diff --git a/templates/_helpers.tpl b/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 5f56775..8d8c4ec 100644
--- a/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -83,6 +83,28 @@ Create the name of the service account to use
 {{- end }}
 {{- end }}
 
+{{/*
+Create the name of the assets persistent volume to use
+*/}}
+{{- define "mastodon.pvc.assets" -}}
+{{- if .Values.mastodon.persistence.assets.existingClaim }}
+    {{- printf "%s" (tpl .Values.mastodon.persistence.assets.existingClaim $) -}}
+{{- else -}}
+    {{- printf "%s-assets" (include "common.names.fullname" .) -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{/*
+Create the name of the system persistent volume to use
+*/}}
+{{- define "mastodon.pvc.system" -}}
+{{- if .Values.mastodon.persistence.system.existingClaim }}
+    {{- printf "%s" (tpl .Values.mastodon.persistence.system.existingClaim $) -}}
+{{- else -}}
+    {{- printf "%s-system" (include "common.names.fullname" .) -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
 {{/*
 Create a default fully qualified name for dependent services.
 We truncate at 63 chars because some Kubernetes name fields are limited to this (by the DNS naming spec).
diff --git a/templates/cronjob-media-remove.yaml b/templates/cronjob-media-remove.yaml
index 33229a8..e73e76d 100644
--- a/templates/cronjob-media-remove.yaml
+++ b/templates/cronjob-media-remove.yaml
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ spec:
           volumes:
             - name: assets
               persistentVolumeClaim:
-                claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets
+                claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" . }}
             - name: system
               persistentVolumeClaim:
-                claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-system
+                claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" . }}
           {{- end }}
           containers:
             - name: {{ include "mastodon.fullname" . }}-media-remove
diff --git a/templates/deployment-sidekiq.yaml b/templates/deployment-sidekiq.yaml
index f90b53a..82e045b 100644
--- a/templates/deployment-sidekiq.yaml
+++ b/templates/deployment-sidekiq.yaml
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ spec:
       {{- if (not $context.Values.mastodon.s3.enabled) }}
         - name: assets
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" $context }}-assets
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" $context }}
         - name: system
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" $context }}-system
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" $context }}
       {{- end }}
       {{- include "mastodon.statsdExporterVolume" $ | indent 8 }}
       {{- if dig "customDatabaseConfigYml" "configMapRef" "name" false . }}
diff --git a/templates/deployment-web.yaml b/templates/deployment-web.yaml
index b1bb0b8..12d2e96 100644
--- a/templates/deployment-web.yaml
+++ b/templates/deployment-web.yaml
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ spec:
       {{- if (not .Values.mastodon.s3.enabled) }}
         - name: assets
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" . }}
         - name: system
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-system
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" . }}
       {{- end }}
       {{- include "mastodon.statsdExporterVolume" $ | indent 8 }}
       {{- if .Values.mastodon.web.customDatabaseConfigYml.configMapRef.name }}
diff --git a/templates/job-assets-precompile.yaml b/templates/job-assets-precompile.yaml
index 3458fea..29b9d31 100644
--- a/templates/job-assets-precompile.yaml
+++ b/templates/job-assets-precompile.yaml
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ spec:
       volumes:
         - name: assets
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" . }}
         - name: system
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-system
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" . }}
       {{- end }}
       containers:
         - name: {{ include "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets-precompile
diff --git a/templates/job-chewy-upgrade.yaml b/templates/job-chewy-upgrade.yaml
index 33e9bf9..0947f47 100644
--- a/templates/job-chewy-upgrade.yaml
+++ b/templates/job-chewy-upgrade.yaml
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ spec:
       volumes:
         - name: assets
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" . }}
         - name: system
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-system
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" . }}
       {{- end }}
       containers:
         - name: {{ include "mastodon.fullname" . }}-chewy-setup
diff --git a/templates/job-create-admin.yaml b/templates/job-create-admin.yaml
index 3d137f5..f38518f 100644
--- a/templates/job-create-admin.yaml
+++ b/templates/job-create-admin.yaml
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ spec:
       volumes:
         - name: assets
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" . }}
         - name: system
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-system
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" . }}
       {{- end }}
       containers:
         - name: {{ include "mastodon.fullname" . }}-create-admin
diff --git a/templates/job-db-migrate.yaml b/templates/job-db-migrate.yaml
index e9a40a7..d680c49 100644
--- a/templates/job-db-migrate.yaml
+++ b/templates/job-db-migrate.yaml
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ spec:
       volumes:
         - name: assets
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-assets
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.assets" . }}
         - name: system
           persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.fullname" . }}-system
+            claimName: {{ template "mastodon.pvc.system" . }}
       {{- end }}
       containers:
         - name: {{ include "mastodon.fullname" . }}-db-migrate
diff --git a/templates/pvc-assets.yaml b/templates/pvc-assets.yaml
index 46c90ca..4f902f6 100644
--- a/templates/pvc-assets.yaml
+++ b/templates/pvc-assets.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{- if (not .Values.mastodon.s3.enabled) -}}
+{{- if and (not .Values.mastodon.s3.enabled) (not .Values.mastodon.persistence.assets.existingClaim) -}}
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
 metadata:
diff --git a/templates/pvc-system.yaml b/templates/pvc-system.yaml
index 9865346..b67d63e 100644
--- a/templates/pvc-system.yaml
+++ b/templates/pvc-system.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{- if (not .Values.mastodon.s3.enabled) -}}
+{{- if and (not .Values.mastodon.s3.enabled) (not .Values.mastodon.persistence.system.existingClaim) -}}
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
 metadata:
diff --git a/values.yaml b/values.yaml
index 9d8d2ba..bd340b7 100644
--- a/values.yaml
+++ b/values.yaml
@@ -62,11 +62,15 @@ mastodon:
       resources:
         requests:
           storage: 10Gi
+      # -- name of existing persistent volume claim to use for assets
+      existingClaim:
     system:
       accessMode: ReadWriteOnce
       resources:
         requests:
           storage: 100Gi
+      # -- name of existing persistent volume claim to use for system
+      existingClaim:
   s3:
     enabled: false
     access_key: ""