diff --git a/lib/Config/Env.php b/lib/Config/Env.php
index 8784fb7aa8..ef61f0b54e 100644
--- a/lib/Config/Env.php
+++ b/lib/Config/Env.php
@@ -39,12 +39,8 @@ class Env {
     self::$assets_path = self::$path . '/assets';
     self::$assets_url = plugins_url('/assets', $file);
     $wp_upload_dir = wp_upload_dir();
-    self::$temp_path = self::intializePath(
-      $wp_upload_dir['basedir'] . '/' . self::$plugin_name
-    );
-    self::$cache_path = self::intializePath(
-      self::$temp_path . '/cache'
-    );
+    self::$temp_path = $wp_upload_dir['basedir'] . '/' . self::$plugin_name;
+    self::$cache_path = self::$temp_path . '/cache';
     self::$temp_url = $wp_upload_dir['baseurl'] . '/' . self::$plugin_name;
     self::$languages_path = self::$path . '/lang';
     self::$lib_path = self::$path . '/lib';
@@ -68,20 +64,6 @@ class Env {
     self::$db_timezone_offset = self::getDbTimezoneOffset();
   }
 
-  static function intializePath($path) {
-    if(!is_dir($path)) {
-      @mkdir($path);
-      if(!is_dir($path)) {
-        throw new \Exception(__("Failed to create a temporary folder inside the WordPress's uploads folder."));
-      }
-      file_put_contents(
-        $path . '/index.php',
-        str_replace('\n', PHP_EOL, '<?php\n\n// Silence is golden')
-      );
-    }
-    return $path;
-  }
-
   private static function dbSourceName($host, $socket, $port) {
     $source_name = array(
       (!$socket) ? 'mysql:host=' : 'mysql:unix_socket=',
diff --git a/lib/Config/Initializer.php b/lib/Config/Initializer.php
index f89fd23431..8b07c59ca5 100644
--- a/lib/Config/Initializer.php
+++ b/lib/Config/Initializer.php
@@ -18,14 +18,11 @@ class Initializer {
     'file' => '',
     'version' => '1.0.0'
   )) {
-    try {
       Env::init($params['file'], $params['version']);
-    } catch(\Exception $e) {
-      $this->handleFailedInitialization($e->getMessage());
-    }
   }
 
   function init() {
+    $this->checkRequirements();
     $this->setupDB();
 
     register_activation_hook(Env::$file, array($this, 'runMigrator'));
@@ -36,6 +33,11 @@ class Initializer {
     add_action('widgets_init', array($this, 'setupWidget'));
   }
 
+  function checkRequirements() {
+    $requrements = new RequirementsChecker();
+    $requrements->check();
+  }
+
   function setupDB() {
     \ORM::configure(Env::$db_source_name);
     \ORM::configure('username', Env::$db_username);
diff --git a/lib/Config/RequirementsChecker.php b/lib/Config/RequirementsChecker.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05f59ea3f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Config/RequirementsChecker.php
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+<?php
+namespace MailPoet\Config;
+
+use MailPoet\WP\Notice as WPNotice;
+
+if(!defined('ABSPATH')) exit;
+
+class RequirementsChecker {
+  function check() {
+    $available_tests = array(
+      'PHPVersion',
+      'WritableTempAndCacheFolders',
+      'PDOExtension',
+      'MbstringExtension'
+    );
+    $test_results = array();
+    foreach($available_tests as $test) {
+      $test_results[$test] = call_user_func(array($this, 'check' .  $test));
+    }
+    return $test_results;
+  }
+
+  function checkPHPVersion() {
+    if(version_compare(phpversion(), '5.3.0', '<')) {
+      return $this->displayError(
+        __('This plugin requires PHP version 5.3 or newer.', 'mailpoet')
+      );
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  function checkWritableTempAndCacheFolders() {
+    $paths = array(
+      'temp_path' => Env::$temp_path,
+      'cache_path' => Env::$cache_path
+    );
+    if(!is_dir($paths['cache_path']) && !wp_mkdir_p($paths['cache_path'])) {
+      return $this->displayError(
+        __('This plugin requires read/write permissions inside a WordPress uploads folder.', 'mailpoet')
+      );
+    }
+    foreach($paths as $path) {
+      $index_file = $path . '/index.php';
+      if(!file_exists($index_file)) {
+        file_put_contents(
+          $path . '/index.php',
+          str_replace('\n', PHP_EOL, '<?php\n\n// Silence is golden')
+        );
+      }
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  function checkPDOExtension() {
+    if(!extension_loaded('pdo') && !extension_loaded('pdo_mysql')) {
+      $this->displayError(
+        __('This plugin requires PDO and PDO_MYSQL PHP extensions.', 'mailpoet')
+      );
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  function checkMbstringExtension() {
+    if(!extension_loaded('mbstring')) {
+      return $this->displayError(
+        __('This plugin requires mbstring PHP extension.', 'mailpoet')
+      );
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  function displayError($error) {
+    WPNotice::displayError($error);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/Config/EnvTest.php b/tests/unit/Config/EnvTest.php
index ffa20f2c8d..6b34e3f6c8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Config/EnvTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Config/EnvTest.php
@@ -54,15 +54,6 @@ class EnvTest extends MailPoetTest {
     expect(Env::$db_charset)->equals($charset);
   }
 
-  function testItCanInitializeTempAndCacheFolders() {
-    // temp and cache folders should exist and contain index.php 
-    expect(is_dir(Env::$temp_path))->true();
-    expect(file_exists(Env::$temp_path . '/index.php'))->true();
-    expect(file_get_contents(Env::$temp_path . '/index.php'))->contains('<?php');
-    expect(is_dir(Env::$cache_path))->true();
-    expect(file_get_contents(Env::$cache_path . '/index.php'))->contains('<?php');
-  }
-
   function testItCanGenerateDbSourceName() {
     $source_name = ((!ENV::$db_socket) ? 'mysql:host=' : 'mysql:unix_socket=') .
       ENV::$db_host . ';port=' . ENV::$db_port . ';dbname=' . DB_NAME;