diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 90f0aa791..002e3ab5d 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ Mandatory parameters are marked as **Required**, which means that they are requi
 | `internals.sd_notify` | Enables use of the sd_notify protocol to tell systemd service manager about changes in the bot state and issue keep-alive pings. See [here](installation.md#7-optional-configure-freqtrade-as-a-systemd-service) for more details. <br> ***Datatype:*** *Boolean*
 | `logfile` | Specifies logfile name. Uses a rolling strategy for log file rotation for 10 files with the 1MB limit per file. <br> ***Datatype:*** *String*
 | `user_data_dir` | Directory containing user data. <br> *Defaults to `./user_data/`*. <br> ***Datatype:*** *String*
+| `dataformat_ohlcv` | Data format to use to store OHLCV historic data. <br> *Defaults to `json`*. <br> ***Datatype:*** *String*
+| `dataformat_trades` | Data format to use to store trades historic data. <br> *Defaults to `jsongz`*. <br> ***Datatype:*** *String*
 
 ### Parameters in the strategy
 
diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/arguments.py b/freqtrade/configuration/arguments.py
index cefa86927..121bd23b4 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/arguments.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/arguments.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ ARGS_CONVERT_DATA = ["pairs", "format_from", "format_to"]
 ARGS_CONVERT_DATA_OHLCV = ARGS_CONVERT_DATA + ["timeframes"]
 
 ARGS_DOWNLOAD_DATA = ["pairs", "pairs_file", "days", "download_trades", "exchange",
-                      "timeframes", "erase"]
+                      "timeframes", "erase", "dataformat_ohlcv", "dataformat_trades"]
 
 ARGS_PLOT_DATAFRAME = ["pairs", "indicators1", "indicators2", "plot_limit",
                        "db_url", "trade_source", "export", "exportfilename",
diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/cli_options.py b/freqtrade/configuration/cli_options.py
index ffaf9ea66..c80bea393 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/cli_options.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/cli_options.py
@@ -344,6 +344,18 @@ AVAILABLE_CLI_OPTIONS = {
         choices=constants.AVAILABLE_DATAHANDLERS,
         required=True,
     ),
+    "dataformat_ohlcv": Arg(
+        '--data-format',
+        help='Storage format for downloaded ohlcv data. (default: `%(default)s`).',
+        choices=constants.AVAILABLE_DATAHANDLERS,
+        default='json'
+    ),
+    "dataformat_trades": Arg(
+        '--data-format-trades',
+        help='Storage format for downloaded trades data. (default: `%(default)s`).',
+        choices=constants.AVAILABLE_DATAHANDLERS,
+        default='jsongz'
+    ),
     "exchange": Arg(
         '--exchange',
         help=f'Exchange name (default: `{constants.DEFAULT_EXCHANGE}`). '
diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py b/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
index f73b52c10..aa453a392 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
@@ -339,9 +339,16 @@ class Configuration:
 
         self._args_to_config(config, argname='days',
                              logstring='Detected --days: {}')
+
         self._args_to_config(config, argname='download_trades',
                              logstring='Detected --dl-trades: {}')
 
+        self._args_to_config(config, argname='dataformat_ohlcv',
+                             logstring='Using "{}" to store OHLCV data.')
+
+        self._args_to_config(config, argname='dataformat_trade',
+                             logstring='Using "{}" to store trades data.')
+
     def _process_runmode(self, config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
 
         if not self.runmode:
diff --git a/freqtrade/constants.py b/freqtrade/constants.py
index 8d9cde98b..95ec71552 100644
--- a/freqtrade/constants.py
+++ b/freqtrade/constants.py
@@ -216,17 +216,17 @@ CONF_SCHEMA = {
                 'process_throttle_secs': {'type': 'integer'},
                 'interval': {'type': 'integer'},
                 'sd_notify': {'type': 'boolean'},
-                'dataformat_ohlcv': {
-                    'type': 'string',
+            }
+        },
+        'dataformat_ohlcv': {
+            'type': 'string',
                     'enum': AVAILABLE_DATAHANDLERS,
                     'default': 'json'
-                },
-                'dataformat_trades': {
-                    'type': 'string',
+        },
+        'dataformat_trades': {
+            'type': 'string',
                     'enum': AVAILABLE_DATAHANDLERS,
                     'default': 'jsongz'
-                }
-            }
         }
     },
     'definitions': {
diff --git a/freqtrade/data/history.py b/freqtrade/data/history.py
index 9dad90864..c06b14b4a 100644
--- a/freqtrade/data/history.py
+++ b/freqtrade/data/history.py
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ def _download_pair_history(datadir: Path,
     :param timerange: range of time to download
     :return: bool with success state
     """
-    data_handler = get_datahandler(datadir)
+    data_handler = get_datahandler(datadir, data_handler=data_handler)
 
     try:
         logger.info(
@@ -327,12 +327,14 @@ def refresh_backtest_trades_data(exchange: Exchange, pairs: List[str], datadir:
 
 
 def convert_trades_to_ohlcv(pairs: List[str], timeframes: List[str],
-                            datadir: Path, timerange: TimeRange, erase=False) -> None:
+                            datadir: Path, timerange: TimeRange, erase=False,
+                            data_format_ohlcv: str = 'json',
+                            data_format_trades: str = 'jsongz') -> None:
     """
     Convert stored trades data to ohlcv data
     """
-    data_handler_trades = get_datahandler(datadir, data_format='jsongz')
-    data_handler_ohlcv = get_datahandler(datadir, data_format='json')
+    data_handler_trades = get_datahandler(datadir, data_format=data_format_trades)
+    data_handler_ohlcv = get_datahandler(datadir, data_format=data_format_ohlcv)
 
     for pair in pairs:
         trades = data_handler_trades.trades_load(pair)
diff --git a/freqtrade/utils.py b/freqtrade/utils.py
index 5f646cc7a..81d41f28a 100644
--- a/freqtrade/utils.py
+++ b/freqtrade/utils.py
@@ -204,16 +204,22 @@ def start_download_data(args: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         if config.get('download_trades'):
             pairs_not_available = refresh_backtest_trades_data(
                 exchange, pairs=config["pairs"], datadir=config['datadir'],
-                timerange=timerange, erase=config.get("erase"))
+                timerange=timerange, erase=config.get("erase"),
+                data_format=config['dataformat_trades'])
 
             # Convert downloaded trade data to different timeframes
             convert_trades_to_ohlcv(
                 pairs=config["pairs"], timeframes=config["timeframes"],
-                datadir=config['datadir'], timerange=timerange, erase=config.get("erase"))
+                datadir=config['datadir'], timerange=timerange, erase=config.get("erase"),
+                data_format_ohlcv=config['dataformat_ohlcv'],
+                data_format_trades=config['dataformat_trades'],
+                )
+
         else:
             pairs_not_available = refresh_backtest_ohlcv_data(
                 exchange, pairs=config["pairs"], timeframes=config["timeframes"],
-                datadir=config['datadir'], timerange=timerange, erase=config.get("erase"))
+                datadir=config['datadir'], timerange=timerange, erase=config.get("erase"),
+                data_format=config['dataformat_ohlcv'])
 
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         sys.exit("SIGINT received, aborting ...")