diff --git a/pkg/api/resolver_mutation_metadata.go b/pkg/api/resolver_mutation_metadata.go
index 82f678c5c..1e63f5bac 100644
--- a/pkg/api/resolver_mutation_metadata.go
+++ b/pkg/api/resolver_mutation_metadata.go
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (r *mutationResolver) MetadataScan(ctx context.Context, input models.ScanMetadataInput) (string, error) {
-	manager.GetInstance().Scan(input)
+	if err := manager.GetInstance().Scan(input); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 	return "todo", nil
 }
 
@@ -71,7 +73,9 @@ func (r *mutationResolver) ExportObjects(ctx context.Context, input models.Expor
 }
 
 func (r *mutationResolver) MetadataGenerate(ctx context.Context, input models.GenerateMetadataInput) (string, error) {
-	manager.GetInstance().Generate(input)
+	if err := manager.GetInstance().Generate(input); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 	return "todo", nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/ffmpeg/downloader.go b/pkg/ffmpeg/downloader.go
index 37ed444c7..7d4374070 100644
--- a/pkg/ffmpeg/downloader.go
+++ b/pkg/ffmpeg/downloader.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package ffmpeg
 import (
 	"archive/zip"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/utils"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
@@ -12,9 +11,23 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/logger"
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/utils"
 )
 
-func GetPaths(configDirectory string) (string, string) {
+func findInPaths(paths []string, baseName string) string {
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		filePath := filepath.Join(p, baseName)
+		if exists, _ := utils.FileExists(filePath); exists {
+			return filePath
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ""
+}
+
+func GetPaths(paths []string) (string, string) {
 	var ffmpegPath, ffprobePath string
 
 	// Check if ffmpeg exists in the PATH
@@ -24,15 +37,11 @@ func GetPaths(configDirectory string) (string, string) {
 	}
 
 	// Check if ffmpeg exists in the config directory
-	ffmpegConfigPath := filepath.Join(configDirectory, getFFMPEGFilename())
-	ffprobeConfigPath := filepath.Join(configDirectory, getFFProbeFilename())
-	ffmpegConfigExists, _ := utils.FileExists(ffmpegConfigPath)
-	ffprobeConfigExists, _ := utils.FileExists(ffprobeConfigPath)
-	if ffmpegPath == "" && ffmpegConfigExists {
-		ffmpegPath = ffmpegConfigPath
+	if ffmpegPath == "" {
+		ffmpegPath = findInPaths(paths, getFFMPEGFilename())
 	}
-	if ffprobePath == "" && ffprobeConfigExists {
-		ffprobePath = ffprobeConfigPath
+	if ffprobePath == "" {
+		ffprobePath = findInPaths(paths, getFFProbeFilename())
 	}
 
 	return ffmpegPath, ffprobePath
@@ -48,6 +57,29 @@ func Download(configDirectory string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+type progressReader struct {
+	io.Reader
+	lastProgress int64
+	bytesRead    int64
+	total        int64
+}
+
+func (r *progressReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	read, err := r.Reader.Read(p)
+	if err == nil {
+		r.bytesRead += int64(read)
+		if r.total > 0 {
+			progress := int64(float64(r.bytesRead) / float64(r.total) * 100)
+			if progress/5 > r.lastProgress {
+				logger.Infof("%d%% downloaded...", progress)
+				r.lastProgress = progress / 5
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return read, err
+}
+
 func DownloadSingle(configDirectory, url string) error {
 	if url == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("no ffmpeg url for this platform")
@@ -64,6 +96,8 @@ func DownloadSingle(configDirectory, url string) error {
 	}
 	defer out.Close()
 
+	logger.Infof("Downloading %s...", url)
+
 	// Make the HTTP request
 	resp, err := http.Get(url)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -76,13 +110,21 @@ func DownloadSingle(configDirectory, url string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("bad status: %s", resp.Status)
 	}
 
+	reader := &progressReader{
+		Reader: resp.Body,
+		total:  resp.ContentLength,
+	}
+
 	// Write the response to the archive file location
-	_, err = io.Copy(out, resp.Body)
+	_, err = io.Copy(out, reader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	logger.Info("Downloading complete")
+
 	if urlExt == ".zip" {
+		logger.Infof("Unzipping %s...", archivePath)
 		if err := unzip(archivePath, configDirectory); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -102,6 +144,8 @@ func DownloadSingle(configDirectory, url string) error {
 			// xattr -c /path/to/binary -- xattr.Remove(path, "com.apple.quarantine")
 		}
 
+		logger.Infof("ffmpeg and ffprobe successfully installed in %s", configDirectory)
+
 	} else {
 		return fmt.Errorf("ffmpeg was downloaded to %s", archivePath)
 	}
@@ -110,7 +154,7 @@ func DownloadSingle(configDirectory, url string) error {
 }
 
 func getFFMPEGURL() []string {
-	urls := []string{""}
+	var urls []string
 	switch runtime.GOOS {
 	case "darwin":
 		urls = []string{"https://evermeet.cx/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-4.3.1.zip", "https://evermeet.cx/ffmpeg/ffprobe-4.3.1.zip"}
diff --git a/pkg/manager/manager.go b/pkg/manager/manager.go
index 68bb2647d..5d29826b7 100644
--- a/pkg/manager/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/manager/manager.go
@@ -110,28 +110,40 @@ func initProfiling(cpuProfilePath string) {
 	pprof.StartCPUProfile(f)
 }
 
-func initFFMPEG() {
-	configDirectory := paths.GetStashHomeDirectory()
-	ffmpegPath, ffprobePath := ffmpeg.GetPaths(configDirectory)
-	if ffmpegPath == "" || ffprobePath == "" {
-		logger.Infof("couldn't find FFMPEG, attempting to download it")
-		if err := ffmpeg.Download(configDirectory); err != nil {
-			msg := `Unable to locate / automatically download FFMPEG
-
-Check the readme for download links.
-The FFMPEG and FFProbe binaries should be placed in %s
-
-The error was: %s
-`
-			logger.Fatalf(msg, configDirectory, err)
-		} else {
-			// After download get new paths for ffmpeg and ffprobe
-			ffmpegPath, ffprobePath = ffmpeg.GetPaths(configDirectory)
+func initFFMPEG() error {
+	// only do this if we have a config file set
+	if instance.Config.GetConfigFile() != "" {
+		// use same directory as config path
+		configDirectory := instance.Config.GetConfigPath()
+		paths := []string{
+			configDirectory,
+			paths.GetStashHomeDirectory(),
 		}
+		ffmpegPath, ffprobePath := ffmpeg.GetPaths(paths)
+
+		if ffmpegPath == "" || ffprobePath == "" {
+			logger.Infof("couldn't find FFMPEG, attempting to download it")
+			if err := ffmpeg.Download(configDirectory); err != nil {
+				msg := `Unable to locate / automatically download FFMPEG
+
+	Check the readme for download links.
+	The FFMPEG and FFProbe binaries should be placed in %s
+
+	The error was: %s
+	`
+				logger.Errorf(msg, configDirectory, err)
+				return err
+			} else {
+				// After download get new paths for ffmpeg and ffprobe
+				ffmpegPath, ffprobePath = ffmpeg.GetPaths(paths)
+			}
+		}
+
+		instance.FFMPEGPath = ffmpegPath
+		instance.FFProbePath = ffprobePath
 	}
 
-	instance.FFMPEGPath = ffmpegPath
-	instance.FFProbePath = ffprobePath
+	return nil
 }
 
 func initLog() {
@@ -263,6 +275,16 @@ func (s *singleton) Setup(input models.SetupInput) error {
 
 	s.Config.FinalizeSetup()
 
+	initFFMPEG()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *singleton) validateFFMPEG() error {
+	if s.FFMPEGPath == "" || s.FFProbePath == "" {
+		return errors.New("missing ffmpeg and/or ffprobe")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/manager/manager_tasks.go b/pkg/manager/manager_tasks.go
index 2455d70f7..a0b64e0e4 100644
--- a/pkg/manager/manager_tasks.go
+++ b/pkg/manager/manager_tasks.go
@@ -155,9 +155,13 @@ func (s *singleton) neededScan(paths []*models.StashConfig) (total *int, newFile
 	return &t, &n
 }
 
-func (s *singleton) Scan(input models.ScanMetadataInput) {
+func (s *singleton) Scan(input models.ScanMetadataInput) error {
+	if err := s.validateFFMPEG(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if s.Status.Status != Idle {
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 	s.Status.SetStatus(Scan)
 	s.Status.indefiniteProgress()
@@ -264,6 +268,8 @@ func (s *singleton) Scan(input models.ScanMetadataInput) {
 		}
 		logger.Info("Finished gallery association")
 	}()
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *singleton) Import() error {
@@ -378,9 +384,13 @@ func setGeneratePreviewOptionsInput(optionsInput *models.GeneratePreviewOptionsI
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *singleton) Generate(input models.GenerateMetadataInput) {
+func (s *singleton) Generate(input models.GenerateMetadataInput) error {
+	if err := s.validateFFMPEG(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if s.Status.Status != Idle {
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 	s.Status.SetStatus(Generate)
 	s.Status.indefiniteProgress()
@@ -571,6 +581,8 @@ func (s *singleton) Generate(input models.GenerateMetadataInput) {
 		elapsed := time.Since(start)
 		logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Generate finished (%s)", elapsed))
 	}()
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *singleton) GenerateDefaultScreenshot(sceneId string) {
diff --git a/ui/v2.5/src/components/Setup/Setup.tsx b/ui/v2.5/src/components/Setup/Setup.tsx
index a80fee0cd..444c57627 100644
--- a/ui/v2.5/src/components/Setup/Setup.tsx
+++ b/ui/v2.5/src/components/Setup/Setup.tsx
@@ -492,15 +492,24 @@ export const Setup: React.FC = () => {
       : renderWelcome;
   const steps = [welcomeStep, renderSetPaths, renderConfirm, renderFinish];
 
+  function renderCreating() {
+    return (
+      <Card>
+        <LoadingIndicator message="Creating your system" />
+        <Alert variant="info text-center">
+          If <code>ffmpeg</code> is not yet in your paths, please be patient
+          while stash downloads it. View the console output to see download
+          progress.
+        </Alert>
+      </Card>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <Container>
       {maybeRenderGeneratedSelectDialog()}
       <h1 className="text-center">Stash Setup Wizard</h1>
-      {loading ? (
-        <LoadingIndicator message="Creating your system" />
-      ) : (
-        <Card>{steps[step]()}</Card>
-      )}
+      {loading ? renderCreating() : <Card>{steps[step]()}</Card>}
     </Container>
   );
 };