diff --git a/config.dev.toml b/config.dev.toml
index 7028527c..525652fe 100644
--- a/config.dev.toml
+++ b/config.dev.toml
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ TraceExporter = ""
         # Env override: ATHENS_MINIO_BUCKET_NAME
         Bucket = "gomods"
 
+        # Region for Minio storage
+        # Env override: ATHENS_MINIO_REGION
+        Region = ""
+
     [Storage.Mongo]
         # Full URL for mongo storage
         # Env override: ATHENS_MONGO_STORAGE_URL
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index 1658bf57..4945253e 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ func TestStorageEnvOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 			Secret:    "minioSecret",
 			EnableSSL: false,
 			Bucket:    "minioBucket",
+			Region:    "us-west-1",
 			TimeoutConf: TimeoutConf{
 				Timeout: globalTimeout,
 			},
@@ -294,6 +295,7 @@ func getEnvMap(config *Config) map[string]string {
 			envVars["ATHENS_MINIO_ACCESS_KEY_ID"] = storage.Minio.Key
 			envVars["ATHENS_MINIO_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"] = storage.Minio.Secret
 			envVars["ATHENS_MINIO_USE_SSL"] = strconv.FormatBool(storage.Minio.EnableSSL)
+			envVars["ATHENS_MINIO_REGION"] = storage.Minio.Region
 			envVars["ATHENS_MINIO_BUCKET_NAME"] = storage.Minio.Bucket
 		}
 		if storage.Mongo != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/config/minio.go b/pkg/config/minio.go
index 0a231392..b7251f6c 100644
--- a/pkg/config/minio.go
+++ b/pkg/config/minio.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package config
 
-// MinioConfig specifies the properties required to use Minio as the storage backend
+// MinioConfig specifies the properties required to use Minio or DigitalOcean Spaces
+// as the storage backend
 type MinioConfig struct {
 	TimeoutConf
 	Endpoint  string `validate:"required" envconfig:"ATHENS_MINIO_ENDPOINT"`
 	Key       string `validate:"required" envconfig:"ATHENS_MINIO_ACCESS_KEY_ID"`
 	Secret    string `validate:"required" envconfig:"ATHENS_MINIO_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"`
 	Bucket    string `validate:"required" envconfig:"ATHENS_MINIO_BUCKET_NAME"`
+	Region    string `envconfig:"ATHENS_MINIO_REGION"`
 	EnableSSL bool   `envconfig:"ATHENS_MINIO_USE_SSL"`
 }
diff --git a/pkg/storage/minio/minio.go b/pkg/storage/minio/minio.go
index c5ae428a..e60974ef 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/minio/minio.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/minio/minio.go
@@ -18,21 +18,22 @@ func (s *storageImpl) versionLocation(module, version string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", module, version)
 }
 
-// NewStorage returns a new ListerSaver implementation that stores
-// everything under rootDir
+// NewStorage returns a connected Minio or DigitalOcean Spaces storage
+// that implements storage.Backend
 func NewStorage(conf *config.MinioConfig) (storage.Backend, error) {
 	const op errors.Op = "minio.NewStorage"
 	endpoint := conf.Endpoint
 	accessKeyID := conf.Key
 	secretAccessKey := conf.Secret
 	bucketName := conf.Bucket
+	region := conf.Region
 	useSSL := conf.EnableSSL
 	minioClient, err := minio.New(endpoint, accessKeyID, secretAccessKey, useSSL)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.E(op, err)
 	}
 
-	err = minioClient.MakeBucket(bucketName, "")
+	err = minioClient.MakeBucket(bucketName, region)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Check to see if we already own this bucket
 		exists, err := minioClient.BucketExists(bucketName)