diff --git a/bin/roundcubemail-settings-export.php b/bin/roundcubemail-settings-export.php
index 52a921a..b7cc224 100755
--- a/bin/roundcubemail-settings-export.php
+++ b/bin/roundcubemail-settings-export.php
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ if (!is_writable("/var/vmail/$virtualhost")) {
 
 $roundcubemail = array();
 
+if (!is_readable('/usr/local/etc/vmail-db-info.conf')) {
+  $user = posix_getpwuid(posix_geteuid());
+  $username = $user['name'];
+  echo "/var/vmail/$virtualhost is not writable by this user ($username).\n";
+  echo "re-run this script as user vmail or root or another user that can read the /usr/local/etc/vmail-db-info.conf config file\n";
+  exit;
+}
+
 $dbHost = trim(`grep -m 1 host /usr/local/etc/vmail-db-info.conf |cut -d = -f 2|cut -d ' ' -f 2`);
 $dbDatabase = trim(`grep -m 1 database /usr/local/etc/vmail-db-info.conf |cut -d = -f 2|cut -d ' ' -f 2`);
 $dbUser = trim(`grep -m 1 user /usr/local/etc/vmail-db-info.conf |cut -d = -f 2|cut -d ' ' -f 2`);
diff --git a/bin/roundcubemail-settings-import.php b/bin/roundcubemail-settings-import.php
index d949043..77ecdf0 100755
--- a/bin/roundcubemail-settings-import.php
+++ b/bin/roundcubemail-settings-import.php
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ if ($virtualhost == "") {
   exit;
 }
 
-if (!is_file("/var/vmail/$virtualhost/roundcubemail")) {
-  echo "$virtualhost roundcubemail file does not exist\n";
+if (!is_readable("/var/vmail/$virtualhost/roundcubemail")) {
+  echo "$virtualhost roundcubemail file does not exist or is not readable by you\n";
   exit;
 }