diff --git a/lib/default.php b/lib/default.php
index c68c31c7c5..dd038236b2 100644
--- a/lib/default.php
+++ b/lib/default.php
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ $default =
         array('jpegquality' => 85),
         'avatar' =>
         array('server' => null,
-              'dir' => INSTALLDIR . '/avatar/',
+              'dir' => PUBLICDIR . '/avatar/',
               'path' => $_path . '/avatar/',
               'ssl' => null,
               'maxsize' => 300),
diff --git a/lib/installer.php b/lib/installer.php
index acbea35ee5..dac6f53562 100644
--- a/lib/installer.php
+++ b/lib/installer.php
@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ abstract class Installer
             unset($default);
             foreach ($fileSubdirs as $fileFullPath) {
                 if (!file_exists($fileFullPath)) {
+                    $this->warning(
+                        sprintf('GNU social was unable to create a directory on this path: %s', $fileFullPath),
+                        'Either create that directory with the right permissions so that GNU social can use it or '.
+                        'set the necessary permissions and it will be created.'
+                    );
                     $pass = $pass && mkdir($fileFullPath);
                 } elseif (!is_dir($fileFullPath)) {
                     $this->warning(
diff --git a/public/install.php b/public/install.php
index b1b04a4300..7b01bf0583 100644
--- a/public/install.php
+++ b/public/install.php
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
  */
 
 define('INSTALLDIR', dirname(__DIR__));
+define('PUBLICDIR', INSTALLDIR . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'public');
 
 require INSTALLDIR . '/lib/installer.php';