diff --git a/modules/Installer/Config/config.php b/modules/Installer/Config/config.php
index 44efaa95..76ea37af 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Config/config.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Config/config.php
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 <?php
 
-use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
-
 return [
     'php' => [
         'version' => '7.0.0'
     ],
 
-    # TODO: Remove eventually
-//    'env_postfix' => '.generated',
     'env_postfix' => '',
 
     'extensions' => [
@@ -20,9 +16,15 @@ return [
         'cURL',
     ],
 
+    # Make sure these are writable
     'permissions' => [
-        'storage/framework/' => 'writeable',
-        'storage/logs/' => 'writeable',
-        'bootstrap/cache/' => 'writable'
+        'bootstrap/cache',
+        'storage',
+        'storage/app/public',
+        'storage/framework',
+        'storage/framework/cache',
+        'storage/framework/sessions',
+        'storage/framework/views',
+        'storage/logs',
     ],
 ];
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Http/Controllers/InstallerController.php b/modules/Installer/Http/Controllers/InstallerController.php
index 9f6c0d47..7fff0358 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Http/Controllers/InstallerController.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Http/Controllers/InstallerController.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Modules\Installer\Http\Controllers;
 
+use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use Log;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 
@@ -61,27 +62,45 @@ class InstallerController extends AppBaseController
         ]);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Check if any of the items has been marked as failed
+     * @param array $arr
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    protected function allPassed(array $arr): bool
+    {
+        foreach($arr as $item) {
+            if($item['passed'] === false) {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Step 1. Check the modules and permissions
      */
     public function step1(Request $request)
     {
-        $passed = true;
         $php_version = $this->reqService->checkPHPVersion();
-        if($php_version['passed'] === false) {
-            $passed = false;
-        }
-
         $extensions = $this->reqService->checkExtensions();
-        foreach ($extensions as $ext) {
-            if($ext['passed'] === false) {
-                $passed = false;
-            }
-        }
+        $directories = $this->reqService->checkPermissions();
+
+        # Only pass if all the items in the ext and dirs are passed
+        $statuses = [
+            $php_version['passed'] === true,
+            $this->allPassed($extensions) === true,
+            $this->allPassed($directories) === true
+        ];
+
+        # Make sure there are no false values
+        $passed = ! in_array(false, $statuses, true);
 
         return view('installer::steps/step1-requirements', [
             'php' => $php_version,
             'extensions' => $extensions,
+            'directories' => $directories,
             'passed' => $passed,
         ]);
     }
@@ -123,16 +142,16 @@ class InstallerController extends AppBaseController
      */
     public function dbsetup(Request $request)
     {
-        $log = [];
-
-        $log[] = 'Creating database';
-        $console_out = $this->dbService->setupDB($request->input('db_conn'));
+        try {
+            $console_out = $this->dbService->setupDB($request->input('db_conn'));
+        } catch(QueryException $e) {
+            flash()->error($e->getMessage());
+            return redirect(route('installer.step2'));
+        }
 
         return view('installer::steps/step2a-completed', [
             'console_output' => $console_out
         ]);
-
-        //return redirect('/');
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/app.blade.php b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/app.blade.php
index dfea5c51..ce188121 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/app.blade.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/app.blade.php
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
     <link rel="stylesheet"
           href="//cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/9.12.0/styles/default.min.css">
 
+    <style>
+        .table tr:first-child td { border-top: 0px; }
+    </style>
     @yield('css')
 </head>
 
@@ -44,18 +47,18 @@
             </p>
         </div>
         <div class="justify-content-center" id="navigation" style="margin-left: 50px; color: white; font-size: 20px;">
-                @yield('title')
+            @yield('title')
         </div>
     </div>
 </nav>
 <!-- End Navbar -->
-<div class="clearfix" style="height: 25px;"></div>
+{{--<div class="clearfix" style="height: 25px;"></div>--}}
 <div class="wrapper">
     <div class="clear"></div>
     <div class="container" style="width: 50%">
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
-                @include('flash::message')
+                @include('installer::flash.message')
                 @yield('content')
             </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/dbtest.blade.php b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/dbtest.blade.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..710dbec1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/dbtest.blade.php
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<div class="alert alert-{!! $status !!}" role="alert">
+    <div class="container">
+        <div class="alert-icon">
+            <i class="now-ui-icons ui-1_bell-53"></i>
+        </div>
+        {!! $message !!}
+    </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/message.blade.php b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/message.blade.php
index 6834618f..f21e829a 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/message.blade.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/flash/message.blade.php
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-<div class="alert alert-{!! $status !!}" role="alert">
+@foreach (session('flash_notification', collect())->toArray() as $message)
+<div class="alert alert-danger" role="alert">
     <div class="container">
         <div class="alert-icon">
             <i class="now-ui-icons ui-2_like"></i>
         </div>
-        {!! $message !!}
+        {!! $message['message'] !!}
     </div>
 </div>
+@endforeach
+{{ session()->forget('flash_notification') }}
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step1-requirements.blade.php b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step1-requirements.blade.php
index 093f9592..d5a6f0c5 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step1-requirements.blade.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step1-requirements.blade.php
@@ -29,6 +29,20 @@
                 </td>
             </tr>
         @endforeach
+
+        <tr><td colspan="2"><h4>directory permissions</h4></td></tr>
+        @foreach($directories as $dir)
+            <tr>
+                <td>{!! $dir['dir'] !!}</td>
+                <td style="text-align:center;">
+                    @if($dir['passed'] === true)
+                        <span class="badge badge-success">OK!</span>
+                    @else
+                        <span class="badge badge-danger">Failed!</span>
+                    @endif
+                </td>
+            </tr>
+        @endforeach
     </table>
     @if($passed === true)
         <p style="text-align: right">
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step2-db.blade.php b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step2-db.blade.php
index 4ce0080a..e1e1e614 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step2-db.blade.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Resources/views/steps/step2-db.blade.php
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     {!! Form::open(['route' => 'installer.envsetup', 'method' => 'POST']) !!}
     <table class="table" width="25%">
         <tr>
-            <td>Select Database Type</td>
+            <td><p>Select Database Type</p></td>
             <td style="text-align:center;">
                 <div class="form-group">
                 {!! Form::select('db_conn', $db_types, null, ['class' => 'form-control', 'id' => 'db_conn']) !!}
diff --git a/modules/Installer/Services/RequirementsService.php b/modules/Installer/Services/RequirementsService.php
index 9ba34e2f..8c202715 100644
--- a/modules/Installer/Services/RequirementsService.php
+++ b/modules/Installer/Services/RequirementsService.php
@@ -40,4 +40,34 @@ class RequirementsService {
 
         return $extensions;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Check the permissions for the directories specified
+     * Make sure they exist and are writable
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function checkPermissions(): array
+    {
+        $directories = [];
+        foreach (config('installer.permissions') as $dir)
+        {
+            $pass = true;
+            $path = base_path($dir);
+
+            if(!file_exists($path)) {
+                $pass = false;
+            }
+
+            if(!is_writable($path)) {
+                $pass = false;
+            }
+
+            $directories[] = [
+                'dir' => $dir,
+                'passed' => $pass,
+            ];
+        }
+
+        return $directories;
+    }
 }