diff --git a/apps/desktop/.env.example b/apps/desktop/.env.example
index b2d236e4..0ee71ca1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/.env.example
+++ b/apps/desktop/.env.example
@@ -97,3 +97,10 @@ RENDERER_VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8080
 # Read by core package via process.env.MULTICA_API_URL at runtime
 # Production example: https://api.multica.ai
 MULTICA_API_URL=http://localhost:8080
+
+# SMC_DATA_DIR
+# Root data directory override - Isolates dev data from production.
+# When set, all data (sessions, credentials, profiles, app-state, etc.)
+# is stored under this directory instead of ~/.super-multica.
+# Supports ~ expansion. Set automatically by scripts/dev-local.sh.
+# SMC_DATA_DIR=~/.super-multica-dev
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e6fb4696..ab4b9e66 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@
     "mu": "pnpm --filter @multica/cli dev",
     "dev": "turbo build --filter=@multica/types --filter=@multica/utils --filter=@multica/core && concurrently -n types,utils,core,desktop -c blue,green,yellow,cyan \"pnpm --filter @multica/types dev\" \"pnpm --filter @multica/utils dev\" \"pnpm --filter @multica/core dev\" \"pnpm --filter @multica/desktop dev\"",
     "dev:desktop": "pnpm --filter @multica/desktop dev",
-    "dev:desktop:reset": "rm -rf ~/.super-multica && echo '✓ Deleted ~/.super-multica - Fresh install state restored'",
+    "dev:desktop:reset": "rm -rf ~/.super-multica && rm -rf ~/.super-multica-dev && echo '✓ Deleted ~/.super-multica and ~/.super-multica-dev - Fresh install state restored'",
     "dev:desktop:fresh": "pnpm dev:desktop:reset && pnpm dev:desktop",
     "dev:desktop:onboarding": "pnpm --filter @multica/desktop dev:onboarding",
     "dev:gateway": "pnpm --filter @multica/gateway dev",
     "dev:web": "pnpm --filter @multica/web dev",
     "dev:local": "bash scripts/dev-local.sh",
+    "dev:local:archive": "bash scripts/archive-dev-data.sh",
     "dev:all": "concurrently \"pnpm dev:gateway\" \"pnpm dev:web\"",
     "build": "turbo build",
     "build:desktop": "pnpm --filter @multica/desktop build",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/cron/store.ts b/packages/core/src/cron/store.ts
index c7896a8a..5ad9e784 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/cron/store.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/cron/store.ts
@@ -7,14 +7,11 @@
 
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync, appendFileSync, renameSync } from "fs";
 import path from "path";
+import { DATA_DIR } from "@multica/utils";
 import type { CronJob, CronRunLogEntry } from "./types.js";
 
 /** Default cron storage directory */
-const DEFAULT_CRON_DIR = path.join(
-  process.env["HOME"] ?? ".",
-  ".super-multica",
-  "cron",
-);
+const DEFAULT_CRON_DIR = path.join(DATA_DIR, "cron");
 
 /** Store data structure */
 type StoreData = {
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/paths.test.ts b/packages/utils/src/paths.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..585df153
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/utils/src/paths.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { homedir } from "node:os";
+
+import { resolveDataDir } from "./paths.js";
+
+describe("resolveDataDir", () => {
+  const original = process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR;
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (original === undefined) {
+      delete process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR;
+    } else {
+      process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR = original;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("defaults to ~/.super-multica when SMC_DATA_DIR is not set", () => {
+    delete process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR;
+    expect(resolveDataDir()).toBe(join(homedir(), ".super-multica"));
+  });
+
+  it("uses absolute path from SMC_DATA_DIR", () => {
+    process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR = "/tmp/test-multica";
+    expect(resolveDataDir()).toBe("/tmp/test-multica");
+  });
+
+  it("expands ~ in SMC_DATA_DIR", () => {
+    process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR = "~/.super-multica-dev";
+    expect(resolveDataDir()).toBe(join(homedir(), ".super-multica-dev"));
+  });
+
+  it("handles ~ alone", () => {
+    process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR = "~";
+    expect(resolveDataDir()).toBe(homedir());
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/paths.ts b/packages/utils/src/paths.ts
index 69011de0..eecefe14 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/paths.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/paths.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,23 @@
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { homedir } from "node:os";
 
-/** Root data directory: ~/.super-multica */
-export const DATA_DIR = join(homedir(), ".super-multica");
+/**
+ * Resolve the root data directory.
+ * Override with SMC_DATA_DIR env var (supports ~ expansion).
+ * Defaults to ~/.super-multica.
+ */
+export function resolveDataDir(): string {
+  const envDir = process.env.SMC_DATA_DIR;
+  if (envDir) {
+    return envDir.startsWith("~")
+      ? join(homedir(), envDir.slice(1))
+      : envDir;
+  }
+  return join(homedir(), ".super-multica");
+}
+
+/** Root data directory (default: ~/.super-multica, override: SMC_DATA_DIR) */
+export const DATA_DIR = resolveDataDir();
 
 /** Cache directory for downloaded media files */
 export const MEDIA_CACHE_DIR = join(DATA_DIR, "cache", "media");
diff --git a/scripts/archive-dev-data.sh b/scripts/archive-dev-data.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ae85360f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/archive-dev-data.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Archive and clean the dev environment data.
+#
+# Moves ~/.super-multica-dev and ~/Documents/Multica-dev into a
+# timestamped archive directory for later debugging / analysis.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   pnpm dev:local:archive
+#
+# Archives are stored in: ~/.super-multica-dev-archives/<timestamp>/
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y%m%d-%H%M%S")
+ARCHIVE_BASE="$HOME/.super-multica-dev-archives"
+ARCHIVE_DIR="$ARCHIVE_BASE/$TIMESTAMP"
+
+DEV_DATA="$HOME/.super-multica-dev"
+DEV_WORKSPACE="$HOME/Documents/Multica-dev"
+
+# Check if there's anything to archive
+if [ ! -d "$DEV_DATA" ] && [ ! -d "$DEV_WORKSPACE" ]; then
+  echo "Nothing to archive — neither $DEV_DATA nor $DEV_WORKSPACE exists."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$ARCHIVE_DIR"
+
+if [ -d "$DEV_DATA" ]; then
+  mv "$DEV_DATA" "$ARCHIVE_DIR/data"
+  echo "  Archived $DEV_DATA -> $ARCHIVE_DIR/data"
+fi
+
+if [ -d "$DEV_WORKSPACE" ]; then
+  mv "$DEV_WORKSPACE" "$ARCHIVE_DIR/workspace"
+  echo "  Archived $DEV_WORKSPACE -> $ARCHIVE_DIR/workspace"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "Archived to: $ARCHIVE_DIR"
+echo "Dev environment is now clean. Run 'pnpm dev:local' to start fresh."
diff --git a/scripts/dev-local.sh b/scripts/dev-local.sh
index 27dd9fff..5c45b06a 100755
--- a/scripts/dev-local.sh
+++ b/scripts/dev-local.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ echo "Starting local dev environment..."
 echo "  Gateway:  http://localhost:4000 (Telegram long-polling mode)"
 echo "  Web:      http://localhost:3000 (OAuth login)"
 echo "  Desktop:  connecting to local Gateway + Web"
+echo "  Data dir: ~/.super-multica-dev (isolated from production)"
+echo "  Workspace: ~/Documents/Multica-dev (isolated from production)"
 echo ""
 
 # Build shared packages first
@@ -49,6 +51,6 @@ exec pnpm concurrently \
   "pnpm --filter @multica/types dev" \
   "pnpm --filter @multica/utils dev" \
   "pnpm --filter @multica/core dev" \
-  "PORT=4000 MULTICA_RUN_LOG=1 pnpm --filter @multica/gateway dev" \
+  "PORT=4000 SMC_DATA_DIR=~/.super-multica-dev MULTICA_WORKSPACE_DIR=~/Documents/Multica-dev MULTICA_RUN_LOG=1 pnpm --filter @multica/gateway dev" \
   "pnpm --filter @multica/web dev" \
-  "GATEWAY_URL=http://localhost:4000 MAIN_VITE_WEB_URL=http://localhost:3000 MULTICA_RUN_LOG=1 pnpm --filter @multica/desktop dev"
+  "GATEWAY_URL=http://localhost:4000 MAIN_VITE_WEB_URL=http://localhost:3000 SMC_DATA_DIR=~/.super-multica-dev MULTICA_WORKSPACE_DIR=~/Documents/Multica-dev MULTICA_RUN_LOG=1 pnpm --filter @multica/desktop dev"
diff --git a/scripts/reset-user-data.sh b/scripts/reset-user-data.sh
index b56f929a..8981aa2f 100755
--- a/scripts/reset-user-data.sh
+++ b/scripts/reset-user-data.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ else
   echo "  $MULTICA_DATA_DIR does not exist, skipping"
 fi
 
+# Dev data directory (used by pnpm dev:local)
+MULTICA_DEV_DIR="$HOME/.super-multica-dev"
+if [ -d "$MULTICA_DEV_DIR" ]; then
+  echo "  Removing $MULTICA_DEV_DIR"
+  rm -rf "$MULTICA_DEV_DIR"
+else
+  echo "  $MULTICA_DEV_DIR does not exist, skipping"
+fi
+
 # Electron app data (macOS)
 if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
   ELECTRON_APP_DATA="$HOME/Library/Application Support/super-multica"