diff --git a/Charts/dev-c7/templates/statefulset.yaml b/Charts/dev-c7/templates/statefulset.yaml
index 1c4f214..9d51279 100644
--- a/Charts/dev-c7/templates/statefulset.yaml
+++ b/Charts/dev-c7/templates/statefulset.yaml
@@ -52,25 +52,29 @@ spec:
           image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag | default .Chart.AppVersion }}"
           command:
             {{- .Values.command | toYaml | nindent 12 }}
+          args:
+            {{- .Values.args | toYaml | nindent 12 }}
           stdin: true
           tty: true
-          {{- $iocLocation := (.Values.iocLocation | default $location) | upper }}
+          {{- $epicsDomain := (.Values.epicsDomain | default $location) | upper }}
           {{- $iocName := (.Values.iocName | default .Release.Name) | upper }}
-          {{ $workingDir := "" }} {{- /* create the variable in global scope before setting in if/else!!! */ -}}
-          {{- if .Values.iocPath }}
-            {{- $workingDir = printf "%s/%s" .Values.iocPath $iocName }}
-          {{- else }}
-            {{- $workingDir = printf "/dls_sw/prod/%s/ioc/%s/%s/%s" .Values.epicsVersion $iocLocation $iocName .Values.iocVersion }}
+          {{- $workingDir := .Values.workingDir }}
+          {{- if eq $workingDir  "" }}
+            {{- if .Values.iocPath }}
+              {{- $workingDir = printf "%s/%s" .Values.iocPath $iocName }}
+            {{- else }}
+              {{- $workingDir = printf "/dls_sw/prod/%s/ioc/%s/%s/%s" .Values.epicsVersion $epicsDomain $iocName .Values.iocVersion }}
+            {{- end }}
           {{- end }}
-          workingDir: {{ $workingDir }}
+          workingDir: {{ .Values.workingDir | default $workingDir }}
           {{- with .Values.securityContext }}
           securityContext:
             {{- toYaml . | nindent 12 }}
           {{- end }}
           env:
-          # psuedo home sets up epics module etc.
-          - name: HOME
-            value: /epicsHome
+            # psuedo home sets up epics module etc.
+            - name: HOME
+              value: /epicsHome
           imagePullPolicy: {{ .Values.image.pullPolicy }}
           {{- with .Values.livenessProbe }}
           livenessProbe:
@@ -87,6 +91,9 @@ spec:
           {{- with .Values.volumeMounts }}
           volumeMounts:
             {{- toYaml . | nindent 12 }}
+            {{- with $.Values.extraVolumeMounts }}
+            {{- toYaml . | nindent 12 }}
+            {{- end }}
           {{- end }}
           {{- with .Values.autosavePath }}
             - name: autosave
@@ -102,6 +109,9 @@ spec:
       {{- with .Values.volumes }}
       volumes:
         {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
+        {{- with $.Values.extraVolumes }}
+        {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
+        {{- end }}
       {{- end }}
       {{- with .Values.autosavePath }}
         - name: autosave
diff --git a/Charts/dev-c7/values.schema.json b/Charts/dev-c7/values.schema.json
index 37c6e2a..7ed573e 100644
--- a/Charts/dev-c7/values.schema.json
+++ b/Charts/dev-c7/values.schema.json
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
             "$ref": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yannh/kubernetes-json-schema/master/v1.33.3/affinity.json",
             "type": "object"
         },
+        "args": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+                "type": "string"
+            }
+        },
         "autosavePath": {
             "description": "Full path to an IOC instance's autosave folder. Overrides autosaveRootPath when not blank",
             "type": "string"
@@ -22,10 +28,24 @@
                 "type": "string"
             }
         },
+        "epicsDomain": {
+            "description": "IOCs DLS EPICS Domain (e.g. BL16I FE02J SR03C)",
+            "type": "string"
+        },
         "epicsVersion": {
             "description": "the EPICS version, used to generate the /dls_sw/prod path to iocName",
             "type": "string"
         },
+        "extraVolumeMounts": {
+            "description": "add extra mounts without overriding the default ones",
+            "$ref": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yannh/kubernetes-json-schema/master/v1.33.3/container.json#/properties/volumeMounts",
+            "type": "array"
+        },
+        "extraVolumes": {
+            "description": "add extra volumes without overriding the default ones",
+            "$ref": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yannh/kubernetes-json-schema/master/v1.33.3/podspec.json#/properties/volumes",
+            "type": "array"
+        },
         "fullnameOverride": {
             "type": "string"
         },
@@ -56,10 +76,6 @@
         "imagePullSecrets": {
             "type": "array"
         },
-        "iocLocation": {
-            "description": "the IOC location (e.g. BL16I FE02J SR03C)",
-            "type": "string"
-        },
         "iocName": {
             "description": "the folder name for the compiled IOC, defaults to ucase of the services folder name",
             "type": "string"
@@ -140,6 +156,10 @@
                     }
                 }
             }
+        },
+        "workingDir": {
+            "description": "override the cwd for launching the IOC, defaults to /dls_sw/prod/$epicsVersion/ioc/$epicsDomain/$iocName/$iocVersion",
+            "type": "string"
         }
     },
     "additionalProperties": false
diff --git a/Charts/dev-c7/values.yaml b/Charts/dev-c7/values.yaml
index 0493d9d..ccc925e 100644
--- a/Charts/dev-c7/values.yaml
+++ b/Charts/dev-c7/values.yaml
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@
 iocName: ""
 # @schema description: the IOC release, used to generate the /dls_sw/prod path to iocName
 iocVersion: ""
-# @schema description: the IOC location (e.g. BL16I FE02J SR03C)
-iocLocation: ""
+# @schema description: IOCs DLS EPICS Domain (e.g. BL16I FE02J SR03C)
+epicsDomain: ""
 # @schema description: the EPICS version, used to generate the /dls_sw/prod path to iocName
 epicsVersion: R3.14.12.7
-
 # @schema description: overrides the parent folder for iocName to any path in /dls_sw/work or /dls_sw/prod
 iocPath: ""
+# @schema description: override the cwd for launching the IOC, defaults to /dls_sw/prod/$epicsVersion/ioc/$epicsDomain/$iocName/$iocVersion
+workingDir: ""
 
 # @schema description: shared values for all services
 # @schema additionalProperties: true
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ image:
 command:
   - bash
   - -lc
+
+args:
   - stdio-expose ./bin/linux-x86_64/st*.sh
 
 # @schema description: enable host networking for the pod
@@ -87,6 +90,11 @@ volumes:
     hostPath:
       path: /dls_sw/etc
 
+# extraVolumes for the Deployment.
+# @schema description: add extra volumes without overriding the default ones
+# @schema $ref: $k8s/podspec.json#/properties/volumes
+extraVolumes: []
+
 # volumeMounts for the Deployment.
 # @schema $ref: $k8s/container.json#/properties/volumeMounts
 volumeMounts:
@@ -106,6 +114,11 @@ volumeMounts:
     mountPath: /dls_sw/etc
     readOnly: true
 
+# extraVolumeMounts for the Deployment.
+# @schema description: add extra mounts without overriding the default ones
+# @schema $ref: $k8s/container.json#/properties/volumeMounts
+extraVolumeMounts: []
+
 # @schema $ref: $k8s/podspec.json#/properties/tolerations
 tolerations: []