diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 5e4d28355..9dc395872 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
                     (inspired by a patch from Yura Siamashka).
  * src/plugindata.h, src/plugins.c:
    Add document_set_text_changed() to the plugin API.
+ * src/main.c, src/utils.c, src/utils.h, src/win32.c, src/win32.h:
+   Fix crashes on Windows when configuration directory could not be
+   created.
+   Fix problems when configuration directory path contains special
+   characters.
 
 
 2007-11-02  Nick Treleaven  <nick(dot)treleaven(at)btinternet(dot)com>
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 75a45c580..24c855877 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ static gint setup_config_dir()
 	app->configdir = utils_get_locale_from_utf8(app->configdir);
 	g_free(tmp);
 
-	mkdir_result = utils_make_settings_dir(app->configdir, app->datadir, app->docdir);
+	mkdir_result = utils_make_settings_dir();
 	if (mkdir_result != 0)
 	{
 		if (! dialogs_show_question(
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 838c2ccd9..6bdff5d52 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -727,26 +727,33 @@ gchar *utils_get_hostname()
 }
 
 
-gint utils_make_settings_dir(const gchar *dir, const gchar *data_dir, const gchar *doc_dir)
+gint utils_make_settings_dir()
 {
-	gint error_nr = 0;
+	gint saved_errno = 0;
 	gchar *conf_file = g_strconcat(app->configdir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, "geany.conf", NULL);
-	gchar *filedefs_dir = g_strconcat(dir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
+	gchar *filedefs_dir = g_strconcat(app->configdir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
 					GEANY_FILEDEFS_SUBDIR, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, NULL);
 
-	gchar *templates_dir = g_strconcat(dir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
+	gchar *templates_dir = g_strconcat(app->configdir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
 					GEANY_TEMPLATES_SUBDIR, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, NULL);
 
-	if (! g_file_test(dir, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+	if (! g_file_test(app->configdir, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 	{
-		geany_debug("creating config directory %s", dir);
-		error_nr = utils_mkdir(dir, FALSE);
+		geany_debug("creating config directory %s", app->configdir);
+		saved_errno = utils_mkdir(app->configdir, FALSE);
 	}
 
-	if (error_nr == 0 && ! g_file_test(conf_file, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
-	{	// try to write geany.conf
-		error_nr = access(app->configdir, W_OK);
+	if (saved_errno == 0 && ! g_file_test(conf_file, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+	{	// check whether geany.conf can be written
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+		// use _waccess on Windows, access() doesn't accept special characters
+		saved_errno = win32_check_write_permission(app->configdir);
+#else
+		access(app->configdir, R_OK | W_OK);
+#endif
+		saved_errno = errno;
 	}
+
 #ifdef G_OS_WIN32
 # define DIR_SEP "\\" // on Windows we need an additional dir separator
 #else
@@ -754,21 +761,21 @@ gint utils_make_settings_dir(const gchar *dir, const gchar *data_dir, const gcha
 #endif
 
 	// make subdir for filetype definitions
-	if (error_nr == 0)
+	if (saved_errno == 0)
 	{
-		gchar *filedefs_readme = g_strconcat(dir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, GEANY_FILEDEFS_SUBDIR,
-					G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, "filetypes.README", NULL);
+		gchar *filedefs_readme = g_strconcat(app->configdir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
+			GEANY_FILEDEFS_SUBDIR, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, "filetypes.README", NULL);
 
 		if (! g_file_test(filedefs_dir, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 		{
-			error_nr = utils_mkdir(filedefs_dir, FALSE);
+			saved_errno = utils_mkdir(filedefs_dir, FALSE);
 		}
-		if (error_nr == 0 && ! g_file_test(filedefs_readme, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+		if (saved_errno == 0 && ! g_file_test(filedefs_readme, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 		{
 			gchar *text = g_strconcat(
-"Copy files from ", data_dir, " to this directory to overwrite "
+"Copy files from ", app->datadir, " to this directory to overwrite "
 "them. To use the defaults, just delete the file in this directory.\nFor more information read "
-"the documentation (in ", doc_dir, DIR_SEP "index.html or visit " GEANY_HOMEPAGE ").", NULL);
+"the documentation (in ", app->docdir, DIR_SEP "index.html or visit " GEANY_HOMEPAGE ").", NULL);
 			utils_write_file(filedefs_readme, text);
 			g_free(text);
 		}
@@ -776,20 +783,20 @@ gint utils_make_settings_dir(const gchar *dir, const gchar *data_dir, const gcha
 	}
 
 	// make subdir for template files
-	if (error_nr == 0)
+	if (saved_errno == 0)
 	{
-		gchar *templates_readme = g_strconcat(dir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, GEANY_TEMPLATES_SUBDIR,
-					G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, "templates.README", NULL);
+		gchar *templates_readme = g_strconcat(app->configdir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
+			GEANY_TEMPLATES_SUBDIR, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, "templates.README", NULL);
 
 		if (! g_file_test(templates_dir, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 		{
-			error_nr = utils_mkdir(templates_dir, FALSE);
+			saved_errno = utils_mkdir(templates_dir, FALSE);
 		}
-		if (error_nr == 0 && ! g_file_test(templates_readme, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+		if (saved_errno == 0 && ! g_file_test(templates_readme, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 		{
 			gchar *text = g_strconcat(
 "There are several template files in this directory. For these templates you can use wildcards.\n\
-For more information read the documentation (in ", doc_dir, DIR_SEP "index.html or visit " GEANY_HOMEPAGE ").",
+For more information read the documentation (in ", app->docdir, DIR_SEP "index.html or visit " GEANY_HOMEPAGE ").",
 					NULL);
 			utils_write_file(templates_readme, text);
 			g_free(text);
@@ -801,7 +808,7 @@ For more information read the documentation (in ", doc_dir, DIR_SEP "index.html
 	g_free(templates_dir);
 	g_free(conf_file);
 
-	return error_nr;
+	return saved_errno;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 71a3e89dd..323cc4be4 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ gchar utils_brace_opposite(gchar ch);
 
 gchar *utils_get_hostname();
 
-gint utils_make_settings_dir(const gchar *dir, const gchar *data_dir, const gchar *doc_dir);
+gint utils_make_settings_dir();
 
 
 gboolean utils_string_replace_all(GString *str, const gchar *needle, const gchar *replace);
diff --git a/src/win32.c b/src/win32.c
index f13aadfa9..16acbc9dd 100644
--- a/src/win32.c
+++ b/src/win32.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <commdlg.h>
 #include <shlobj.h>
+#include <io.h>
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -492,6 +493,7 @@ gboolean win32_message_dialog(GtkWidget *parent, GtkMessageType type, const gcha
 	gint rc;
 	guint t;
 	const gchar *title;
+	HWND parent_hwnd = NULL;
 	static wchar_t w_msg[512];
 	static wchar_t w_title[512];
 
@@ -528,11 +530,13 @@ gboolean win32_message_dialog(GtkWidget *parent, GtkMessageType type, const gcha
 	MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, msg, -1, w_msg, G_N_ELEMENTS(w_msg));
 	MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, title, -1, w_title, G_N_ELEMENTS(w_title));
 
-	// display the message box
-	if (parent == NULL)
-		parent = app->window;
+	if (parent != NULL)
+		parent_hwnd = GDK_WINDOW_HWND(parent->window);
+	else if (app->window != NULL)
+		parent_hwnd = GDK_WINDOW_HWND(app->window->window);
 
-	rc = MessageBoxW(GDK_WINDOW_HWND(parent->window), w_msg, w_title, t);
+	// display the message box
+	rc = MessageBoxW(parent_hwnd, w_msg, w_title, t);
 
 	if (type == GTK_MESSAGE_QUESTION && rc != IDYES)
 		ret = FALSE;
@@ -541,18 +545,32 @@ gboolean win32_message_dialog(GtkWidget *parent, GtkMessageType type, const gcha
 }
 
 
+/* Little wrapper for _waccess(), returns errno or 0 if there was no error */
+gint win32_check_write_permission(const gchar *dir)
+{
+	static wchar_t w_dir[512];
+	MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, app->configdir, -1, w_dir, sizeof w_dir);
+	_waccess(w_dir, R_OK | W_OK);
+	return errno;
+}
+
+
 /* Special dialog to ask for an action when closing an unsaved file */
 gint win32_message_dialog_unsaved(const gchar *msg)
 {
 	static wchar_t w_msg[512];
 	static wchar_t w_title[512];
+	HWND parent_hwnd = NULL;
 	gint ret;
 
 	// convert the Unicode chars to wide chars
 	MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, msg, -1, w_msg, G_N_ELEMENTS(w_msg));
 	MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, _("Question"), -1, w_title, G_N_ELEMENTS(w_title));
 
-	ret = MessageBoxW(GDK_WINDOW_HWND(app->window->window), w_msg, w_title, MB_YESNOCANCEL | MB_ICONQUESTION);
+	if (app->window != NULL)
+		parent_hwnd = GDK_WINDOW_HWND(app->window->window);
+	
+	ret = MessageBoxW(parent_hwnd, w_msg, w_title, MB_YESNOCANCEL | MB_ICONQUESTION);
 	switch(ret)
 	{
 		case IDYES: ret = GTK_RESPONSE_YES; break;
diff --git a/src/win32.h b/src/win32.h
index e8430f009..a1ec28f65 100644
--- a/src/win32.h
+++ b/src/win32.h
@@ -53,4 +53,6 @@ gchar *win32_show_project_open_dialog(const gchar *title, const gchar *initial_d
  * The selected folder name is returned. */
 gchar *win32_show_project_folder_dialog(const gchar *title, const gchar *initial_dir);
 
+gint win32_check_write_permission(const gchar *dir);
+
 #endif