diff --git a/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/Artemis.java b/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/Artemis.java
index 39f60be147..137d36c777 100644
--- a/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/Artemis.java
+++ b/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/Artemis.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 
 import io.airlift.airline.Cli;
-import io.airlift.airline.ParseException;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.cli.commands.Action;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.cli.commands.ActionContext;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.cli.commands.Create;
@@ -66,18 +65,18 @@ public class Artemis
       {
          parser.parse(args).execute(ActionContext.system());
       }
-      catch (ParseException e)
-      {
-         System.err.println(e.getMessage());
-         System.out.println();
-         parser.parse("help").execute(ActionContext.system());
-      }
       catch (ConfigurationException configException)
       {
          System.err.println(configException.getMessage());
          System.out.println();
          System.out.println("Configuration should be specified as 'scheme:location'. Default configuration is 'xml:${ARTEMIS_INSTANCE}/etc/bootstrap.xml'");
       }
+      catch (RuntimeException re)
+      {
+         System.err.println(re.getMessage());
+         System.out.println();
+         parser.parse("help").execute(ActionContext.system());
+      }
 
    }
 
diff --git a/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/commands/Create.java b/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/commands/Create.java
index c0151395c8..4450657b72 100644
--- a/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/commands/Create.java
+++ b/artemis-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/cli/commands/Create.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class Create extends InputAbstract
    public static final String ETC_CONNECTOR_SETTINGS_TXT = "etc/connector-settings.txt";
    public static final String ETC_BOOTSTRAP_WEB_SETTINGS_TXT = "etc/bootstrap-web-settings.txt";
 
-   @Arguments(description = "The instance directory to hold the broker's configuration and data", required = true)
+   @Arguments(description = "The instance directory to hold the broker's configuration and data.  Path must be writable.", required = true)
    File directory;
 
    @Option(name = "--host", description = "The host name of the broker (Default: 0.0.0.0 or input if clustered)")
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ public class Create extends InputAbstract
    @Override
    public Object execute(ActionContext context) throws Exception
    {
+      this.checkDirectory();
       super.execute(context);
 
       try
@@ -432,6 +433,24 @@ public class Create extends InputAbstract
       return this.getClass().getResourceAsStream(source);
    }
 
+   /**
+    * Checks that the directory provided either exists and is writable or doesn't exist but can be created.
+    */
+   private void checkDirectory()
+   {
+      if (!directory.exists())
+      {
+         boolean created = directory.mkdirs();
+         if (!created)
+         {
+            throw new RuntimeException(String.format("Unable to create the path '%s'.", directory));
+         }
+      }
+      else if (!directory.canWrite())
+      {
+         throw new RuntimeException(String.format("The path '%s' is not writable.", directory));
+      }
+   }
 
    public Object run(ActionContext context) throws Exception
    {
diff --git a/artemis-cli/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/ArtemisTest.java b/artemis-cli/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/ArtemisTest.java
index 5e02a63a4f..e38ed14d22 100644
--- a/artemis-cli/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/ArtemisTest.java
+++ b/artemis-cli/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/ArtemisTest.java
@@ -27,10 +27,21 @@ public class ArtemisTest
 {
    @Test
    public void invalidCliDoesntThrowException()
+   {
+      testCli("create");
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void invalidPathDoesntThrowException()
+   {
+      testCli("create","/rawr");
+   }
+
+   private void testCli(String... args)
    {
       try
       {
-         Artemis.main(new String[]{"create"});
+         Artemis.main(args);
       }
       catch (Exception e)
       {