diff --git a/src/paperless/checks.py b/src/paperless/checks.py
index 819582ffc..3e26ae69f 100644
--- a/src/paperless/checks.py
+++ b/src/paperless/checks.py
@@ -13,18 +13,18 @@ writeable_hint = (
 )
 
 
-def path_check(env_var):
+def path_check(var, directory):
     messages = []
-    directory = os.getenv(env_var)
+    print(directory)
     if directory:
         if not os.path.exists(directory):
             messages.append(Error(
-                exists_message.format(env_var),
+                exists_message.format(var),
                 exists_hint.format(directory)
             ))
         elif not os.access(directory, os.W_OK | os.X_OK):
             messages.append(Error(
-                writeable_message.format(env_var),
+                writeable_message.format(var),
                 writeable_hint.format(directory)
             ))
     return messages
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ def paths_check(app_configs, **kwargs):
     Check the various paths for existence, readability and writeability
     """
 
-    check_messages = path_check("PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR") + \
-        path_check("PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT") + \
-        path_check("PAPERLESS_CONSUMPTION_DIR") + \
-        path_check("PAPERLESS_STATICDIR")
+    check_messages = path_check("PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR", settings.DATA_DIR) + \
+        path_check("PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT", settings.MEDIA_ROOT) + \
+        path_check("PAPERLESS_CONSUMPTION_DIR", settings.CONSUMPTION_DIR) + \
+        path_check("PAPERLESS_STATICDIR", settings.STATIC_ROOT)
 
     return check_messages
 
diff --git a/src/paperless/tests/test_checks.py b/src/paperless/tests/test_checks.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61cc05bf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless/tests/test_checks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import os
+import shutil
+
+from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
+
+from documents.tests.utils import DirectoriesMixin
+from paperless import binaries_check, paths_check
+from paperless.checks import debug_mode_check
+
+
+class TestChecks(DirectoriesMixin, TestCase):
+
+    def test_binaries(self):
+        self.assertEqual(binaries_check(None), [])
+
+    @override_settings(CONVERT_BINARY="uuuhh", OPTIPNG_BINARY="forgot")
+    def test_binaries_fail(self):
+        self.assertEqual(len(binaries_check(None)), 2)
+
+    def test_paths_check(self):
+        self.assertEqual(paths_check(None), [])
+
+    @override_settings(MEDIA_ROOT="uuh",
+                       STATIC_ROOT="somewhere",
+                       DATA_DIR="whatever",
+                       CONSUMPTION_DIR="idontcare")
+    def test_paths_check_dont_exist(self):
+        msgs = paths_check(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(msgs), 4)
+
+        for msg in msgs:
+            self.assertTrue(msg.msg.endswith("is set but doesn't exist."))
+
+    def test_paths_check_no_access(self):
+        os.chmod(self.dirs.data_dir, 0o000)
+        os.chmod(self.dirs.media_dir, 0o000)
+        os.chmod(self.dirs.consumption_dir, 0o000)
+
+        self.addCleanup(os.chmod, self.dirs.data_dir, 0o777)
+        self.addCleanup(os.chmod, self.dirs.media_dir, 0o777)
+        self.addCleanup(os.chmod, self.dirs.consumption_dir, 0o777)
+
+        msgs = paths_check(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(msgs), 3)
+
+        for msg in msgs:
+            self.assertTrue(msg.msg.endswith("is not writeable"))
+
+    @override_settings(DEBUG=False)
+    def test_debug_disabled(self):
+        self.assertEqual(debug_mode_check(None), [])
+
+    @override_settings(DEBUG=True)
+    def test_debug_enabled(self):
+        self.assertEqual(len(debug_mode_check(None)), 1)
diff --git a/src/paperless_tesseract/checks.py b/src/paperless_tesseract/checks.py
index 41ea3c9b5..d58b7ac6d 100644
--- a/src/paperless_tesseract/checks.py
+++ b/src/paperless_tesseract/checks.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import subprocess
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.core.checks import Error, register
+from django.core.checks import Error, Warning, register
 
 
 def get_tesseract_langs():
diff --git a/src/paperless_tesseract/tests/test_checks.py b/src/paperless_tesseract/tests/test_checks.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4f15764e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless_tesseract/tests/test_checks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+from unittest import mock
+
+from django.core.checks import ERROR
+from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
+
+from paperless_tesseract import check_default_language_available
+
+
+class TestChecks(TestCase):
+
+    def test_default_language(self):
+        msgs = check_default_language_available(None)
+
+    @override_settings(OCR_LANGUAGE="")
+    def test_no_language(self):
+        msgs = check_default_language_available(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(msgs), 1)
+        self.assertTrue(msgs[0].msg.startswith("No OCR language has been specified with PAPERLESS_OCR_LANGUAGE"))
+
+    @override_settings(OCR_LANGUAGE="ita")
+    @mock.patch("paperless_tesseract.checks.get_tesseract_langs")
+    def test_invalid_language(self, m):
+        m.return_value = ["deu", "eng"]
+        msgs = check_default_language_available(None)
+        self.assertEqual(len(msgs), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(msgs[0].level, ERROR)