diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/PulsarStandalone.java b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/PulsarStandalone.java
index 2f3d15b1eafb4..4fd22eba785b9 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/PulsarStandalone.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/PulsarStandalone.java
@@ -223,6 +223,10 @@ public boolean isHelp() {
             description = "Directory for storing metadata")
     private String metadataDir = "data/metadata";
 
+    @Parameter(names = { "--metadata-url" },
+            description = "Metadata store url")
+    private String metadataStoreUrl = "";
+
     @Parameter(names = {"--zookeeper-port"}, description = "Local zookeeper's port",
             hidden = true)
     private int zkPort = 2181;
@@ -290,7 +294,7 @@ public void start() throws Exception {
 
         if (!this.isOnlyBroker()) {
             if (usingNewDefaultsPIP117) {
-                startBookieWithRocksDB();
+                startBookieWithMetadataStore();
             } else {
                 startBookieWithZookeeper();
             }
@@ -434,10 +438,13 @@ public void close() {
         }
     }
 
-
-    private void startBookieWithRocksDB() throws Exception {
-        log.info("Starting BK with RocksDb metadata store");
-        String metadataStoreUrl = "rocksdb://" + Paths.get(metadataDir).toAbsolutePath();
+    private void startBookieWithMetadataStore() throws Exception {
+        if (StringUtils.isBlank(metadataStoreUrl)){
+            log.info("Starting BK with RocksDb metadata store");
+            metadataStoreUrl = "rocksdb://" + Paths.get(metadataDir).toAbsolutePath();
+        } else {
+            log.info("Starting BK with metadata store:", metadataStoreUrl);
+        }
         bkCluster = BKCluster.builder()
                 .metadataServiceUri(metadataStoreUrl)
                 .bkPort(bkPort)