diff --git a/includes/config.inc b/includes/config.inc
index dd6b4df..cb538d7 100644
--- a/includes/config.inc
+++ b/includes/config.inc
@@ -72,45 +72,6 @@ function kalatheme_bootstrap_library_form() {
   return $form;
 }
 
-/**
- * Form constructor for Bootstrap library selection form
- *
- * @return array
- */
-function kalatheme_backend_check_form() {
-  $form = array();
-
-  if (isset($_SERVER['PANTHEON_ENVIRONMENT'])) {
-    $form['pantheon_check'] = array(
-      '#weight' => -100,
-      '#prefix' => '<div class="alert alert-info">',
-      '#markup' => t("You are on Pantheon. <strong>You need to set the connection mode to SFTP</strong> to allow for custom Bootstrap libraries and subtheme generation!"),
-      '#suffix' => '</div>',
-    );
-  }
-  else {
-    if (kalatheme_backend_check()) {
-      $form['backend_check'] = array(
-        '#weight' => -100,
-        '#prefix' => '<div class="alert alert-success">',
-        '#markup' => t("Your webserver is correctly configured to allow for custom Bootstrap libraries and subtheme generation!"),
-        '#suffix' => '</div>',
-      );
-    }
-    else {
-      $form['backend_check'] = array(
-        '#weight' => -100,
-        '#prefix' => '<div class="alert alert-danger">',
-        '#markup' => t("If you want Kalatheme to be able to use custom Bootstrap libraries or generate subthemes automatically please properly configure your webserver."),
-          // @todo add link to docs here
-        '#suffix' => '</div>',
-      );
-    }
-  }
-
-  return $form;
-}
-
 /**
  * Form constructor for subtheme selection form
  *
diff --git a/includes/utils.inc b/includes/utils.inc
index f340992..2887ee2 100644
--- a/includes/utils.inc
+++ b/includes/utils.inc
@@ -316,22 +316,97 @@ function kalatheme_use_libraries() {
  *   True if all good, message if no good
  */
 function kalatheme_backend_check() {
-  // Verify FTP support
-  $ftp_installed = extension_loaded('ftp');
-  // Verify SSH support
-  $ssh_installed = extension_loaded('ssh2');
-  // Verify web server write permissions
-  $install_permissions = kalatheme_has_write_access();
-  // Verify update module is enabled
-  $updates_module = module_exists('update');
+  $info = kalatheme_backend_check_info();
+  $messages = drupal_get_messages(NULL, FALSE);
 
-  return (($ftp_installed || $ssh_installed || $install_permissions) && $updates_module);
+  // Output messages for each of the checks.
+  foreach ($info as $type => $check) {
+    if (isset($check['messages']) && !empty($check['messages'])) {
+      $bool = $check['bool'];
+      if (isset($check['messages'][$bool])) {
+        $message = $check['messages'][$bool];
+        $status = $check['bool'] ? 'status' : 'error';
+        $status = $type == 'pantheon' ? 'warning' : $status;
+
+        // Make sure we don't set a message twice.
+        $already_set = FALSE;
+        if (isset($messages[$status])) {
+          foreach ($messages[$status] as $existing) {
+            if ($existing == $message) {
+              $already_set = TRUE;
+              break;
+            }
+          }
+        }
+
+        if (!$already_set) {
+          drupal_set_message($message, $status);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ($info['install_permissions']['bool'] && $info['updates_module']['bool']);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Store and return info about backend features that we might need for Kalatheme
+ * to work properly.
+ */
+function kalatheme_backend_check_info(){
+  $info = array(
+    // Check if we're on Pantheon.
+    'pantheon' => array(
+      'bool' => isset($_SERVER['PANTHEON_ENVIRONMENT']),
+      'messages' => array(
+        TRUE => t('You are on Pantheon. !strong_openYou need to set the connection mode to SFTP!strong_close to allow for custom Bootstrap libraries and subtheme generation!', array('!strong_open' => '<strong>', '!strong_close' => '</strong>')),
+      ),
+    ),
+    // Verify FTP support
+    'ftp' => array(
+      'bool' => extension_loaded('ftp'),
+      'messages' => array(),
+    ),
+    // Verify SSH support
+    'ssh' => array(
+      'bool' => extension_loaded('ssh2'),
+      'messages' => array(),
+    ),
+    // Verify web server write permissions
+    'write_access' => array(
+      'bool' => kalatheme_has_write_access(),
+      'messages' => array(
+        FALSE => t('Your webserver permissions are not configured correctly to facilitate subtheme generation. See !the_wiki for help.', array('!the_wiki' => l('the wiki', 'https://github.com/drupalprojects/kalatheme/wiki/Configuring-Server-for-Automatic-Kalatheme-installation'))),
+      ),
+    ),
+    // Verify update module is enabled
+    'updates_module' => array(
+      'bool' => module_exists('update'),
+      'messages' => array(
+        FALSE => t('The Updates module needs be enabled for subtheme generation. Please visit the !modules_page to enable it.', array('!modules_page' => l('modules page', 'admin/modules'))),
+      ),
+    ),
+  );
+
+  $info['install_permissions'] = array('bool' => TRUE);
+  if (!isset($_SERVER['PANTHEON_ENVIRONMENT'])) {
+    // This one is a conglomerate of some of the others.
+    $info['install_permissions'] = array(
+        'bool' => $info['ftp']['bool'] || $info['ssh']['bool'] || $info['write_access']['bool'],
+        'messages' => array(
+          TRUE => t('Your webserver is correctly configured to allow for custom Bootstrap libraries and subtheme generation!'),
+          FALSE => t('Kalatheme needs FTP, SSH or write access in order to generate a subtheme.'),
+        ),
+    );
+  }
+
+  return $info;
 }
 
 /**
  * Check whether Kalatheme has write access to libraries and modules directories.
  *
- * This check indicates whether we have enough access to be able to use 
+ * This check indicates whether we have enough access to be able to use
  * authorize.php and the updater.
  *
  * @return boolean
diff --git a/theme-settings.php b/theme-settings.php
index 66559ea..ec45dbf 100644
--- a/theme-settings.php
+++ b/theme-settings.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function kalatheme_form_system_theme_settings_alter(&$form, &$form_state) {
   }
 
   // Subtheme backend checks
-  $form = array_merge($form, kalatheme_backend_check_form());
+  kalatheme_backend_check();
 
   // Kalatheme settings
   $form = array_merge($form, kalatheme_bootstrap_library_form());