diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c882881..e4d8ae3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ doc/rdocs
 /vendor
 *.swp
 
-public/reports/*
-!public/reports/.keep
-public/uploads/*
-!public/uploads/.keep
+/public/reports
+/reports
 
 storage
diff --git a/app/controllers/reports_controller.rb b/app/controllers/reports_controller.rb
index cbd501f..f889b26 100644
--- a/app/controllers/reports_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/reports_controller.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 class ReportsController < ApplicationController
-  @@report_dir = Rails.root.join("public", "reports")
-
   def create
     if logged_in_as_student
       user = current_user
       filename = user.id.to_s + ".pdf"
       report = GradeReport.new(user, Grade.where(:student => user))
-      report.render_file @@report_dir.join(filename)
+      FileUtils.mkdir_p(Rails.configuration.report_dir) unless File.directory?(Rails.configuration.report_dir)
+      report.render_file Rails.configuration.report_dir.join(filename)
 
       redirect_to action: 'show', filename: filename
     else
diff --git a/config/application.rb b/config/application.rb
index 92af8b4..e8148d7 100644
--- a/config/application.rb
+++ b/config/application.rb
@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@ module DVGM
     # Application configuration can go into files in config/initializers
     # -- all .rb files in that directory are automatically loaded after loading
     # the framework and any gems in your application.
+    config.report_dir = Rails.root.join("public", "reports")
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/sample_data.rake b/lib/tasks/sample_data.rake
index f33e494..03180f3 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/sample_data.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/sample_data.rake
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 namespace :db do
   desc "Populate database with default data"
   def generate_report(user)
-    report_dir = Rails.root.join("public", "reports")
+    FileUtils.mkdir_p(Rails.configuration.report_dir) unless File.directory?(Rails.configuration.report_dir)
     filename = user.id.to_s + ".pdf"
     report = GradeReport.new(user, Grade.where(:student => user))
-    report.render_file report_dir.join(filename)
+    report.render_file Rails.configuration.report_dir.join(filename)
   end
 
   task :populate => :environment do
diff --git a/public/reports/.keep b/public/reports/.keep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/public/uploads/.keep b/public/uploads/.keep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000