diff --git a/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/cluster.go b/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/cluster.go
index 702aecbe4..db49e94f2 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/cluster.go
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ type PodPolicy struct {
 	// bootstrap the cluster (for example `--initial-cluster` flag).
 	// This field cannot be updated.
 	EtcdEnv []v1.EnvVar `json:"etcdEnv,omitempty"`
+
+	// PersistentVolumeClaimSpec is the spec to describe PVC for the etcd container
+	// This field is optional. If no PVC spec, etcd container will use emptyDir as volume
+	// Note. This feature is in alpha stage. It is currently only used as non-stable storage,
+	// not the stable storage. Future work need to make it used as stable storage.
+	PersistentVolumeClaimSpec *v1.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec `json:"persistentVolumeClaimSpec,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (c *ClusterSpec) Validate() error {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 7df704055..3957a5b27 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -563,6 +563,15 @@ func (in *PodPolicy) DeepCopyInto(out *PodPolicy) {
 			(*in)[i].DeepCopyInto(&(*out)[i])
 		}
 	}
+	if in.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec != nil {
+		in, out := &in.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec, &out.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec
+		if *in == nil {
+			*out = nil
+		} else {
+			*out = new(v1.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec)
+			(*in).DeepCopyInto(*out)
+		}
+	}
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 19166b804..08f3b95f8 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -375,9 +375,26 @@ func (c *Cluster) setupServices() error {
 	return k8sutil.CreatePeerService(c.config.KubeCli, c.cluster.Name, c.cluster.Namespace, c.cluster.AsOwner())
 }
 
+func (c *Cluster) isPodPVEnabled() bool {
+	if podPolicy := c.cluster.Spec.Pod; podPolicy != nil {
+		return podPolicy.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec != nil
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (c *Cluster) createPod(members etcdutil.MemberSet, m *etcdutil.Member, state string) error {
 	pod := k8sutil.NewEtcdPod(m, members.PeerURLPairs(), c.cluster.Name, state, uuid.New(), c.cluster.Spec, c.cluster.AsOwner())
-	_, err := c.config.KubeCli.Core().Pods(c.cluster.Namespace).Create(pod)
+	if c.isPodPVEnabled() {
+		pvc := k8sutil.NewEtcdPodPVC(m, *c.cluster.Spec.Pod.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec, c.cluster.Name, c.cluster.Namespace, c.cluster.AsOwner())
+		_, err := c.config.KubeCli.CoreV1().PersistentVolumeClaims(c.cluster.Namespace).Create(pvc)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create PVC for member (%s): %v", m.Name, err)
+		}
+		k8sutil.AddEtcdVolumeToPod(pod, pvc)
+	} else {
+		k8sutil.AddEtcdVolumeToPod(pod, nil)
+	}
+	_, err := c.config.KubeCli.CoreV1().Pods(c.cluster.Namespace).Create(pod)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/reconcile.go b/pkg/cluster/reconcile.go
index 5e6821a59..f6568072a 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/reconcile.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/reconcile.go
@@ -193,14 +193,19 @@ func (c *Cluster) removeDeadMember(toRemove *etcdutil.Member) error {
 	return c.removeMember(toRemove)
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) removeMember(toRemove *etcdutil.Member) error {
-	err := etcdutil.RemoveMember(c.members.ClientURLs(), c.tlsConfig, toRemove.ID)
+func (c *Cluster) removeMember(toRemove *etcdutil.Member) (err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("remove member (%s) failed: %v", toRemove.Name, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	err = etcdutil.RemoveMember(c.members.ClientURLs(), c.tlsConfig, toRemove.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		switch err {
 		case rpctypes.ErrMemberNotFound:
 			c.logger.Infof("etcd member (%v) has been removed", toRemove.Name)
 		default:
-			c.logger.Errorf("fail to remove etcd member (%v): %v", toRemove.Name, err)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -212,10 +217,24 @@ func (c *Cluster) removeMember(toRemove *etcdutil.Member) error {
 	if err := c.removePod(toRemove.Name); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if c.isPodPVEnabled() {
+		err = c.removePVC(k8sutil.PVCNameFromMember(toRemove.Name))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	c.logger.Infof("removed member (%v) with ID (%d)", toRemove.Name, toRemove.ID)
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (c *Cluster) removePVC(pvcName string) error {
+	err := c.config.KubeCli.Core().PersistentVolumeClaims(c.cluster.Namespace).Delete(pvcName, nil)
+	if err != nil && !k8sutil.IsKubernetesResourceNotFoundError(err) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("remove pvc (%s) failed: %v", pvcName, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func needUpgrade(pods []*v1.Pod, cs api.ClusterSpec) bool {
 	return len(pods) == cs.Size && pickOneOldMember(pods, cs.Version) != nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go b/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go
index fa10b7a95..a69d9dfa2 100644
--- a/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go
+++ b/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ func GetPodNames(pods []*v1.Pod) []string {
 	return res
 }
 
+// PVCNameFromMember the way we get PVC name from the member name
+func PVCNameFromMember(memberName string) string {
+	return memberName
+}
+
 func makeRestoreInitContainers(backupURL *url.URL, token, repo, version string, m *etcdutil.Member) []v1.Container {
 	return []v1.Container{
 		{
@@ -209,6 +214,19 @@ func newEtcdServiceManifest(svcName, clusterName, clusterIP string, ports []v1.S
 	return svc
 }
 
+// AddEtcdVolumeToPod abstract the process of appending volume spec to pod spec
+func AddEtcdVolumeToPod(pod *v1.Pod, pvc *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim) {
+	vol := v1.Volume{Name: etcdVolumeName}
+	if pvc != nil {
+		vol.VolumeSource = v1.VolumeSource{
+			PersistentVolumeClaim: &v1.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{ClaimName: pvc.Name},
+		}
+	} else {
+		vol.VolumeSource = v1.VolumeSource{EmptyDir: &v1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{}}
+	}
+	pod.Spec.Volumes = append(pod.Spec.Volumes, vol)
+}
+
 func addRecoveryToPod(pod *v1.Pod, token string, m *etcdutil.Member, cs api.ClusterSpec, backupURL *url.URL) {
 	pod.Spec.InitContainers = append(pod.Spec.InitContainers,
 		makeRestoreInitContainers(backupURL, token, cs.Repository, cs.Version, m)...)
@@ -223,6 +241,8 @@ func addOwnerRefToObject(o metav1.Object, r metav1.OwnerReference) {
 func NewSeedMemberPod(clusterName string, ms etcdutil.MemberSet, m *etcdutil.Member, cs api.ClusterSpec, owner metav1.OwnerReference, backupURL *url.URL) *v1.Pod {
 	token := uuid.New()
 	pod := newEtcdPod(m, ms.PeerURLPairs(), clusterName, "new", token, cs)
+	// TODO: PVC datadir support for restore process
+	AddEtcdVolumeToPod(pod, nil)
 	if backupURL != nil {
 		addRecoveryToPod(pod, token, m, cs, backupURL)
 	}
@@ -231,6 +251,20 @@ func NewSeedMemberPod(clusterName string, ms etcdutil.MemberSet, m *etcdutil.Mem
 	return pod
 }
 
+// NewEtcdPodPVC create PVC object from etcd pod's PVC spec
+func NewEtcdPodPVC(m *etcdutil.Member, pvcSpec v1.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec, clusterName, namespace string, owner metav1.OwnerReference) *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim {
+	pvc := &v1.PersistentVolumeClaim{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      PVCNameFromMember(m.Name),
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			Labels:    LabelsForCluster(clusterName),
+		},
+		Spec: pvcSpec,
+	}
+	addOwnerRefToObject(pvc.GetObjectMeta(), owner)
+	return pvc
+}
+
 func newEtcdPod(m *etcdutil.Member, initialCluster []string, clusterName, state, token string, cs api.ClusterSpec) *v1.Pod {
 	commands := fmt.Sprintf("/usr/local/bin/etcd --data-dir=%s --name=%s --initial-advertise-peer-urls=%s "+
 		"--listen-peer-urls=%s --listen-client-urls=%s --advertise-client-urls=%s "+
@@ -264,9 +298,7 @@ func newEtcdPod(m *etcdutil.Member, initialCluster []string, clusterName, state,
 		livenessProbe,
 		readinessProbe)
 
-	volumes := []v1.Volume{
-		{Name: "etcd-data", VolumeSource: v1.VolumeSource{EmptyDir: &v1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{}}},
-	}
+	volumes := []v1.Volume{}
 
 	if m.SecurePeer {
 		container.VolumeMounts = append(container.VolumeMounts, v1.VolumeMount{
diff --git a/test/e2e/pv_test.go b/test/e2e/pv_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36b90d673
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/pv_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The etcd-operator Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package e2e
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	api "github.com/coreos/etcd-operator/pkg/apis/etcd/v1beta2"
+	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/resource"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd-operator/test/e2e/e2eutil"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd-operator/test/e2e/framework"
+)
+
+func TestCreateClusterWithPV(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv(envParallelTest) == envParallelTestTrue {
+		t.Parallel()
+	}
+	f := framework.Global
+	c := e2eutil.NewCluster("test-etcd-", 3)
+	c.Spec.Pod = &api.PodPolicy{
+		PersistentVolumeClaimSpec: &v1.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+			AccessModes: []v1.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{v1.ReadWriteOnce},
+			Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
+				Requests: v1.ResourceList{v1.ResourceName(v1.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("512Mi")},
+			},
+			StorageClassName: func(s string) *string { return &s }("standard"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	testEtcd, err := e2eutil.CreateCluster(t, f.CRClient, f.Namespace, c)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	defer func() {
+		if err := e2eutil.DeleteCluster(t, f.CRClient, f.KubeClient, testEtcd); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	if _, err := e2eutil.WaitUntilSizeReached(t, f.CRClient, 3, 30, testEtcd); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create 3 members etcd cluster: %v", err)
+	}
+}