diff --git a/jupyterhub/alembic/versions/4dc2d5a8c53c_user_options.py b/jupyterhub/alembic/versions/4dc2d5a8c53c_user_options.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ccb223c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jupyterhub/alembic/versions/4dc2d5a8c53c_user_options.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"""persist user_options
+
+Revision ID: 4dc2d5a8c53c
+Revises: 896818069c98
+Create Date: 2019-02-28 14:14:27.423927
+
+"""
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = '4dc2d5a8c53c'
+down_revision = '896818069c98'
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+from jupyterhub.orm import JSONDict
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    op.add_column('spawners', sa.Column('user_options', JSONDict()))
+
+
+def downgrade():
+    op.drop_column('spawners', sa.Column('user_options'))
diff --git a/jupyterhub/orm.py b/jupyterhub/orm.py
index bc6d88c6..4f25dd31 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/orm.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/orm.py
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ class Spawner(Base):
 
     started = Column(DateTime)
     last_activity = Column(DateTime, nullable=True)
+    user_options = Column(JSONDict)
 
     # properties on the spawner wrapper
     # some APIs get these low-level objects
diff --git a/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py b/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py
index 067199f4..aedb4426 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py
@@ -517,6 +517,58 @@ async def test_spawn(app):
     assert app.users.count_active_users()['pending'] == 0
 
 
+async def test_user_options(app, username):
+    db = app.db
+    name = username
+    user = add_user(db, app=app, name=name)
+    options = {'s': ['value'], 'i': 5}
+    before_servers = sorted(db.query(orm.Server), key=lambda s: s.url)
+    r = await api_request(
+        app, 'users', name, 'server', method='post', data=json.dumps(options)
+    )
+    assert r.status_code == 201
+    assert 'pid' in user.orm_spawners[''].state
+    app_user = app.users[name]
+    assert app_user.spawner is not None
+    spawner = app_user.spawner
+    assert spawner.user_options == options
+    assert spawner.orm_spawner.user_options == options
+
+    # stop the server
+    r = await api_request(app, 'users', name, 'server', method='delete')
+
+    # orm_spawner still exists and has a reference to the user_options
+    assert spawner.orm_spawner.user_options == options
+
+    # spawn again, no options specified
+    # should re-use options from last spawn
+    r = await api_request(app, 'users', name, 'server', method='post')
+    assert r.status_code == 201
+    assert 'pid' in user.orm_spawners[''].state
+    app_user = app.users[name]
+    assert app_user.spawner is not None
+    spawner = app_user.spawner
+    assert spawner.user_options == options
+
+    # stop the server
+    r = await api_request(app, 'users', name, 'server', method='delete')
+
+    # spawn again, new options specified
+    # should override options from last spawn
+    new_options = {'key': 'value'}
+    r = await api_request(
+        app, 'users', name, 'server', method='post', data=json.dumps(new_options)
+    )
+    assert r.status_code == 201
+    assert 'pid' in user.orm_spawners[''].state
+    app_user = app.users[name]
+    assert app_user.spawner is not None
+    spawner = app_user.spawner
+    assert spawner.user_options == new_options
+    # saved in db
+    assert spawner.orm_spawner.user_options == new_options
+
+
 async def test_spawn_handler(app):
     """Test that the requesting Handler is passed to Spawner.handler"""
     db = app.db
diff --git a/jupyterhub/user.py b/jupyterhub/user.py
index cc103f3b..e115398d 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/user.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/user.py
@@ -479,8 +479,17 @@ class User:
         # pass requesting handler to the spawner
         # e.g. for processing GET params
         spawner.handler = handler
+
         # Passing user_options to the spawner
-        spawner.user_options = options or {}
+        if options is None:
+            # options unspecified, load from db which should have the previous value
+            options = spawner.orm_spawner.user_options or {}
+        else:
+            # options specified, save for use as future defaults
+            spawner.orm_spawner.user_options = options
+            db.commit()
+
+        spawner.user_options = options
         # we are starting a new server, make sure it doesn't restore state
         spawner.clear_state()