diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
index 43a088a7b2..e0cb5ce264 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
@@ -124,17 +124,20 @@ defaultRepositoryPath firstrun = do
 			, inhome
 			)
 #else
-	-- Windows user can probably write anywhere, so always default
-	-- to ~/Desktop/annex.
+	-- On Windows, always default to ~/Desktop/annex or ~/annex,
+	-- no cwd handling because the user might be able to write
+	-- to the entire drive.
 	inhome
 #endif
   where
 	inhome = do
 		desktop <- userDesktopDir
-		ifM (doesDirectoryExist desktop)
+		ifM (doesDirectoryExist desktop <&&> canWrite desktop)
 			( relHome $ desktop </> gitAnnexAssistantDefaultDir
 			, return $ "~" </> gitAnnexAssistantDefaultDir
 			)
+	-- Avoid using eg, standalone build's git-annex.linux/ directory
+	-- when run from there.
 	legit d = not <$> doesFileExist (d </> "git-annex")
 
 newRepositoryForm :: FilePath -> Hamlet.Html -> MkMForm RepositoryPath
diff --git a/doc/bugs/__39__Cannot_write_a_repository_there__39___on_Windows.mdwn b/doc/bugs/__39__Cannot_write_a_repository_there__39___on_Windows.mdwn
index 0eed95b3e2..62ad4a15f9 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/__39__Cannot_write_a_repository_there__39___on_Windows.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/__39__Cannot_write_a_repository_there__39___on_Windows.mdwn
@@ -24,3 +24,9 @@ Windows 7 64-bit
 [[!format sh """
 Launching web browser on file://C:\Users\bbigras\AppData\Local\Temp\webapp9924.html
 """]]
+
+> It checks if the directory can be written to, and it seems that for some
+> reason Windows is preventing you from writing to your Desktop. That seems
+> really weird to me (and I have not seen that behavior). But, I can easily
+> make it check if that's the case, and fall back to the other path, so
+> have done so. [[done]] --[[Joey]]