diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/options/options.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/options/options.go
index 765c0c0c53b..16811837a74 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/options/options.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/options/options.go
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ type Options struct {
 
 	// permissions service to use when checking permissions
 	PermissionsSVC string `mapstructure:"permissionssvc"`
+
+	PersonalSpaceAliasTemplate string `mapstructure:"personalspacealias_template"`
+	GeneralSpaceAliasTemplate  string `mapstructure:"generalspacealias_template"`
 }
 
 // New returns a new Options instance for the given configuration
@@ -73,5 +76,13 @@ func New(m map[string]interface{}) (*Options, error) {
 	// c.DataDirectory should never end in / unless it is the root
 	o.Root = filepath.Clean(o.Root)
 
+	if o.PersonalSpaceAliasTemplate == "" {
+		o.PersonalSpaceAliasTemplate = "{{.SpaceType}}/{{.User.Username}}"
+	}
+
+	if o.GeneralSpaceAliasTemplate == "" {
+		o.GeneralSpaceAliasTemplate = "{{.SpaceType}}/{{.SpaceName | replace \" \" \"-\" | lower}}"
+	}
+
 	return o, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/spaces.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/spaces.go
index 0d1fe84b5ff..2421db8afef 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/spaces.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/spaces.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/v2/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/v2/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/v2/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/xattrs"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/v2/pkg/storage/utils/templates"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/v2/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/v2/pkg/utils/resourceid"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -69,11 +70,15 @@ func (fs *Decomposedfs) CreateStorageSpace(ctx context.Context, req *provider.Cr
 	description := utils.ReadPlainFromOpaque(req.Opaque, "description")
 	// allow sending a spaceAlias
 	alias := utils.ReadPlainFromOpaque(req.Opaque, "spaceAlias")
+	u := ctxpkg.ContextMustGetUser(ctx)
+	if alias == "" {
+		alias = templates.WithSpacePropertiesAndUser(u, req.Type, req.Name, fs.o.GeneralSpaceAliasTemplate)
+	}
 	// TODO enforce a uuid?
 	// TODO clarify if we want to enforce a single personal storage space or if we want to allow sending the spaceid
 	if req.Type == spaceTypePersonal {
 		spaceID = req.GetOwner().GetId().GetOpaqueId()
-		alias = spaceTypePersonal + "/" + req.GetOwner().GetUsername()
+		alias = templates.WithSpacePropertiesAndUser(u, req.Type, req.Name, fs.o.PersonalSpaceAliasTemplate)
 	}
 
 	root, err := node.ReadNode(ctx, fs.lu, spaceID, spaceID)
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/templates/templates.go b/pkg/storage/utils/templates/templates.go
index 2741073cc6a..d8a51900703 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/templates/templates.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/templates/templates.go
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ type UserData struct {
 	Email EmailData
 }
 
+type SpaceData struct {
+	*UserData
+	SpaceType string
+	SpaceName string
+}
+
 // EmailData contains mail data
 // split into local and domain part.
 // It is extracted from splitting the username by @.
@@ -69,8 +75,30 @@ func WithUser(u *userpb.User, tpl string) string {
 	return b.String()
 }
 
+// WithSpacePropertiesAndUser generates a layout based on user data and a space type.
+func WithSpacePropertiesAndUser(u *userpb.User, spaceType string, spaceName string, tpl string) string {
+	tpl = clean(tpl)
+	sd := newSpaceData(u, spaceType, spaceName)
+	// compile given template tpl
+	t, err := template.New("tpl").Funcs(sprig.TxtFuncMap()).Parse(tpl)
+	if err != nil {
+		err := errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("error parsing template: spaceanduser_template:%+v tpl:%s", sd, tpl))
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	b := bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := t.Execute(&b, sd); err != nil {
+		err := errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("error executing template: spaceanduser_template:%+v tpl:%s", sd, tpl))
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return b.String()
+}
+
 func newUserData(u *userpb.User) *UserData {
 	usernameSplit := strings.Split(u.Username, "@")
+	if u.Mail != "" {
+		usernameSplit = strings.Split(u.Mail, "@")
+	}
+
 	if len(usernameSplit) == 1 {
 		usernameSplit = append(usernameSplit, "_unknown")
 	}
@@ -88,6 +116,16 @@ func newUserData(u *userpb.User) *UserData {
 	return ut
 }
 
+func newSpaceData(u *userpb.User, st string, n string) *SpaceData {
+	userData := newUserData(u)
+	sd := &SpaceData{
+		userData,
+		st,
+		n,
+	}
+	return sd
+}
+
 func clean(a string) string {
 	return path.Clean(a)
 }