diff --git a/phpBB/language/en/acp/board.php b/phpBB/language/en/acp/board.php
index 696e82324c..e21d959e40 100644
--- a/phpBB/language/en/acp/board.php
+++ b/phpBB/language/en/acp/board.php
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ $lang = array_merge($lang, array(
 	'AVATAR_GALLERY_PATH'			=> 'Avatar gallery path',
 	'AVATAR_GALLERY_PATH_EXPLAIN'	=> 'Path under your phpBB root directory for pre-loaded images, e.g. <samp>images/avatars/gallery</samp>.',
 	'AVATAR_STORAGE_PATH'			=> 'Avatar storage path',
-	'AVATAR_STORAGE_PATH_EXPLAIN'	=> 'Path under your phpBB root directory, e.g. <samp>images/avatars/upload</samp>.',
+	'AVATAR_STORAGE_PATH_EXPLAIN'	=> 'Path under your phpBB root directory, e.g. <samp>images/avatars/upload</samp>.<br />Avatar uploading <strong>will not be available</strong> if this path is not writable.',
 	'MAX_AVATAR_SIZE'				=> 'Maximum avatar dimensions',
 	'MAX_AVATAR_SIZE_EXPLAIN'		=> 'Width x Height in pixels.',
 	'MAX_FILESIZE'					=> 'Maximum avatar file size',
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/driver/upload.php b/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/driver/upload.php
index 1e50e135e4..f77ef1332b 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/driver/upload.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/driver/upload.php
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class upload extends \phpbb\avatar\driver\driver
 		return array(
 			'allow_avatar_remote_upload'=> array('lang' => 'ALLOW_REMOTE_UPLOAD', 'validate' => 'bool',	'type' => 'radio:yes_no', 'explain' => true),
 			'avatar_filesize'		=> array('lang' => 'MAX_FILESIZE',			'validate' => 'int:0',	'type' => 'number:0', 'explain' => true, 'append' => ' ' . $user->lang['BYTES']),
-			'avatar_path'			=> array('lang' => 'AVATAR_STORAGE_PATH',	'validate' => 'rwpath',	'type' => 'text:20:255', 'explain' => true),
+			'avatar_path'			=> array('lang' => 'AVATAR_STORAGE_PATH',	'validate' => 'rpath',	'type' => 'text:20:255', 'explain' => true),
 		);
 	}