diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index f04493f92a..ff7807c2e6 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import sys
 sys.dont_write_bytecode = True
-from synapse.python_dependencies import check_requirements
+from synapse.python_dependencies import check_requirements, DEPENDENCY_LINKS
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     check_requirements()
@@ -97,9 +97,25 @@ class SynapseHomeServer(HomeServer):
         return JsonResource(self)
 
     def build_resource_for_web_client(self):
-        import syweb
-        syweb_path = os.path.dirname(syweb.__file__)
-        webclient_path = os.path.join(syweb_path, "webclient")
+        webclient_path = self.get_config().web_client_location
+        if not webclient_path:
+            try:
+                import syweb
+            except ImportError:
+                quit_with_error(
+                    "Could not find a webclient.\n\n"
+                    "Please either install the matrix-angular-sdk or configure\n"
+                    "the location of the source to serve via the configuration\n"
+                    "option `web_client_location`\n\n"
+                    "To install the `matrix-angular-sdk` via pip, run:\n\n"
+                    "    pip install '%(dep)s'\n"
+                    "\n"
+                    "You can also disable hosting of the webclient via the\n"
+                    "configuration option `web_client`\n"
+                    % {"dep": DEPENDENCY_LINKS["matrix-angular-sdk"]}
+                )
+            syweb_path = os.path.dirname(syweb.__file__)
+            webclient_path = os.path.join(syweb_path, "webclient")
         # GZip is disabled here due to
         # https://twistedmatrix.com/trac/ticket/7678
         # (It can stay enabled for the API resources: they call
@@ -259,11 +275,10 @@ class SynapseHomeServer(HomeServer):
 
 def quit_with_error(error_string):
     message_lines = error_string.split("\n")
-    line_length = max([len(l) for l in message_lines]) + 2
+    line_length = max([len(l) for l in message_lines if len(l) < 80]) + 2
     sys.stderr.write("*" * line_length + '\n')
     for line in message_lines:
-        if line.strip():
-            sys.stderr.write(" %s\n" % (line.strip(),))
+        sys.stderr.write(" %s\n" % (line.rstrip(),))
     sys.stderr.write("*" * line_length + '\n')
     sys.exit(1)
 
diff --git a/synapse/config/server.py b/synapse/config/server.py
index f9a3b5f15b..a03e55c223 100644
--- a/synapse/config/server.py
+++ b/synapse/config/server.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class ServerConfig(Config):
         self.server_name = config["server_name"]
         self.pid_file = self.abspath(config.get("pid_file"))
         self.web_client = config["web_client"]
+        self.web_client_location = config.get("web_client_location", None)
         self.soft_file_limit = config["soft_file_limit"]
         self.daemonize = config.get("daemonize")
         self.print_pidfile = config.get("print_pidfile")
diff --git a/synapse/python_dependencies.py b/synapse/python_dependencies.py
index fa06480ad1..d7e3a686fa 100644
--- a/synapse/python_dependencies.py
+++ b/synapse/python_dependencies.py
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ CONDITIONAL_REQUIREMENTS = {
 
 def requirements(config=None, include_conditional=False):
     reqs = REQUIREMENTS.copy()
-    for key, req in CONDITIONAL_REQUIREMENTS.items():
-        if (config and getattr(config, key)) or include_conditional:
+    if include_conditional:
+        for _, req in CONDITIONAL_REQUIREMENTS.items():
             reqs.update(req)
     return reqs
 
@@ -52,18 +52,18 @@ def requirements(config=None, include_conditional=False):
 def github_link(project, version, egg):
     return "https://github.com/%s/tarball/%s/#egg=%s" % (project, version, egg)
 
-DEPENDENCY_LINKS = [
-    github_link(
+DEPENDENCY_LINKS = {
+    "syutil": github_link(
         project="matrix-org/syutil",
         version="v0.0.7",
         egg="syutil-0.0.7",
     ),
-    github_link(
+    "matrix-angular-sdk": github_link(
         project="matrix-org/matrix-angular-sdk",
         version="v0.6.6",
         egg="matrix_angular_sdk-0.6.6",
     ),
-]
+}
 
 
 class MissingRequirementError(Exception):
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def check_requirements(config=None):
 def list_requirements():
     result = []
     linked = []
-    for link in DEPENDENCY_LINKS:
+    for link in DEPENDENCY_LINKS.values():
         egg = link.split("#egg=")[1]
         linked.append(egg.split('-')[0])
         result.append(link)