diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e26acdcf..9adb3dd5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ that is copied directly into a modfile (commonly used for `SSE Terrain Tamriel.e
 * Fix crash caused by multiple downloads with the same SHA256
 * Putting `WABBAJACK_ALWAYS_INCLUDE` on a mod's notes/comments will cause it to always be included in the modlist, even if disabled
 * All `.json`, `.ini`, and `.yaml` files that contain remappable paths are now inlined and remapped.
-* If Wabbajack finds a file called `otherprofiles.txt` inside the compile'd profile's folder. Then that file is assumed
+* If Wabbajack finds a file called `otherprofiles.txt` inside the compiled profile's folder. Then that file is assumed
 to be a list of other profiles to be included in the install. This list should be the name of a profile, one name per line. 
 * Can now set the download folder both during compilation and installation.
 * Any config files pointing to the download folder are remapped.
+* Refuse to run inside `downloads` folders (anti-virus watches these files too closely and it can cause VFS issues)
 
 #### Version 0.8.1 - 8/29/2019
 * Fixed a bug that was causing VFS temp folders not to be cleaned
diff --git a/VirtualFileSystem/VirtualFileSystem.cs b/VirtualFileSystem/VirtualFileSystem.cs
index 4e8bb78a..788ad79f 100644
--- a/VirtualFileSystem/VirtualFileSystem.cs
+++ b/VirtualFileSystem/VirtualFileSystem.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ namespace VFS
         {
             VFS = new VirtualFileSystem();
             RootFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location);
+
             _stagedRoot = Path.Combine(RootFolder, "vfs_staged_files");
             Utils.OnQueue(() =>
             {
diff --git a/Wabbajack/AppState.cs b/Wabbajack/AppState.cs
index 1df74784..649dfda4 100644
--- a/Wabbajack/AppState.cs
+++ b/Wabbajack/AppState.cs
@@ -158,6 +158,17 @@ namespace Wabbajack
 
         public AppState(Dispatcher d, String mode)
         {
+            if (Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location.ToLower().Contains("\\downloads\\"))
+            {
+                MessageBox.Show(
+                    "This app seems to be running inside a folder called `Downloads`, such folders are often highly monitored by Antivirus software and they can often" +
+                    "conflict with the operations Wabbajack needs to perform. Please move this executable outside of your `Downloads` folder and then restart the app.",
+                    "Cannot run inside `Downloads`",
+                    MessageBoxButton.OK,
+                    MessageBoxImage.Error);
+                Environment.Exit(1);
+            }
+
             _startTime = DateTime.Now;
             LogFile = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location + ".log";