diff --git a/bin/ruby-install b/bin/ruby-install
index 3c50ccb7..5b3ae1a7 100755
--- a/bin/ruby-install
+++ b/bin/ruby-install
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ fi
 
 init || exit $?
 
+if [[ ! -w "$install_dir" ]]; then
+	fail "Installation directory is not writable by the user: $install_dir"
+fi
+
 if [[ $no_reinstall -eq 1 ]] && [[ -x "$install_dir/bin/ruby" ]]; then
 	log "Ruby is already installed into $install_dir"
 	exit
diff --git a/test/cli-tests/no_permission_warn_test.sh b/test/cli-tests/no_permission_warn_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..7db0b4f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cli-tests/no_permission_warn_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+. ./test/helper.sh
+
+test_install_dir="$test_fixtures_dir/no_permission_warn_test"
+
+function setUp()
+{
+	mkdir -p "$test_install_dir"
+	chmod -w "$test_install_dir"
+}
+
+function test_no_install_when_write_permissions_lacking()
+{
+	local output
+	local status
+
+	output="$(ruby-install --install-dir "$test_install_dir" ruby 2>&1)" || status=$?
+
+	assertEquals "did not return 0" 255 $status
+	assertTrue "did not print a message to STDOUT" \
+		'[[ "$output" == *"Installation directory is not writable by the user: ${install_dir}"* ]]'
+}
+
+function tearDown()
+{
+	rm -rf "$test_install_dir"
+}
+
+SHUNIT_PARENT=$0 . $SHUNIT2