diff --git a/changelog/fragments/run-pkgmnfs-writable-dir.yaml b/changelog/fragments/run-pkgmnfs-writable-dir.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7dbae3a846
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/fragments/run-pkgmnfs-writable-dir.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+entries:
+  - description: >
+      Fix an issue in `run packagemanifests` where the registry server
+      writes files in locations that require root.
+    kind: bugfix
diff --git a/internal/olm/operator/registry/configmap/deployment.go b/internal/olm/operator/registry/configmap/deployment.go
index 70a0e4cfe6..067169a98f 100644
--- a/internal/olm/operator/registry/configmap/deployment.go
+++ b/internal/olm/operator/registry/configmap/deployment.go
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ const (
 	registryBaseImage = "quay.io/operator-framework/upstream-registry-builder:latest"
 	// The port registry-server will listen on within a container.
 	registryGRPCPort = 50051
-	// Path of the bundle database generated by initializer.
-	regisryDBName = "bundle.db"
-	// Path of the log file generated by registry-server.
-	// TODO(estroz): have this log file in an obvious place, ex. /var/log.
-	registryLogFile = "termination.log"
+	// Path of the bundle database generated by initializer. Use /tmp since it is
+	// typically world-writable.
+	registryDBName = "/tmp/bundle.db"
+	// Path of the log file generated by registry-server. Use /tmp since it is
+	// typically world-writable.
+	registryLogFile = "/tmp/termination.log"
 )
 
 func getRegistryServerName(pkgName string) string {
@@ -102,12 +103,10 @@ func withContainerVolumeMounts(volName string, paths ...string) func(*appsv1.Dep
 // 1. Runs a database initializer on the manifests in the /registry
 //    directory.
 // 2. Runs an operator-registry server serving the bundle database.
-//    The database must be in /registry directory.
 func getDBContainerCmd(dbPath, logPath string) string {
-	cdCmd := "cd /registry"
-	initCmd := fmt.Sprintf("/bin/initializer -o %s", dbPath)
+	initCmd := fmt.Sprintf("/bin/initializer -o %s -m %s", dbPath, containerManifestsDir)
 	srvCmd := fmt.Sprintf("/bin/registry-server -d %s -t %s", dbPath, logPath)
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s && %s && %s", cdCmd, initCmd, srvCmd)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s && %s", initCmd, srvCmd)
 }
 
 // withRegistryGRPCContainer returns a function that appends a container
@@ -115,13 +114,14 @@ func getDBContainerCmd(dbPath, logPath string) string {
 // pod template spec.
 func withRegistryGRPCContainer(pkgName string) func(*appsv1.Deployment) {
 	container := corev1.Container{
-		Name:    getRegistryServerName(pkgName),
-		Image:   registryBaseImage,
-		Command: []string{"/bin/sh"},
+		Name:       getRegistryServerName(pkgName),
+		Image:      registryBaseImage,
+		WorkingDir: "/tmp",
+		Command:    []string{"/bin/sh"},
 		Args: []string{
 			"-c",
 			// TODO(estroz): grab logs and print if error
-			getDBContainerCmd(regisryDBName, registryLogFile),
+			getDBContainerCmd(registryDBName, registryLogFile),
 		},
 		Ports: []corev1.ContainerPort{
 			{Name: "registry-grpc", ContainerPort: registryGRPCPort},