diff --git a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/StorageErrorActivity.java b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/StorageErrorActivity.java
index 6739430cb..514b1f69d 100644
--- a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/StorageErrorActivity.java
+++ b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/StorageErrorActivity.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class StorageErrorActivity extends SherlockActivity {
 	@Override
 	protected void onResume() {
 		super.onResume();
-		if (StorageUtils.storageAvailable()) {
+		if (StorageUtils.storageAvailable(this)) {
 			leaveErrorState();
 		} else {
 			registerReceiver(mediaUpdate, new IntentFilter(
diff --git a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/download/HttpDownloader.java b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/download/HttpDownloader.java
index fb51be032..680c20de0 100644
--- a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/download/HttpDownloader.java
+++ b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/download/HttpDownloader.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import org.apache.http.HttpStatus;
 
 import android.util.Log;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.AppConfig;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.PodcastApp;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.R;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.asynctask.DownloadStatus;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.util.DownloadError;
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ public class HttpDownloader extends Downloader {
 				if (AppConfig.DEBUG) {
 					Log.d(TAG, "Connected to resource");
 				}
-				if (StorageUtils.externalStorageMounted()) {
+				if (StorageUtils.storageAvailable(PodcastApp.getInstance())) {
 					File destination = new File(status.getFeedFile()
 							.getFile_url());
 					if (!destination.exists()) {
diff --git a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/util/StorageUtils.java b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/util/StorageUtils.java
index d4738f14f..f32f51cef 100644
--- a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/util/StorageUtils.java
+++ b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/util/StorageUtils.java
@@ -1,41 +1,58 @@
 package de.danoeh.antennapod.util;
 
+import java.io.File;
+
 import android.app.Activity;
+import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.os.Environment;
 import android.os.StatFs;
+import android.util.Log;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.AppConfig;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.PodcastApp;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.activity.StorageErrorActivity;
 
 /** Utility functions for handling storage errors */
 public class StorageUtils {
-	public static boolean storageAvailable() {
-		String state = Environment.getExternalStorageState();
-		return state.equals(Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED);
+	private static final String TAG = "StorageUtils";
+
+	public static boolean storageAvailable(Context context) {
+		File dir = PodcastApp.getDataFolder(context, null);
+		if (dir != null) {
+			return dir.exists() && dir.canRead() && dir.canWrite();
+		} else {
+			if (AppConfig.DEBUG)
+				Log.d(TAG, "Storage not available: data folder is null");
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
-	
-	/**Checks if external storage is available. If external storage isn't
-	 * available, the current activity is finsished an an error activity is launched.
-	 * @param activity the activity which would be finished if no storage is available
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks if external storage is available. If external storage isn't
+	 * available, the current activity is finsished an an error activity is
+	 * launched.
+	 * 
+	 * @param activity
+	 *            the activity which would be finished if no storage is
+	 *            available
 	 * @return true if external storage is available
 	 */
 	public static boolean checkStorageAvailability(Activity activity) {
-		boolean storageAvailable = storageAvailable();
+		boolean storageAvailable = storageAvailable(activity);
 		if (!storageAvailable) {
 			activity.finish();
-			activity.startActivity(new Intent(activity, StorageErrorActivity.class));
+			activity.startActivity(new Intent(activity,
+					StorageErrorActivity.class));
 		}
 		return storageAvailable;
 	}
-	
+
 	/** Get the number of free bytes that are available on the external storage. */
 	public static long getFreeSpaceAvailable() {
-		StatFs stat = new StatFs(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().getPath());
+		StatFs stat = new StatFs(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()
+				.getPath());
 		long availableBlocks = stat.getAvailableBlocks();
 		long blockSize = stat.getBlockSize();
 		return availableBlocks * blockSize;
 	}
-	
-	public static boolean externalStorageMounted() {
-		return Environment.getExternalStorageState().equals(Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED);
-	}
 }