupStream);
                 // recreate original file, define buffer variables
                 outputStream.open(fileInfo().path(), ios_base::out | ios_base::binary | ios_base::trunc);
             } catch (...) {
diff --git a/mediafileinfo.cpp b/mediafileinfo.cpp
index 0e7c117..58818bc 100644
--- a/mediafileinfo.cpp
+++ b/mediafileinfo.cpp
@@ -1608,7 +1608,7 @@ void MediaFileInfo::makeMp3File(Diagnostics &diag, AbortableProgressFeedback &pr
         if (m_saveFilePath.empty()) {
             // move current file to temp dir and reopen it as backupStream, recreate original file
             try {
-                BackupHelper::createBackupFile(path(), backupPath, outputStream, backupStream);
+                BackupHelper::createBackupFile(backupDirectory(), path(), backupPath, outputStream, backupStream);
                 // recreate original file, define buffer variables
                 outputStream.open(path(), ios_base::out | ios_base::binary | ios_base::trunc);
             } catch (...) {
diff --git a/mediafileinfo.h b/mediafileinfo.h
index 26a5896..c6736b2 100644
--- a/mediafileinfo.h
+++ b/mediafileinfo.h
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ public:
     void clearParsingResults();
 
     // methods to get, set object behaviour
+    const std::string &backupDirectory() const;
+    void setBackupDirectory(const std::string &backupDirectory);
     const std::string &saveFilePath() const;
     void setSaveFilePath(const std::string &saveFilePath);
     const std::string writingApplication() const;
@@ -176,6 +178,7 @@ private:
     ParsingStatus m_attachmentsParsingStatus;
 
     // fields specifying object behaviour
+    std::string m_backupDirectory;
     std::string m_saveFilePath;
     std::string m_writingApplication;
     size_t m_minPadding;
@@ -339,6 +342,25 @@ inline const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Id3v2Tag>> &MediaFileInfo::id3v2Tags()
     return m_id3v2Tags;
 }
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Returns the directory used to store backup files.
+ * \remarks If empty, backup files will be stored in the same directory of the file being modified.
+ * \sa setBackupDirectory()
+ */
+inline const std::string &MediaFileInfo::backupDirectory() const
+{
+    return m_backupDirectory;
+}
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Sets the directory used to store backup files.
+ * \remarks If empty, backup files will be stored in the same directory of the file being modified.
+ */
+inline void MediaFileInfo::setBackupDirectory(const std::string &backupDirectory)
+{
+    m_backupDirectory = backupDirectory;
+}
+
 /*!
  * \brief Returns the "save file path" which has been set using setSaveFilePath().
  * \sa setSaveFilePath()
diff --git a/mp4/mp4container.cpp b/mp4/mp4container.cpp
index 7120570..b5d968d 100644
--- a/mp4/mp4container.cpp
+++ b/mp4/mp4container.cpp
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ calculatePadding:
         if (fileInfo().saveFilePath().empty()) {
             // move current file to temp dir and reopen it as backupStream, recreate original file
             try {
-                BackupHelper::createBackupFile(fileInfo().path(), backupPath, outputStream, backupStream);
+                BackupHelper::createBackupFile(fileInfo().backupDirectory(), fileInfo().path(), backupPath, outputStream, backupStream);
                 // recreate original file, define buffer variables
                 outputStream.open(fileInfo().path(), ios_base::out | ios_base::binary | ios_base::trunc);
             } catch (...) {
diff --git a/ogg/oggcontainer.cpp b/ogg/oggcontainer.cpp
index d15f431..700baf5 100644
--- a/ogg/oggcontainer.cpp
+++ b/ogg/oggcontainer.cpp
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ void OggContainer::internalMakeFile(Diagnostics &diag, AbortableProgressFeedback
     if (fileInfo().saveFilePath().empty()) {
         // move current file to temp dir and reopen it as backupStream, recreate original file
         try {
-            BackupHelper::createBackupFile(fileInfo().path(), backupPath, fileInfo().stream(), backupStream);
+            BackupHelper::createBackupFile(fileInfo().backupDirectory(), fileInfo().path(), backupPath, fileInfo().stream(), backupStream);
             // recreate original file, define buffer variables
             fileInfo().stream().open(fileInfo().path(), ios_base::out | ios_base::binary | ios_base::trunc);
         } catch (...) {
diff --git a/tests/utils.cpp b/tests/utils.cpp
index ae996c2..777bfb5 100644
--- a/tests/utils.cpp
+++ b/tests/utils.cpp
@@ -300,19 +300,16 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
 {
     using namespace BackupHelper;
 
-    // ensure backup directory is empty, so backups will be created in the same directory
-    // as the original file
-    backupDirectory().clear();
-
     // setup testfile
     MediaFileInfo file(workingCopyPath("unsupported.bin"));
+    file.setBackupDirectory(string()); // ensure backup directory is empty, so backups will be created in the same directory as the original file
     const auto workingDir(file.containingDirectory());
     file.open();
 
     // create backup file
     string backupPath1, backupPath2;
     NativeFileStream backupStream1, backupStream2;
-    createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
+    createBackupFile(string(), file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(workingDir + "/unsupported.bin.bak", backupPath1);
 
     // recreate original file (like the 'make' methods would do to apply changes)
@@ -320,7 +317,7 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
     file.stream() << "test1" << endl;
 
     // create a 2nd backup which should not override the first one
-    createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath2, file.stream(), backupStream2);
+    createBackupFile(string(), file.path(), backupPath2, file.stream(), backupStream2);
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(workingDir + "/unsupported.bin.1.bak", backupPath2);
 
     // get rid of 2nd backup, recreate original file
@@ -330,9 +327,8 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
     file.stream() << "test2" << endl;
 
     // create backup under another location
-    backupDirectory() = "bak";
     try {
-        createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath2, file.stream(), backupStream2);
+        createBackupFile("bak", file.path(), backupPath2, file.stream(), backupStream2);
         CPPUNIT_FAIL("renaming failed because backup dir does not exist");
     } catch (...) {
         const char *what = catchIoFailure();
@@ -340,13 +336,13 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
     }
     backupStream2.clear();
     workingCopyPathMode("bak/unsupported.bin", WorkingCopyMode::NoCopy);
-    createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath2, file.stream(), backupStream2);
+    createBackupFile("bak", file.path(), backupPath2, file.stream(), backupStream2);
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(workingDir + "/bak/unsupported.bin", backupPath2);
 
     // get rid of 2nd backup (again)
     backupStream2.close();
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, remove(backupPath2.data()));
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, remove(argsToString(workingDir % '/' + backupDirectory()).data()));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, remove((workingDir + "/bak").data()));
 
     // should be able to use backup stream, eg. seek to the end
     backupStream1.seekg(0, ios_base::end);
@@ -361,11 +357,8 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(0x34_st, static_cast<size_t>(file.stream().get()));
     file.close();
 
-    // reset backup dir again
-    backupDirectory().clear();
-
     // restore after user aborted
-    createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
+    createBackupFile(string(), file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
     try {
         throw OperationAbortedException();
     } catch (...) {
@@ -379,7 +372,7 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
     }
 
     // restore after error
-    createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
+    createBackupFile(string(), file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
     try {
         throw Failure();
     } catch (...) {
@@ -391,7 +384,7 @@ void UtilitiesTests::testBackupFile()
     }
 
     // restore after io failure
-    createBackupFile(file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
+    createBackupFile(string(), file.path(), backupPath1, file.stream(), backupStream1);
     try {
         throwIoFailure("simulated IO failure");
     } catch (...) {