diff --git a/R/defaults/main.yml b/R/defaults/main.yml
index e27b8f28..a4c60926 100644
--- a/R/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/R/defaults/main.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ r_packages_updater: False
 r_package_updater_via_subversion: True
 r_package_updater_subversion_repo: http://svn.research-infrastructures.eu/public/d4science/gcube/trunk/data-analysis/RConfiguration/RPackagesManagement/
 r_packages_svn_base_dir: /srv/r_updater
+r_packages_svn_files_prefix: ''
 # They need to be flat text files
 # 1 package per line
 #r_debian_packages_list_url
diff --git a/R/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2 b/R/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2
index 1bc3d2de..c498d037 100644
--- a/R/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2
+++ b/R/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ R_PKGS_FROM_SVN={{ r_package_updater_via_subversion }}
 R_PKGS_SVN_DIR=RPackagesManagement
 R_PKGS_SVN_URL={{ r_package_updater_subversion_repo }}
 R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR={{ r_packages_svn_base_dir }}
+R_PKGS_FILES_PREFIX={{ r_packages_svn_files_prefix }}
 # - debian packages list format:
 # one package per line
 DEB_PKGS_SKIP=0
@@ -124,9 +125,9 @@ function get_data_files_from_svn() {
         logger "update_r_packages: first SVN checkout."
         svn co $R_PKGS_SVN_URL >/dev/null 2>&1
     fi
-    PKGS_LIST=$R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR/$R_PKGS_SVN_DIR/r_deb_pkgs.txt
-    R_PKGS_LIST=$R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR/$R_PKGS_SVN_DIR/r_cran_pkgs.txt
-    R_PKGS_GITHUB=$R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR/$R_PKGS_SVN_DIR/r_github_pkgs.txt
+    PKGS_LIST=$R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR/$R_PKGS_SVN_DIR/${R_PKGS_FILES_PREFIX}r_deb_pkgs.txt
+    R_PKGS_LIST=$R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR/$R_PKGS_SVN_DIR/${R_PKGS_FILES_PREFIX}r_cran_pkgs.txt
+    R_PKGS_GITHUB=$R_PKGS_SVN_BASE_DIR/$R_PKGS_SVN_DIR/${R_PKGS_FILES_PREFIX}r_github_pkgs.txt
 }
 
 function debian_pkgs() {