diff --git a/apps/launcher/graphicspage.cpp b/apps/launcher/graphicspage.cpp
index a3572960d..6ba8af515 100644
--- a/apps/launcher/graphicspage.cpp
+++ b/apps/launcher/graphicspage.cpp
@@ -164,6 +164,22 @@ void GraphicsPage::setupOgre()
     QString ogreCfg = QString::fromStdString(mCfg.getOgreConfigPath().string());
     file.setFileName(ogreCfg);
 
+    //we need to check that the path to the configuration file exists before we
+    //try and create an instance of Ogre::Root otherwise Ogre raises an exception
+    QDir configDir = QFileInfo(file).dir();
+    if ( !configDir.exists() && !configDir.mkpath(configDir.path()) )
+    {
+        QMessageBox msgBox;
+        msgBox.setWindowTitle("Error creating config file");
+        msgBox.setIcon(QMessageBox::Critical);
+        msgBox.setStandardButtons(QMessageBox::Ok);
+        msgBox.setText(QString(tr("<br><b>Failed to create the configuration file</b><br><br> \
+        Make sure you have write access to<br>%1<br><br>")).arg(configDir.path()));
+        msgBox.exec();
+
+        QApplication::exit(1);
+    }
+
     try
     {
         mOgre = new Ogre::Root(pluginCfg.toStdString(), file.fileName().toStdString(), "./launcherOgre.log");
diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 4e58e8a4c..bdcaf627b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -291,6 +291,14 @@ void OMW::Engine::go()
 
     mOgre = new OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer;
 
+    //we need to ensure the path to the configuration exists before creating an
+    //instance of ogre root so that Ogre doesn't raise an exception when trying to
+    //access it
+    const boost::filesystem::path configPath = mCfgMgr.getOgreConfigPath().parent_path();
+    if ( !boost::filesystem::exists(configPath) )
+    {
+        boost::filesystem::create_directories(configPath);
+    }
     mOgre->configure(!boost::filesystem::is_regular_file(mCfgMgr.getOgreConfigPath()),
         mCfgMgr.getOgreConfigPath().string(),
         mCfgMgr.getLogPath().string() + std::string("/"),