diff --git a/core/CMakeLists.txt b/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 9369cb7..1836349 100644
--- a/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ target_include_directories(squawk PRIVATE ${LMDB_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 add_subdirectory(handlers)
 add_subdirectory(passwordStorageEngines)
+add_subdirectory(utils)
diff --git a/core/main.cpp b/core/main.cpp
index cdfca7e..570bad4 100644
--- a/core/main.cpp
+++ b/core/main.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include "../ui/squawk.h"
 #include "signalcatcher.h"
 #include "squawk.h"
+#include "utils/pathcheck.h"
+
 #include <QLibraryInfo>
 #include <QSettings>
 #include <QStandardPaths>
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <QtCore/QObject>
 #include <QtCore/QThread>
 #include <QtWidgets/QApplication>
+#include <QDir>
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -106,7 +109,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             }
         }
     }
-
+    QString path = Utils::downloadsPathCheck();
+    if (path.size() > 0) {
+        settings.setValue("downloadsPath", path);
+    } else {
+        qDebug() << "couldn't initialize directory for downloads, quitting";
+        return -1;
+    }
 
     
     Squawk w;
diff --git a/core/networkaccess.cpp b/core/networkaccess.cpp
index c2cd65d..48d26aa 100644
--- a/core/networkaccess.cpp
+++ b/core/networkaccess.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,11 @@ Core::NetworkAccess::NetworkAccess(QObject* parent):
     manager(0),
     storage("fileURLStorage"),
     downloads(),
-    uploads()
+    uploads(),
+    currentPath()
 {
+    QSettings settings;
+    currentPath = settings.value("downloadsPath").toString();
 }
 
 Core::NetworkAccess::~NetworkAccess()
@@ -515,8 +518,7 @@ bool Core::NetworkAccess::checkAndAddToUploading(const QString& acc, const QStri
 
 QString Core::NetworkAccess::prepareDirectory(const QString& jid)
 {
-    QString path = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::DownloadLocation);
-    path += "/" + QApplication::applicationName();
+    QString path = currentPath;
     if (jid.size() > 0) {
         path += "/" + jid;
     }
@@ -563,3 +565,8 @@ std::list<Shared::MessageInfo> Core::NetworkAccess::reportPathInvalid(const QStr
 {
     return storage.deletedFile(path);
 }
+
+void Core::NetworkAccess::moveFilesDirectory(const QString& newPath)
+{
+
+}
diff --git a/core/networkaccess.h b/core/networkaccess.h
index 89d0633..cf24fc4 100644
--- a/core/networkaccess.h
+++ b/core/networkaccess.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QStandardPaths>
+#include <QSettings>
 
 #include <set>
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ public slots:
     void downladFile(const QString& url);
     void registerFile(const QString& url, const QString& account, const QString& jid, const QString& id);
     void registerFile(const QString& url, const QString& path, const QString& account, const QString& jid, const QString& id);
+    void moveFilesDirectory(const QString& newPath);
     
 private:
     void startDownload(const std::list<Shared::MessageInfo>& msgs, const QString& url);
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ private:
     UrlStorage storage;
     std::map<QString, Transfer*> downloads;
     std::map<QString, Transfer*> uploads;
+    QString currentPath;
     
     struct Transfer {
         std::list<Shared::MessageInfo> messages;
diff --git a/core/utils/CMakeLists.txt b/core/utils/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6722da7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+target_sources(squawk PRIVATE
+  pathcheck.h
+  pathcheck.cpp
+)
diff --git a/core/utils/pathcheck.cpp b/core/utils/pathcheck.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f1b86a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/utils/pathcheck.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#include "pathcheck.h"
+
+QString Utils::downloadsPathCheck()
+{
+    QSettings settings;
+    QVariant dpv = settings.value("downloadsPath");
+    QString path;
+    if (!dpv.isValid()) {
+        path = defaultDownloadsPath();
+        qDebug() << "no downloadsPath variable in config, using default" << path;
+        path = getCanonicalWritablePath(path);
+        return path;
+    } else {
+        path = dpv.toString();
+        path = getCanonicalWritablePath(path);
+        if (path.size() == 0) {
+            path = defaultDownloadsPath();
+            qDebug() << "falling back to the default downloads path" << path;
+            path = getCanonicalWritablePath(path);
+        }
+        return path;
+    }
+}
+
+QString Utils::defaultDownloadsPath()
+{
+    return QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::DownloadLocation) + "/" + QApplication::applicationName();
+}
+
+QString Utils::getCanonicalWritablePath(const QString& path)
+{
+    QDir location(path);
+    if (!location.exists()) {
+        bool res = location.mkpath(location.canonicalPath());
+        if (!res) {
+            qDebug() << "couldn't create directory" << path;
+            return "";
+        }
+    }
+    QFileInfo info(location.canonicalPath());
+    if (info.isWritable()) {
+        return location.canonicalPath();
+    } else {
+        qDebug() << "directory" << path << "is not writable";
+        return "";
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/utils/pathcheck.h b/core/utils/pathcheck.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8618012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/utils/pathcheck.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#ifndef PATHCHECK_H
+#define PATHCHECK_H
+
+#include <QString>
+#include <QStandardPaths>
+#include <QSettings>
+#include <QApplication>
+#include <QDir>
+#include <QFileInfo>
+#include <QDebug>
+
+namespace Utils {
+
+QString downloadsPathCheck();
+QString defaultDownloadsPath();
+
+QString getCanonicalWritablePath(const QString& path);
+
+}
+
+#endif // PATHCHECK_H
diff --git a/shared/utils.h b/shared/utils.h
index 6dcb141..564e2e6 100644
--- a/shared/utils.h
+++ b/shared/utils.h
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 #include <QColor>
 #include <QRegularExpression>
 
-// #include "KIO/OpenFileManagerWindowJob"
-
 #include <vector> 
 
 namespace Shared {
diff --git a/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.cpp b/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.cpp
index e448f80..56cb610 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.cpp
+++ b/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ PageGeneral::PageGeneral(QWidget* parent):
     m_ui(new Ui::PageGeneral())
 {
     m_ui->setupUi(this);
+
+    QSettings settings;
+    m_ui->downloadsPathInput->setText(settings.value("downloadsPath").toString());
 }
 
 PageGeneral::~PageGeneral()
diff --git a/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.h b/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.h
index b8c30c5..cb89bfa 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.h
+++ b/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <QWidget>
 #include <QScopedPointer>
 #include <QVariant>
+#include <QSettings>
 
 namespace Ui
 {
diff --git a/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.ui b/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.ui
index 9921715..e010980 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.ui
+++ b/ui/widgets/settings/pagegeneral.ui
@@ -11,15 +11,33 @@
    </rect>
   </property>
   <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout">
-   <item row="0" column="0">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
+   <item row="1" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="downloadsPathLabel">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Downloads path</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="0" column="1">
-    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="downloadsPathInput"/>
+   <item row="1" column="1">
+    <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
+     <property name="spacing">
+      <number>6</number>
+     </property>
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QLineEdit" name="downloadsPathInput">
+       <property name="enabled">
+        <bool>false</bool>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QPushButton" name="downloadsPathButton">
+       <property name="text">
+        <string>PushButton</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
+    </layout>
    </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>