diff --git a/app/Configs.php b/app/Configs.php
index 7021518498b..b7ff2470b54 100644
--- a/app/Configs.php
+++ b/app/Configs.php
@@ -259,13 +259,19 @@ public static function hasExiftool()
 
 		// value not yet set -> let's see if exiftool is available
 		if ($has_exiftool == 2) {
-			$path = exec('command -v exiftool');
-			if ($path == '') {
+			try {
+				$path = exec('command -v exiftool');
+				if ($path == '') {
+					self::set('has_exiftool', 0);
+					$has_exiftool = false;
+				} else {
+					self::set('has_exiftool', 1);
+					$has_exiftool = true;
+				}
+			} catch (Exception $e) {
 				self::set('has_exiftool', 0);
 				$has_exiftool = false;
-			} else {
-				self::set('has_exiftool', 1);
-				$has_exiftool = true;
+				Logs::warning(__METHOD__, __LINE__, 'exec is disabled, has_exiftool has been set to 0.');
 			}
 		} elseif ($has_exiftool == 1) {
 			$has_exiftool = true;
@@ -290,13 +296,19 @@ public static function hasFFmpeg()
 
 		// value not yet set -> let's see if ffmpeg is available
 		if ($has_ffmpeg == 2) {
-			$path = exec('command -v ffmpeg');
-			if ($path == '') {
+			try {
+				$path = exec('command -v ffmpeg');
+				if ($path == '') {
+					self::set('has_ffmpeg', 0);
+					$has_ffmpeg = false;
+				} else {
+					self::set('has_ffmpeg', 1);
+					$has_ffmpeg = true;
+				}
+			} catch (Exception $e) {
 				self::set('has_ffmpeg', 0);
 				$has_ffmpeg = false;
-			} else {
-				self::set('has_ffmpeg', 1);
-				$has_ffmpeg = true;
+				Logs::warning(__METHOD__, __LINE__, 'exec is disabled, set_ffmpeg has been set to 0.');
 			}
 		} elseif ($has_ffmpeg == 1) {
 			$has_ffmpeg = true;
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/DiagnosticsController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/DiagnosticsController.php
index 2f3da8b3014..6f488fabbdd 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/DiagnosticsController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/DiagnosticsController.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 use App\ModelFunctions\Helpers;
 use App\ModelFunctions\SessionFunctions;
 use Config;
-use Exception;
+use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
 use Illuminate\View\View;
 use Imagick;
@@ -134,8 +134,22 @@ public function get_errors()
 				$errors[] = 'Error: PHP ' . $extension . ' extension not activated';
 			}
 		}
-		if (!extension_loaded('mysqli') && !DB::getDriverName() == 'pgsql') {
-			$errors[] = 'Error: PHP mysqli extension not activated';
+
+		$db_possibilities = [
+			['mysql', 'mysqli'],
+			['mysql', 'pdo_mysql'],
+			['pgsql', 'pgsql'],
+			['pgsql', 'pdo_pgsql'],
+			['sqlite', 'sqlite3'],
+		];
+		try {
+			foreach ($db_possibilities as $db_possibility) {
+				if (DB::getDriverName() == $db_possibility[0] && !extension_loaded($db_possibility[1])) {
+					$errors[] = 'Error: ' . $db_possibility[0] . ' db driver selected and PHP ' . $db_possibility[1] . ' extension not activated';
+				}
+			}
+		} catch (QueryException $e) {
+			$errors[] = 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
 		}
 
 		// Permissions
@@ -227,6 +241,11 @@ public function get_errors()
 			}
 		}
 
+		if (!function_exists('exec')) {
+			$errors[]
+				= 'Warning: exec function has been disabled. You may experience some error 500, please report them to us.';
+		}
+
 		// @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
 
 		return $errors;
@@ -276,32 +295,35 @@ public function get_info()
 
 		// About SQL version
 		// @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
-		switch (DB::getDriverName()) {
-			case 'mysql':
-				$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select version()'));
-				$dbver = $results[0]->{'version()'};
-				$dbtype = 'MySQL';
-				break;
-			case 'sqlite':
-				$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select sqlite_version()'));
-				$dbver = $results[0]->{'sqlite_version()'};
-				$dbtype = 'SQLite';
-				break;
-			case 'pgsql':
-				$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select version()'));
-				$dbver = $results[0]->{'version'};
-				$dbtype = 'PostgreSQL';
-				break;
-			default:
-				try {
+		try {
+			switch (DB::getDriverName()) {
+				case 'mysql':
+					$dbtype = 'MySQL';
 					$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select version()'));
 					$dbver = $results[0]->{'version()'};
-				} catch (Exception $e) {
-					$dbver = 'unknown';
-				}
-				$dbtype = DB::getDriverName();
-				break;
+					break;
+				case 'sqlite':
+					$dbtype = 'SQLite';
+					$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select sqlite_version()'));
+					$dbver = $results[0]->{'sqlite_version()'};
+					break;
+				case 'pgsql':
+					$dbtype = 'PostgreSQL';
+					$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select version()'));
+					$dbver = $results[0]->{'version'};
+					break;
+				default:
+					$dbtype = DB::getDriverName();
+					$results = DB::select(DB::raw('select version()'));
+					$dbver = $results[0]->{'version()'};
+					break;
+			}
+		} catch (QueryException $e) {
+			$errors[] = 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
+			$dbtype = 'Unknown SQL';
+			$dbver = 'unknown';
 		}
+
 		// @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
 
 		// Output system information
@@ -317,7 +339,7 @@ public function get_info()
 		$infos[] = $this->line($dbtype . ' Version:', $dbver);
 		$infos[] = '';
 		$infos[] = $this->line('Imagick:', $imagick);
-		$infos[] = $this->line('Imagick Active:', $settings['imagick']);
+		$infos[] = $this->line('Imagick Active:', $settings['imagick'] ?? 'key not found in settings');
 		$infos[] = $this->line('Imagick Version:', $imagickVersion);
 		$infos[] = $this->line('GD Version:', $gdVersion['GD Version']);
 
@@ -352,12 +374,16 @@ public function get_config()
 		// Declare
 		$configs = [];
 
-		// Load settings
-		$settings = $this->configFunctions->min_info();
-		foreach ($settings as $key => $value) {
-			if (!is_array($value)) {
-				$configs[] = $this->line($key . ':', $value);
+		try {
+			// Load settings
+			$settings = $this->configFunctions->min_info();
+			foreach ($settings as $key => $value) {
+				if (!is_array($value)) {
+					$configs[] = $this->line($key . ':', $value);
+				}
 			}
+		} catch (QueryException $e) {
+			$configs[] = 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
 		}
 
 		return $configs;
diff --git a/app/ModelFunctions/ConfigFunctions.php b/app/ModelFunctions/ConfigFunctions.php
index 71c669a1402..3a3c6ba907d 100644
--- a/app/ModelFunctions/ConfigFunctions.php
+++ b/app/ModelFunctions/ConfigFunctions.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use App\Configs;
 use App\Locale\Lang;
+use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 
 class ConfigFunctions
 {
@@ -83,13 +84,17 @@ public function admin()
 	 */
 	public function sanity(array &$return)
 	{
-		$configs = Configs::all(['key', 'value', 'type_range']);
+		try {
+			$configs = Configs::all(['key', 'value', 'type_range']);
 
-		foreach ($configs as $config) {
-			$message = $config->sanity($config->value);
-			if ($message != '') {
-				$return[] = $message;
+			foreach ($configs as $config) {
+				$message = $config->sanity($config->value);
+				if ($message != '') {
+					$return[] = $message;
+				}
 			}
+		} catch (QueryException $e) {
+			$return[] = 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/database/migrations/2019_09_28_171753_config_fix.php b/database/migrations/2019_09_28_171753_config_fix.php
index b4b23a60b87..b11fbf95683 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2019_09_28_171753_config_fix.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2019_09_28_171753_config_fix.php
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ public function up()
 			],
 			[
 				'key' => 'landing_page_enable',
-				'value' => '1',
+				'value' => '0',
 				'cat' => 'Mod Welcome',
 				'type_range' => BOOL,
 				'confidentiality' => '0',