diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/RootFolderTests/RootFolderServiceFixture.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/RootFolderTests/RootFolderServiceFixture.cs
index d1b40394f..483531975 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/RootFolderTests/RootFolderServiceFixture.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/RootFolderTests/RootFolderServiceFixture.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 using Moq;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using NzbDrone.Common.Disk;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Configuration;
 using NzbDrone.Core.RootFolders;
 using NzbDrone.Core.Test.Framework;
 using NzbDrone.Test.Common;
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ public void Setup()
                   .Setup(m => m.FolderExists(It.IsAny<string>()))
                   .Returns(true);
 
+            Mocker.GetMock<IDiskProvider>()
+                  .Setup(m => m.FolderWritable(It.IsAny<string>()))
+                  .Returns(true);
+
             Mocker.GetMock<IRootFolderRepository>()
                   .Setup(s => s.All())
                   .Returns(new List<RootFolder>());
@@ -77,6 +82,26 @@ public void adding_duplicated_root_folder_should_throw()
             Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => Subject.Add(new RootFolder { Path = @"C:\TV".AsOsAgnostic() }));
         }
 
-        
+        [Test]
+        public void should_throw_when_adding_not_writable_folder()
+        {
+            Mocker.GetMock<IDiskProvider>()
+                  .Setup(m => m.FolderWritable(It.IsAny<string>()))
+                  .Returns(false);
+
+            Assert.Throws<UnauthorizedAccessException>(() => Subject.Add(new RootFolder { Path = @"C:\TV".AsOsAgnostic() }));
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void should_throw_when_same_path_as_drone_factory()
+        {
+            var path = @"C:\TV".AsOsAgnostic();
+
+            Mocker.GetMock<IConfigService>()
+                  .SetupGet(s => s.DownloadedEpisodesFolder)
+                  .Returns(path);
+
+            Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => Subject.Add(new RootFolder { Path = path }));
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/RootFolders/RootFolderService.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/RootFolders/RootFolderService.cs
index e27f996a9..9577c7981 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/RootFolders/RootFolderService.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/RootFolders/RootFolderService.cs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 using NzbDrone.Common;
 using NzbDrone.Common.Disk;
 using NzbDrone.Common.Extensions;
-using NzbDrone.Common.Instrumentation;
 using NzbDrone.Core.Configuration;
 using NzbDrone.Core.Tv;
 
@@ -68,10 +67,20 @@ public List<RootFolder> AllWithUnmappedFolders()
 
             rootFolders.ForEach(folder =>
             {
-                if (folder.Path.IsPathValid() && _diskProvider.FolderExists(folder.Path))
+                try
                 {
-                    folder.FreeSpace = _diskProvider.GetAvailableSpace(folder.Path);
-                    folder.UnmappedFolders = GetUnmappedFolders(folder.Path);
+                    if (folder.Path.IsPathValid() && _diskProvider.FolderExists(folder.Path))
+                    {
+                        folder.FreeSpace = _diskProvider.GetAvailableSpace(folder.Path);
+                        folder.UnmappedFolders = GetUnmappedFolders(folder.Path);
+                    }
+                }
+                //We don't want an exception to prevent the root folders from loading in the UI, so they can still be deleted
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    _logger.ErrorException("Unable to get free space and unmapped folders for root folder: " + folder.Path, ex);
+                    folder.FreeSpace = 0;
+                    folder.UnmappedFolders = new List<UnmappedFolder>();
                 }
             });
 
@@ -83,17 +92,29 @@ public RootFolder Add(RootFolder rootFolder)
             var all = All();
 
             if (String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(rootFolder.Path) || !Path.IsPathRooted(rootFolder.Path))
+            {
                 throw new ArgumentException("Invalid path");
+            }
 
             if (!_diskProvider.FolderExists(rootFolder.Path))
+            {
                 throw new DirectoryNotFoundException("Can't add root directory that doesn't exist.");
+            }
 
             if (all.Exists(r => r.Path.PathEquals(rootFolder.Path)))
+            {
                 throw new InvalidOperationException("Recent directory already exists.");
+            }
 
-            if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_configService.DownloadedEpisodesFolder) &&
-                _configService.DownloadedEpisodesFolder.PathEquals(rootFolder.Path))
+            if (_configService.DownloadedEpisodesFolder.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace() && _configService.DownloadedEpisodesFolder.PathEquals(rootFolder.Path))
+            {
                 throw new InvalidOperationException("Drone Factory folder cannot be used.");
+            }
+
+            if (!_diskProvider.FolderWritable(rootFolder.Path))
+            {
+                throw new UnauthorizedAccessException(String.Format("Root folder path '{0}' is not writable by user '{1}'", rootFolder.Path, Environment.UserName));
+            }
 
             _rootFolderRepository.Insert(rootFolder);