diff --git a/config-bits/00-vardata.vim b/config-bits/00-vardata.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..544eccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config-bits/00-vardata.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+" Variable data directory handling
+
+" Create a directory if it doesn't already exist
+function! CreateDirectoryIfNecessary( name )
+	if isdirectory( a:name )
+		if !filewritable( a:name )
+			echoerr "Directory" a:name "is not writable"
+			return 0
+		endif
+		return 1
+	endif
+
+	if !empty( glob( a:name ) )
+		echoerr a:name "exists but is not a directory"
+		return 0
+	endif
+
+	if exists( "*mkdir" )
+		return mkdir( a:name , "p" , 0700 )
+	endif
+
+	let rv = system( "mkdir -p -m 0700 " . shellescape( a:name )
+		\ . " >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $?" )
+	if l:rv
+		echoerr "Cannot create" a:name
+	endif
+	return !rv
+endfunction
+
+" Get it from either g:vim_vardata, $VIM_DATA or create it based on $HOME
+if exists( 'g:vim_vardata' )
+	let s:vim_vardata_base = g:vim_vardata
+elseif $VIM_DATA != ""
+	let s:vim_vardata_base = $VIM_DATA
+else
+	let s:vim_vardata_base = $HOME . '/.vimdata'
+endif
+
+" Remove trailing slash
+if s:vim_vardata_base =~ "/$"
+	let s:vim_vardata_base = s:vim_vardata_base[ 0 : -1 ]
+endif
+
+" Attempt creating it
+if CreateDirectoryIfNecessary( s:vim_vardata_base )
+	let g:vim_vardata = glob( s:vim_vardata_base )
+else
+	let g:vim_vardata = ''
+endif
+