diff --git a/esmvalcore/config-user.yml b/esmvalcore/config-user.yml
index 79f3931014..257b358b06 100644
--- a/esmvalcore/config-user.yml
+++ b/esmvalcore/config-user.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ compress_netcdf: false
 # Save intermediary cubes in the preprocessor true/[false]
 save_intermediary_cubes: false
 # Remove the preproc dir if all fine
-remove_preproc_dir: true
+remove_preproc_dir: false
 # Run at most this many tasks in parallel [null]/1/2/3/4/..
 # Set to null to use the number of available CPUs.
 # If you run out of memory, try setting max_parallel_tasks to 1 and check the