diff --git a/src/app/main.cpp b/src/app/main.cpp
index 8c2bd6bbd..208bfaa5f 100644
--- a/src/app/main.cpp
+++ b/src/app/main.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         gPrintExceptionCritical(e);
     }
 
+    // check permissions
+    const auto perms = AppSupport::hasWriteAccess();
+    if (!perms.second) {
+        QMessageBox::warning(nullptr,
+                             QObject::tr("Permission issue"),
+                             QObject::tr("Friction needs read/write access to:<br><br>- %1").arg(perms.first.join("<br>- ")));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     eFilterSettings filterSettings;
 
     eWidgetsImpl widImpl;
diff --git a/src/core/appsupport.cpp b/src/core/appsupport.cpp
index c5c538830..ab50cda95 100644
--- a/src/core/appsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/core/appsupport.cpp
@@ -579,3 +579,26 @@ const QString AppSupport::filterTextAZW(const QString &text)
     QString output = text;
     return output.replace(regex, "");
 }
+
+const QPair<QStringList, bool> AppSupport::hasWriteAccess()
+{
+    QPair<QStringList,bool> result(QStringList(), true);
+
+    QStringList dirs;
+    dirs << getAppConfigPath();
+    dirs << getAppOutputProfilesPath();
+    dirs << getAppShaderEffectsPath();
+    for (const auto &dir : dirs) {
+        if (dir.isEmpty()) { continue; }
+        QFileInfo info(dir);
+        if (!info.isDir() ||
+            !info.exists() ||
+            !info.isReadable() ||
+            !info.isWritable()) {
+            result.second = false;
+            result.first << info.absoluteFilePath();
+        }
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/appsupport.h b/src/core/appsupport.h
index a6c2dafed..9d949e56e 100644
--- a/src/core/appsupport.h
+++ b/src/core/appsupport.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT AppSupport : public QObject
     static bool removeResolutionPreset(const int w, const int h);
     static QPair<bool, bool> getResolutionPresetStatus();
     static const QString filterTextAZW(const QString &text);
+    static const QPair<QStringList,bool> hasWriteAccess();
 };
 
 #endif // APPSUPPORT_H