diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/label/LocationValidator.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/label/LocationValidator.java
index 9afb0c08c..31a87e3a9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/label/LocationValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/label/LocationValidator.java
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ public class LocationValidator {
   private RuleContext ruleContext;
   private String validationRule;
   private String labelExtension;
+  private String pdfErrorDir;
 
   /*
    * Sets the report object in BundleManager static class.
@@ -430,10 +431,13 @@ public void setRule(String ruleName) {
   }
 
   public void setEveryN(int value) {
-	ruleContext.setEveryN(value);
+    ruleContext.setEveryN(value);
   }
   public void setSpotCheckData(int value) {
-	ruleContext.setSpotCheckData(value);
+    ruleContext.setSpotCheckData(value);
+  }
+  public void setPDFErrorDir(String dir) {
+    ruleContext.setPDFErrorDir(dir);
   }
 
   public void setAllowUnlabeledFiles(boolean flag) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/util/PDFUtil.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/util/PDFUtil.java
index fcd6efe7f..a9daf906e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/util/PDFUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/util/PDFUtil.java
@@ -49,12 +49,15 @@ public URL getTarget() {
     return (this.target);
   }
 
-  private synchronized void writeErrorToFile(URI uri, ValidationResult result, String flavor) {
+  private synchronized void writeErrorToFile(String baseDir, URI uri, ValidationResult result, String flavor) {
+    // Ignore the write if baseDir has not been given
+    if (baseDir.isEmpty()) return;
+
     // Write to an external file with ".error" appended to file name in user's
     // default directory the content of result.
 
     // Build the external filename and save it for other to access.
-    this.externalErrorFilename = System.getProperty("user.dir") + File.separator
+    this.externalErrorFilename = baseDir + File.separator
         + FilenameUtils.getName(uri.getPath()) + "." + flavor + ".error.csv";
 
     LOG.debug("writeErrorToFile:uri,this.externalErrorFilename {},{}", uri,
@@ -99,7 +102,7 @@ private synchronized void writeErrorToFile(URI uri, ValidationResult result, Str
     }
   }
 
-  private boolean validatePDF(URI uri, String pdfRef) throws IOException {
+  private boolean validatePDF(String baseDir, URI uri, String pdfRef) throws IOException {
     boolean pdfValidateFlag = false;
 
     try {
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ private boolean validatePDF(URI uri, String pdfRef) throws IOException {
 
           // Write the result to external file so the user can look over in the validate
           // report.
-          this.writeErrorToFile(uri, result, parser.getFlavour().getId());
+          this.writeErrorToFile(baseDir, uri, result, parser.getFlavour().getId());
 
           this.errorMessage = "Validation failed for flavour PDF/A-" + detectedFlavour.getId()
               + ".  Detailed error output can be found at " + this.getExternalErrorFilename();
@@ -151,7 +154,7 @@ private boolean validatePDF(URI uri, String pdfRef) throws IOException {
    * @return true if the PDF is PDF/A compliant, and false otherwise
    *
    */
-  public synchronized boolean validateFileStandardConformity(String pdfBase, URL parentURL)
+  public synchronized boolean validateFileStandardConformity(String baseDir, String pdfBase, URL parentURL)
       throws Exception {
     // Do the validation of the PDF document.
     // https://verapdf.org/category/software/
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ public synchronized boolean validateFileStandardConformity(String pdfBase, URL p
 
     // First, validate the PDF against PDFAFlavour.PDFA_1_A, if it does not
     // validate, do it again with PDFAFlavour.PDFA_1_B
-    pdfValidateFlag = this.validatePDF(uri, pdfRef);
+    pdfValidateFlag = this.validatePDF(baseDir, uri, pdfRef);
 
     LOG.debug("validateFileStandardConformity:pdfRef,pdfValidateFlag [{}],{}", parent,
         pdfValidateFlag);
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/RuleContext.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/RuleContext.java
index d0ab99ebf..e2b4037ab 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/RuleContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/RuleContext.java
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ public class RuleContext extends ContextBase {
    * The key used to indicate how many lines or records to skip during content validation.
    */
   public static final String EVERY_N_KEY = "validate.every-n";
+  /**
+   * Property to specify directory for PDF error directory.
+   */
+  public static final String PDF_ERROR_DIR = "validate.pdfErrorDir";
   /**
    * The key used to indicate how many lines or records to skip during content validation.
    */
@@ -404,6 +408,13 @@ public int getEveryN() {
   public void setEveryN(int value) {
 	putContextValue(EVERY_N_KEY, value);
   }
+  public String getPDFErrorDir() {
+    return getContextValue(PDF_ERROR_DIR, String.class) == null ? "" : getContextValue(PDF_ERROR_DIR, String.class);
+  }
+
+  public void setPDFErrorDir(String dir) {
+    putContextValue(PDF_ERROR_DIR, dir);
+  }
 
   public int getSpotCheckData() {
 	return getContextValue(SPOT_CHECK_DATA_KEY, Integer.class);
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/pds4/FileReferenceValidationRule.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/pds4/FileReferenceValidationRule.java
index fa280a1a1..6c5ea3b63 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/pds4/FileReferenceValidationRule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/tools/validate/rule/pds4/FileReferenceValidationRule.java
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ private void handlePDF(ValidationTarget target, URL fileRef, TinyNodeImpl fileOb
     DocumentsChecker check = new DocumentsChecker();
     if (check.isMimeTypeCorrect(fileRef.toString(), "PDF/A")) {
       // The parent is also needed for validateFileStandardConformity function.
-      pdfValidateFlag = this.pdfUtil.validateFileStandardConformity(pdfName, new URL(parent, directory));
+      pdfValidateFlag = this.pdfUtil.validateFileStandardConformity(this.getContext().getPDFErrorDir(), pdfName, new URL(parent, directory));
 
       // Report an error if the PDF file is not PDF/A compliant.
       if (!pdfValidateFlag) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/ValidateLauncher.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/ValidateLauncher.java
index d6499f797..9cd2fcd01 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/ValidateLauncher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/ValidateLauncher.java
@@ -222,6 +222,8 @@ public class ValidateLauncher {
 
   private int everyN;
 
+  private String pdfErrorDir;
+
   private int spotCheckData;
 
   private boolean allowUnlabeledFiles;
@@ -282,7 +284,7 @@ public ValidateLauncher() throws TransformerConfigurationException {
     deprecatedFlagWarning = false;
     validateContext = true;
     checkInbetweenFields = false;
-
+    pdfErrorDir = "";
     setLabelExtension(Constants.DEFAULT_LABEL_EXTENSION);
 
     this.flushValidators();
@@ -331,6 +333,12 @@ public void query(CommandLine line) throws Exception {
       throw new InvalidOptionException(
         "Could not parse value '" + line.getOptionValue("everyN", "1") + "': " + a.getMessage());
     }
+    setPDFErrorDir(line.getOptionValue("pdf-errors", ""));
+    File dir = new File(pdfErrorDir);
+    if (!this.pdfErrorDir.isEmpty() && !dir.isDirectory()) {
+      throw new InvalidOptionException(
+          "Could not parse dir '" + this.pdfErrorDir + "' as a directory");
+    }
 
     for (Option o : processedOptions) {
       LOG.debug("query:o.getOpt() {}", o.getOpt());
@@ -759,6 +767,9 @@ public void query(File configuration) throws ConfigurationException {
       if (config.containsKey(ConfigKey.EVERY_N)) {
           setEveryN(config.getInt(ConfigKey.EVERY_N));
       }
+      if (config.containsKey(ConfigKey.PDF_ERROR_DIR)) {
+        setPDFErrorDir(config.getString(ConfigKey.PDF_ERROR_DIR));
+      }
       if (config.containsKey(ConfigKey.SPOT_CHECK_DATA)) {
         setSpotCheckData(config.getInt(ConfigKey.SPOT_CHECK_DATA));
       }
@@ -1069,8 +1080,12 @@ public void setMaxErrors(long value) {
   }
 
   public void setEveryN(int value) {
-	    this.everyN = value;
-	  }
+    this.everyN = value;
+  }
+
+  public void setPDFErrorDir(String dir) {
+    this.pdfErrorDir = dir;
+  }
 
   public void setSpotCheckData(int value) {
 	    this.spotCheckData = value;
@@ -1306,6 +1321,9 @@ public void setupReport() throws IOException {
     if (everyN != 1) {
       report.addParameter("   Data Every N                  " + everyN);
     }
+    if (!pdfErrorDir.isEmpty()) {
+      report.addParameter("   PDF Error Directory           " + pdfErrorDir);
+    }
     if (spotCheckData != -1) {
       report.addParameter("   Data Spot Check               " + spotCheckData);
     }
@@ -1383,6 +1401,7 @@ public boolean doValidation(Map<URL, String> checksumManifest) throws Exception
         validator.setCheckData(contentValidationFlag);
         validator.setSpotCheckData(spotCheckData);
         validator.setEveryN(everyN);
+        validator.setPDFErrorDir(pdfErrorDir);
         validator.setAllowUnlabeledFiles(allowUnlabeledFiles);
         validator.setValidateContext(validateContext);
         validator.setSkipProductValidation(skipProductValidation);
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/ConfigKey.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/ConfigKey.java
index f1f1cf99a..466853f13 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/ConfigKey.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/ConfigKey.java
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@ public class ConfigKey {
    */
   public static final String EVERY_N = "validate.everyN";
 
+  /**
+   * Property to specify directory for PDF error directory.
+   */
+  public static final String PDF_ERROR_DIR = "validate.pdfErrorDir";
+
   /**
    * Property to specify how many lines or records to skip during content validation.
    */
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/Flag.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/Flag.java
index cc3721091..2cb2337f3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/Flag.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/Flag.java
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ public enum Flag {
   NO_DATA(null, "no-data-check",
       "DEPRECATED: This option has been renamed to --skip-content-validation to be more consistent with other argument naming."),
 
+  PDF_ERROR_DIR(null, "pdf-error-dir", "directory", String.class,
+      "the directory to put PDF error reports that detail why a PDF file is not compliant that is not included in the standard report " +
+      "with undefined or empty string meaning the detailed reports are lost"),
+
   /** Flag to disable data content validation. */
   SKIP_CONTENT_VALIDATION("D", "skip-content-validation",
       "Disable product content validation. The tool will skip check the bytes within the content of the data file."),
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/FlagOptions.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/FlagOptions.java
index c30a3441c..a04db17dd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/FlagOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/commandline/options/FlagOptions.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public class FlagOptions {
     options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.EXTENSION));
     options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.EVERY_N));
     options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.HELP));
+    options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.PDF_ERROR_DIR));
     options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.REPORT));
     options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.TARGET));
     options.addOption(new ToolsOption(Flag.VERBOSE));
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/report/JSONReport.java b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/report/JSONReport.java
index bb9caee36..bbb6f4f5f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/report/JSONReport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/validate/report/JSONReport.java
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ public void printHeader() {
       for (String parameter : parameters) {
         String[] tokens = parameter.trim().split("\\s{2,}+", 2);
         String key = tokens[0].replaceAll("\\s", "");
+        System.out.println ("param: " + parameter);
         this.jsonWriter.name(WordUtils.uncapitalize(key)).value(tokens[1]);
       }
       this.jsonWriter.endObject();