diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/yggdrasil/vars.yml b/inventory/host_vars/yggdrasil/vars.yml
index d3b1706..ee59dea 100644
--- a/inventory/host_vars/yggdrasil/vars.yml
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/yggdrasil/vars.yml
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ services_backups_snapshots_services: "\
        { service: {
             'user_name': ( 'pod-' ~ service ),
             'data_dataset': ( services_data_dataset ~ '/pod-' ~ service ),
+            'external_dataset': ( services_external_dataset ~ '/pod-' ~ service ),
             'backup_dataset': ( services_backups_snapshots_data_dataset ~ '/pod-' ~ service ),
             'recursive': true,
             'skip_parent': true,
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/setup/files/sanoid-templates.conf b/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/setup/files/sanoid-templates.conf
index c33a5d5..f9ae981 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/setup/files/sanoid-templates.conf
+++ b/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/setup/files/sanoid-templates.conf
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@
         autosnap = yes
         autoprune = yes
 
+# Template for datasets with external data. Unlike production datasets these are not backed up
+# anywhere. External datasets contain data that can be lost and that generally take up a lot of disk
+# space. Since they don't have a backup, they keep snapshots around for longer than production/
+[template_external]
+        frequently = 0
+        hourly = 36
+        daily = 30
+        monthly = 3
+        yearly = 0
+        autosnap = yes
+        autoprune = yes
+
 # Template for backup datasets which also doubles as a hot spare. The assumption is that these
 # backup production datasets. In addition to three months of snapshots, keep 36 hourly snapshots for
 # quick rollback in case of trouble. No monthly snapshots are kept as that would require the
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/user/tasks/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/user/tasks/main.yml
index 11de2de..91065f9 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/user/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/backups/snapshots/user/tasks/main.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
               recursive = yes
               process_children_only = yes
 
+      [{{ backups_snapshots_user_external_dataset }}]
+              use_template = external
+              recursive = yes
+              process_children_only = yes
+
       [{{ backups_snapshots_user_backup_dataset }}]
               use_template = backup
               recursive = yes
diff --git a/playbooks/services.yml b/playbooks/services.yml
index f78759d..c335ceb 100644
--- a/playbooks/services.yml
+++ b/playbooks/services.yml
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@
           {{ services_backups_snapshots_services[services_service_name].user_name }}"
         backups_snapshots_user_data_dataset: "\
           {{ services_backups_snapshots_services[services_service_name].data_dataset }}"
+        backups_snapshots_user_external_dataset: "\
+          {{ services_backups_snapshots_services[services_service_name].external_dataset }}"
         backups_snapshots_user_backup_dataset: "\
           {{ services_backups_snapshots_services[services_service_name].backup_dataset }}"
         backups_snapshots_user_recursive: "\