diff --git a/common/basedir.py b/common/basedir.py
index d98509ed6d..a131f0d1aa 100644
--- a/common/basedir.py
+++ b/common/basedir.py
@@ -4,7 +4,5 @@ BASEDIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__
 from common.hardware import PC
 if PC:
   PERSIST = os.path.join(BASEDIR, "persist")
-  PARAMS = os.path.join(BASEDIR, "persist", "params")
 else:
   PERSIST = "/persist"
-  PARAMS = "/data/params"
diff --git a/common/params_pyx.pyx b/common/params_pyx.pyx
index ea76b95023..153875e5b4 100755
--- a/common/params_pyx.pyx
+++ b/common/params_pyx.pyx
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ from params_pxd cimport Params as c_Params
 
 import os
 import threading
-from common.basedir import PARAMS
+from common.basedir import BASEDIR
+os.environ['BASEDIR'] = BASEDIR
 
 cdef enum TxType:
   PERSISTENT = 1
@@ -84,9 +85,9 @@ class UnknownKeyName(Exception):
 cdef class Params:
   cdef c_Params* p
 
-  def __cinit__(self, d=PARAMS, bool persistent_params=False):
-    if persistent_params:
-      self.p = new c_Params(True)
+  def __cinit__(self, d=None, bool persistent_params=False):
+    if d is None:
+      self.p = new c_Params(persistent_params)
     else:
       self.p = new c_Params(<string>d.encode())
 
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ cdef class Params:
     self.p.delete_db_value(key)
 
 
-def put_nonblocking(key, val, d=PARAMS):
+def put_nonblocking(key, val, d=None):
   def f(key, val):
     params = Params(d)
     params.put(key, val)
diff --git a/common/params_pyx_setup.py b/common/params_pyx_setup.py
index be91aabe88..28dd9ee50f 100644
--- a/common/params_pyx_setup.py
+++ b/common/params_pyx_setup.py
@@ -1,12 +1,24 @@
 import os
+import subprocess
 from distutils.core import Extension, setup
 from Cython.Build import cythonize
+
 from common.cython_hacks import BuildExtWithoutPlatformSuffix
 from common.basedir import BASEDIR
+from common.hardware import TICI
+
+ARCH = subprocess.check_output(["uname", "-m"], encoding='utf8').rstrip()  # pylint: disable=unexpected-keyword-arg
 
 sourcefiles = ['params_pyx.pyx']
 extra_compile_args = ["-std=c++11"]
 
+if ARCH == "aarch64":
+  if TICI:
+    extra_compile_args += ["-DQCOM2"]
+  else:
+    extra_compile_args += ["-DQCOM"]
+
+
 setup(name='common',
       cmdclass={'build_ext': BuildExtWithoutPlatformSuffix},
       ext_modules=cythonize(
diff --git a/common/tests/test_params.py b/common/tests/test_params.py
index 5aa5426631..386b7fdd60 100644
--- a/common/tests/test_params.py
+++ b/common/tests/test_params.py
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ class TestParams(unittest.TestCase):
     self.params.put("DongleId", "cb38263377b873ee")
     assert self.params.get("DongleId") == b"cb38263377b873ee"
 
+  def test_persist_params_put_and_get(self):
+    p = Params(persistent_params=True)
+    p.put("DongleId", "cb38263377b873ee")
+    assert p.get("DongleId") == b"cb38263377b873ee"
+
   def test_params_non_ascii(self):
     st = b"\xe1\x90\xff"
     self.params.put("CarParams", st)
diff --git a/selfdrive/boardd/tests/test_boardd_loopback.py b/selfdrive/boardd/tests/test_boardd_loopback.py
index 8e1ec9ca25..d4b2fe398f 100755
--- a/selfdrive/boardd/tests/test_boardd_loopback.py
+++ b/selfdrive/boardd/tests/test_boardd_loopback.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 
 import cereal.messaging as messaging
 from cereal import car
-from common.basedir import PARAMS
+from common.basedir import BASEDIR
 from common.hardware import ANDROID
 from common.params import Params
 from common.spinner import Spinner
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def reset_panda(fn):
 
 os.environ['STARTED'] = '1'
 os.environ['BOARDD_LOOPBACK'] = '1'
-os.environ['PARAMS_PATH'] = PARAMS
+os.environ['BASEDIR'] = BASEDIR
 
 @reset_panda
 @with_processes(['boardd'])
diff --git a/selfdrive/common/params.cc b/selfdrive/common/params.cc
index 6c01598bd2..2b78a0e11c 100644
--- a/selfdrive/common/params.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/common/params.cc
@@ -21,23 +21,27 @@
 #include "common/utilpp.h"
 
 
-namespace {
-
-std::string getenv_default(const char* env_var, const char* default_val) {
+std::string getenv_default(const char* env_var, const char * suffix, const char* default_val) {
   const char* env_val = getenv(env_var);
-  return std::string(env_val != NULL ? env_val : default_val);
+  if (env_val != NULL){
+    return std::string(env_val) + std::string(suffix);
+  } else{
+    return std::string(default_val);
+  }
 }
 
-const std::string default_params_path = getenv_default("PARAMS_PATH", "/data/params");
+#if defined(QCOM) || defined(QCOM2)
+const std::string default_params_path = "/data/params";
+#else
+const std::string default_params_path = getenv_default("BASEDIR", "persists/params", "/data/params");
+#endif
 
-#ifdef QCOM
-const std::string persistent_params_path = getenv_default("PERSISTENT_PARAMS_PATH", "/persist/comma/params");
+#if defined(QCOM) || defined(QCOM2)
+const std::string persistent_params_path = "/persist/comma/params";
 #else
 const std::string persistent_params_path = default_params_path;
 #endif
 
-} //namespace
-
 
 volatile sig_atomic_t params_do_exit = 0;
 void params_sig_handler(int signal) {
diff --git a/selfdrive/manager.py b/selfdrive/manager.py
index 324e55b364..875c835ed6 100755
--- a/selfdrive/manager.py
+++ b/selfdrive/manager.py
@@ -13,12 +13,11 @@ from typing import Dict, List
 from selfdrive.swaglog import cloudlog, add_logentries_handler
 
 
-from common.basedir import BASEDIR, PARAMS
+from common.basedir import BASEDIR
 from common.hardware import HARDWARE, ANDROID, PC
 WEBCAM = os.getenv("WEBCAM") is not None
 sys.path.append(os.path.join(BASEDIR, "pyextra"))
 os.environ['BASEDIR'] = BASEDIR
-os.environ['PARAMS_PATH'] = PARAMS
 
 TOTAL_SCONS_NODES = 1005
 prebuilt = os.path.exists(os.path.join(BASEDIR, 'prebuilt'))
diff --git a/tools/README.md b/tools/README.md
index 2d5eacdcdb..810bb50907 100644
--- a/tools/README.md
+++ b/tools/README.md
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ Usage:
 python carcontrols/joystickd.py
 
 # In another terminal:
-PARAMS_PATH=persist/params selfdrive/boardd/boardd
+BASEDIR=$(pwd) selfdrive/boardd/boardd
 
 # In another terminal:
 python carcontrols/debug_controls.py