diff --git a/hlink/spark/factory.py b/hlink/spark/factory.py
index 8c4781d..e7d320d 100644
--- a/hlink/spark/factory.py
+++ b/hlink/spark/factory.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         spark_dir = Path("spark").resolve()
         self.derby_dir = spark_dir / "derby"
         self.warehouse_dir = spark_dir / "warehouse"
+        self.checkpoint_dir = spark_dir / "checkpoint"
         self.tmp_dir = spark_dir / "tmp"
         self.python = sys.executable
         self.db_name = "linking"
@@ -40,6 +41,10 @@ def set_warehouse_dir(self, warehouse_dir):
         self.warehouse_dir = warehouse_dir
         return self
 
+    def set_checkpoint_dir(self, checkpoint_dir):
+        self.checkpoint_dir = checkpoint_dir
+        return self
+
     def set_tmp_dir(self, tmp_dir):
         self.tmp_dir = tmp_dir
         return self
@@ -78,7 +83,7 @@ def create(self):
         spark_conn = SparkConnection(
             str(self.derby_dir),
             str(self.warehouse_dir),
-            "checkpoint",
+            str(self.checkpoint_dir),
             str(self.tmp_dir),
             self.python,
             self.db_name,
diff --git a/hlink/spark/session.py b/hlink/spark/session.py
index a0d7841..54723df 100644
--- a/hlink/spark/session.py
+++ b/hlink/spark/session.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ def __init__(
     ):
         self.derby_dir = derby_dir
         self.warehouse_dir = warehouse_dir
+        self.checkpoint_dir = checkpoint_dir
         self.db_name = db_name
         self.tmp_dir = tmp_dir
         self.python = python
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ def connect(
         if self.db_name not in [d.name for d in session.catalog.listDatabases()]:
             session.sql(f"CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {self.db_name}")
         session.catalog.setCurrentDatabase(self.db_name)
-        session.sparkContext.setCheckpointDir(str(self.tmp_dir))
+        session.sparkContext.setCheckpointDir(str(self.checkpoint_dir))
         self._register_udfs(session)
 
         # If the SynapseML Python package is available, include the Scala
diff --git a/hlink/tests/spark_connection_test.py b/hlink/tests/spark_connection_test.py
index 707fb22..c45831a 100644
--- a/hlink/tests/spark_connection_test.py
+++ b/hlink/tests/spark_connection_test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from pathlib import Path
+import re
 import sys
 
 from hlink.spark.session import SparkConnection
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ def test_app_name_defaults_to_linking(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 def test_app_name_argument(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     derby_dir = tmp_path / "derby"
     warehouse_dir = tmp_path / "warehouse"
-    checkpoint_dir = tmp_path / "checkpoint_dir"
+    checkpoint_dir = tmp_path / "checkpoint"
     tmp_dir = tmp_path / "tmp"
     connection = SparkConnection(
         derby_dir,
@@ -34,3 +35,22 @@ def test_app_name_argument(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     spark = connection.local(cores=1, executor_memory="1G")
     app_name = spark.conf.get("spark.app.name")
     assert app_name == "test_app_name"
+
+
+def test_sets_checkpoint_directory(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    derby_dir = tmp_path / "derby"
+    warehouse_dir = tmp_path / "warehouse"
+    checkpoint_dir = tmp_path / "checkpoint"
+    tmp_dir = tmp_path / "tmp"
+    connection = SparkConnection(
+        derby_dir,
+        warehouse_dir,
+        checkpoint_dir,
+        tmp_dir,
+        sys.executable,
+        "test",
+    )
+    spark = connection.local(cores=1, executor_memory="1G")
+
+    spark_checkpoint_dir = spark.sparkContext.getCheckpointDir()
+    assert re.search(str(checkpoint_dir), spark_checkpoint_dir)
diff --git a/hlink/tests/spark_factory_test.py b/hlink/tests/spark_factory_test.py
index 895131c..803bf30 100644
--- a/hlink/tests/spark_factory_test.py
+++ b/hlink/tests/spark_factory_test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from pathlib import Path
+import re
 
 from pyspark.sql import Row
 
@@ -33,3 +34,19 @@ def test_spark_factory_can_create_spark_session(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         Row(equals_b=True),
         Row(equals_b=False),
     ]
+
+
+def test_spark_factory_set_checkpoint_dir(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    checkpoint_dir = tmp_path / "checkpoint"
+
+    factory = (
+        SparkFactory()
+        .set_local()
+        .set_num_cores(1)
+        .set_executor_cores(1)
+        .set_executor_memory("1G")
+        .set_checkpoint_dir(checkpoint_dir)
+    )
+    spark = factory.create()
+    spark_checkpoint_dir = spark.sparkContext.getCheckpointDir()
+    assert re.search(str(checkpoint_dir), spark_checkpoint_dir)