diff --git a/atomicapp/cli/main.py b/atomicapp/cli/main.py
index 443692cc..531c0cdc 100644
--- a/atomicapp/cli/main.py
+++ b/atomicapp/cli/main.py
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ def print_app_location(app_path):
 
 def cli_genanswers(args):
     argdict = args.__dict__
+    location = argdict['answers']
     nm = NuleculeManager(app_spec=argdict['app_spec'],
                          destination='none')
-    nm.genanswers(**argdict)
+    nm.genanswers(location=location, **argdict)
     Utils.rm_dir(nm.app_path)  # clean up files
     sys.exit(0)
 
@@ -350,6 +351,11 @@ def create_parser(self):
         # === "genanswers" SUBPARSER ===
         gena_subparser = toplevel_subparsers.add_parser(
             "genanswers", parents=[globals_parser])
+        gena_subparser.add_argument(
+            "-a",
+            "--answers",
+            dest="answers",
+            help="Path to %s" % ANSWERS_FILE)
         gena_subparser.add_argument(
             "app_spec",
             nargs='?',
diff --git a/atomicapp/nulecule/main.py b/atomicapp/nulecule/main.py
index 1ce88b8d..084d6a57 100644
--- a/atomicapp/nulecule/main.py
+++ b/atomicapp/nulecule/main.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def unpack(self, update=False,
             return Nulecule.load_from_path(
                 self.app_path, dryrun=dryrun, config=config)
 
-    def genanswers(self, dryrun=False, answers_format=None, **kwargs):
+    def genanswers(self, dryrun=False, answers_format=None, location=None, **kwargs):
         """
         Renders artifacts and then generates an answer file. Finally
         copies answer file to the current working directory.
@@ -147,10 +147,19 @@ def genanswers(self, dryrun=False, answers_format=None, **kwargs):
         self.answers_format = answers_format or ANSWERS_FILE_SAMPLE_FORMAT
 
         # Check to make sure an answers.conf file doesn't exist already
-        answers_file = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), ANSWERS_FILE)
+        if location is None:
+            answers_file = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), ANSWERS_FILE)
+        else:
+            answers_file = os.path.join(location, ANSWERS_FILE)
+
         if os.path.exists(answers_file):
             raise NuleculeException(
-                "Can't generate answers.conf over existing file")
+                "Can't generate %s over existing file" % answers_file)
+
+        answers_folder = os.path.dirname(answers_file)
+        if not os.path.isdir(answers_folder):
+            raise NuleculeException(
+                "Directory %s does not exist." % answers_folder)
 
         # Call unpack to get the app code
         self.nulecule = self.unpack(update=False, dryrun=dryrun, config=self.answers)