diff --git a/test/apps/iodemo/README.md b/test/apps/iodemo/README.md
index fdff55c20b2..577780c9348 100644
--- a/test/apps/iodemo/README.md
+++ b/test/apps/iodemo/README.md
@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@
 The run_io_demo.sh will generate launch script with name ```iodemo_commands_$(hostname).sh```
 
 ``` bash
-%./run_io_demo.sh --dry-run -i eth0 -H $(hostname),$(hostname) --num-clients 5 \
-	--num-servers 5 --tasks-per-node 10 --duration $((10*60)) $PWD/tester
+%./run_io_demo.sh --dry-run -i eth0 -H node1,node2 --num-clients 5 \
+	--num-servers 5 --tasks-per-node 10 --duration $((10*60)) --log-dir $PWD/logs $PWD/io_demo
 Launch configuration:
-               host_list : 'mtr-vdi-326,mtr-vdi-326'
+               host_list : 'node1,node2'
           tasks_per_node : '10'
                   map_by : 'node'
              num_clients : '5'
              num_servers : '5'
-              iodemo_exe : '/labhome/miked/workspace/git/forks/ucx/test/apps/iodemo/tester'
+              iodemo_exe : '/labhome/miked/workspace/git/forks/ucx/test/apps/iodemo/io_demo'
       iodemo_client_args : ''
                   net_if : 'eth0'
            base_port_num : '20000'
@@ -23,24 +23,15 @@ Launch configuration:
         client_wait_time : '2'
                 launcher : 'pdsh -b -w'
                  dry_run : '1'
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_server_00.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_server_01.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_client_00.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_client_01.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_server_00.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_server_01.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_client_00.log
-iodemo_mtr-vdi-326_client_01.log
-
-% ls -1 iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh
-iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh
+                   node1 : /labhome/miked/workspace/git/forks/ucx/test/apps/iodemo/iodemo_commands_node1.sh
+                   node2 : /labhome/miked/workspace/git/forks/ucx/test/apps/iodemo/iodemo_commands_node2.sh
 
 ```
 
 ## Check what tags are provided by script for start/stop/status operations
 
 ``` bash
-%./iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh -show-tags
+%./iodemo_commands_node1.sh -show-tags
 Showing tags
 ==== Servers:
 server_0
@@ -61,15 +52,15 @@ client_4
 
 
 ``` bash
-%./iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh -tag server_0 -status
-%./iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh -tag server_0 -stop
-%./iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh -tag server_0 -start
+%./iodemo_commands_node1.sh -tag server_0 -status
+%./iodemo_commands_node1.sh -tag server_0 -stop
+%./iodemo_commands_node1.sh -tag server_0 -start
 
 ```
 
 ## Running all processes
 
 ``` bash
-%./iodemo_commands_mtr-vdi-326.sh
+%./iodemo_commands_node1.sh
 ```
 
diff --git a/test/apps/iodemo/run_io_demo.sh b/test/apps/iodemo/run_io_demo.sh
index deaa0ac8ad1..aa5c62c87ef 100755
--- a/test/apps/iodemo/run_io_demo.sh
+++ b/test/apps/iodemo/run_io_demo.sh
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ init_config()
 	client_wait_time=2
 	launcher="pdsh -b -w"
 	dry_run=0
+	log_dir=$PWD
 
 	# command line args will override slurm env vars
 	check_slurm_env
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ show_config()
 			iodemo_exe iodemo_client_args \
 			net_if base_port_num \
 			duration client_wait_time \
-			launcher dry_run
+			launcher dry_run log_dir
 	do
 		show_var ${key}
 	done
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ usage()
 	echo "                                The syntax of launcher command should be:"
 	echo "                                <command> host1,host2,... <exe> <args>"
 	echo "  --dry-run                   Do not launch the application, just generate run scripts"
+	echo "  --log-dir </path>           Path to log directory, default: $PWD"
 	echo
 }
 
@@ -167,6 +169,10 @@ parse_args()
 			net_if="$2"
 			shift
 			;;
+		--log-dir)
+			log_dir="$2"
+			shift
+			;;
 		-d|--duration)
 			duration="$2"
 			shift
@@ -216,7 +222,7 @@ parse_args()
 
 check_params()
 {
-	if [ -z ${iodemo_exe} ]
+	if [ ! -x "${iodemo_exe}" ]
 	then
 		error "missing executable from command line"
 	fi
@@ -427,6 +433,21 @@ make_scripts()
 			    kill_iodemo
 			}
 
+			usage()
+			{
+				echo
+				echo "Usage: $command_file [options] "
+				echo
+				echo "Where options are:"
+
+				echo "  -h                                  Show this message"
+				echo "  -show-tags                          Show available tags"
+				echo "  -tag <tag>  -<start|stop|status>    start/stop/status iodemo role for selected tag"
+				echo
+				echo Default: Run all tags when run with no options
+				echo
+			}
+
 
 
 			# kill existing processes and trap signals
@@ -476,8 +497,14 @@ make_scripts()
 						echo
 						exit 0
 						;;
+					-h|--help)
+						usage
+						exit 0
+						;;
 					*)
-						error "Invalid parameter '${key}'"
+						echo "Invalid parameter '${key}'"
+						usage
+						exit 1
 						;;
 					esac
 					shift
@@ -539,15 +566,17 @@ make_scripts()
 		# Add servers commands
 		cat >>${command_file} <<-EOF
 
+			# create log_dir if needed
+			[ ! -d "$log_dir" ] && mkdir -p $log_dir
+
 			# Server commands
 			EOF
 
-		cmd_prefix="stdbuf -e0 -o0 timeout -s 9 $((duration + client_wait_time))s"
 		for ((i=0;i<${num_servers_per_host[${host}]};++i))
 		do
 			port_num=$((base_port_num + i))
-			log_file=$(printf "iodemo_%s_server_%02d.log" ${host} $i)
-			cmd_prefix+=" env IODEMO_ROLE=server_${i} "
+			log_file=${log_dir}/$(printf "iodemo_%s_server_%02d.log" ${host} $i)
+			cmd_prefix="stdbuf -e0 -o0 timeout -s 9 $((duration + client_wait_time))s  env IODEMO_ROLE=server_${i} "
 			echo ${log_file}
 			cat >>${command_file} <<-EOF
 			function start_server_${i}() {
@@ -566,11 +595,10 @@ make_scripts()
 			# Client commands
 			EOF
 
-		cmd_prefix="stdbuf -e0 -o0 timeout -s 9 ${duration}s"
 		for ((i=0;i<num_clients_per_host[${host}];++i))
 		do
-			log_file=$(printf "iodemo_%s_client_%02d.log" ${host} $i)
-			cmd_prefix+=" env IODEMO_ROLE=client_${i} "
+			log_file=${log_dir}/$(printf "iodemo_%s_client_%02d.log" ${host} $i)
+			cmd_prefix="stdbuf -e0 -o0 timeout -s 9 ${duration}s env IODEMO_ROLE=client_${i} "
 			echo ${log_file}
 			cat >>${command_file} <<-EOF
 			function start_client_${i}() {