diff --git a/helperbot b/helperbot
index e6fefa8..02cafb6 100755
--- a/helperbot
+++ b/helperbot
@@ -298,9 +298,8 @@ function postgres_vacuum_self {
 # reusable step to backup databases - postgres_backup [postgres-db-1] [user_and_db_name] [output_name] [$backup_working_directory]
 function postgres_backup {
     # for some reason, doing a dump *doesn't* require a password apparently. huh
-    docker exec "$1" /bin/bash -c "pg_dump "$2" --username "$2" > /"$3".sql"
-    docker cp "$1":/$3.sql $4/$3/$3.sql
-    docker exec "$1" /bin/bash -c "rm "$3".sql"
+    docker exec "$1" /bin/bash -c "pg_dump "$2" --username "$2" > /exp/"$3".sql"
+    mv /srv/postgres/exp/$3.sql $4/$3/$3.sql # hardcoded value should be fine but maybe make this dynamic?
 }
 
 # redis snapshot
diff --git a/neptunium/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml b/neptunium/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml
index 614cf0c..8c44fb0 100644
--- a/neptunium/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml
+++ b/neptunium/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ services:
     shm_size: 4GB
     volumes:
       - ./db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+      - ./exp:/exp
     networks:
       - postgres_db
     env_file:
diff --git a/phosphorus/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml b/phosphorus/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml
index 0fbd260..655c19b 100644
--- a/phosphorus/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml
+++ b/phosphorus/srv/docker/postgres/compose.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ services:
     shm_size: 6GB
     volumes:
       - ./db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+      - ./exp:/exp
     networks:
       - postgres_db
     env_file: