diff --git a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/downloads/DownloadsManager.java b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/downloads/DownloadsManager.java
index 3b427d463..f91a447b3 100644
--- a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/downloads/DownloadsManager.java
+++ b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/downloads/DownloadsManager.java
@@ -131,7 +131,12 @@ public void startDownload(@NonNull DownloadJob job, @SettingsStore.Storage int s
         }
 
         if (mDownloadManager != null) {
-            mDownloadManager.enqueue(request);
+            try {
+                mDownloadManager.enqueue(request);
+            } catch (SecurityException e) {
+                notifyDownloadError("Cannot create output file", job.getFilename());
+                return;
+            }
             scheduleUpdates();
         }
     }
diff --git a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/widgets/settings/EnvironmentOptionsView.java b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/widgets/settings/EnvironmentOptionsView.java
index 4514f81aa..ef4e4c4e4 100644
--- a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/widgets/settings/EnvironmentOptionsView.java
+++ b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/widgets/settings/EnvironmentOptionsView.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import android.graphics.drawable.BitmapDrawable;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 
+import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
 import androidx.databinding.DataBindingUtil;
 
 import org.mozilla.vrbrowser.R;
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 
-class EnvironmentOptionsView extends SettingsView {
+class EnvironmentOptionsView extends SettingsView implements EnvironmentsManager.EnvironmentListener {
 
     private OptionsEnvironmentBinding mBinding;
     private ImageRadioGroupSetting mEnvironmentsRadio;
@@ -80,13 +81,14 @@ protected void updateUI() {
     public void onShown() {
         super.onShown();
 
+        mEnvironmentsManager.addListener(this);
         mWidgetManager.pushWorldBrightness(this, WidgetManagerDelegate.DEFAULT_NO_DIM_BRIGHTNESS);
     }
 
-
     @Override
     public void onHidden() {
         mWidgetManager.popWorldBrightness(this);
+        mEnvironmentsManager.removeListener(this);
     }
 
     private void setEnvOverride(boolean value) {
@@ -127,7 +129,6 @@ private void setEnv(int checkedId, boolean doApply) {
         mEnvironmentsRadio.setOnCheckedChangeListener(mEnvsListener);
 
         String value = (String) mEnvironmentsRadio.getValueForId(checkedId);
-        SettingsStore.getInstance(getContext()).setEnvironment(value);
 
         mEnvironmentsManager.setOrDownloadEnvironment(value);
     }
@@ -189,4 +190,18 @@ private void updateEnvironments() {
         setEnv(mEnvironmentsRadio.getIdForValue(env), false);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void onEnvironmentSetSuccess(@NonNull String envId) {
+        
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void onEnvironmentSetError(@NonNull String error) {
+        setEnv(mEnvironmentsRadio.getIdForValue(SettingsStore.getInstance(getContext()).getEnvironment()), false);
+        mWidgetManager.getFocusedWindow().showAlert(
+                getContext().getString(R.string.environment__error_title),
+                error,
+                null
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/utils/EnvironmentsManager.java b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/utils/EnvironmentsManager.java
index b75af3065..465023086 100644
--- a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/utils/EnvironmentsManager.java
+++ b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/utils/EnvironmentsManager.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import com.mozilla.speechlibrary.utils.zip.UnzipCallback;
 import com.mozilla.speechlibrary.utils.zip.UnzipTask;
 
+import org.mozilla.geckoview.GeckoSession;
 import org.mozilla.vrbrowser.R;
 import org.mozilla.vrbrowser.browser.SettingsStore;
 import org.mozilla.vrbrowser.downloads.Download;
@@ -19,19 +20,39 @@
 import org.mozilla.vrbrowser.ui.widgets.WidgetManagerDelegate;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 
 public class EnvironmentsManager implements DownloadsManager.DownloadsListener, SharedPreferences.OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener {
 
+    public interface EnvironmentListener {
+        default void onEnvironmentSetSuccess(@NonNull String envId) {}
+        default void onEnvironmentSetError(@NonNull String error) {}
+    }
+
     private WidgetManagerDelegate mApplicationDelegate;
     private Context mContext;
     private DownloadsManager mDownloadManager;
     private SharedPreferences mPrefs;
+    private ArrayList<EnvironmentListener> mListeners;
 
     public EnvironmentsManager(@NonNull Context context) {
         mContext = context;
         mApplicationDelegate = ((WidgetManagerDelegate)context);
         mDownloadManager = mApplicationDelegate.getServicesProvider().getDownloadsManager();
         mPrefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(mContext);
+        mListeners = new ArrayList<>();
+    }
+
+    public void addListener(@NonNull EnvironmentListener listener) {
+        if (!mListeners.contains(listener)) {
+            mListeners.add(listener);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void removeListener(@NonNull EnvironmentListener listener) {
+        if (mListeners.contains(listener)) {
+            mListeners.remove(listener);
+        }
     }
 
     public void start() {
@@ -46,11 +67,15 @@ public void stop() {
 
     public void setOrDownloadEnvironment(@NonNull String envId) {
         if (EnvironmentUtils.isBuiltinEnvironment(mContext, envId)) {
+            SettingsStore.getInstance(mContext).setEnvironment(envId);
+            mListeners.forEach(environmentListener -> environmentListener.onEnvironmentSetSuccess(envId));
             mApplicationDelegate.updateEnvironment();
 
         } else {
             if (EnvironmentUtils.isExternalEnvReady(mContext, envId)) {
                 // If the environment is ready, call native to update
+                SettingsStore.getInstance(mContext).setEnvironment(envId);
+                mListeners.forEach(environmentListener -> environmentListener.onEnvironmentSetSuccess(envId));
                 mApplicationDelegate.updateEnvironment();
 
             } else {
@@ -98,7 +123,29 @@ private void downloadEnvironment(@NonNull String envId) {
             if (!isDownloading) {
                 // If the env is not being downloaded, start downloading it
                 DownloadJob job = DownloadJob.create(environment.getPayload());
-                mDownloadManager.startDownload(job);
+                @SettingsStore.Storage int storage = SettingsStore.getInstance(mContext).getDownloadsStorage();
+                if (storage == SettingsStore.EXTERNAL &&
+                        !mApplicationDelegate.isPermissionGranted(android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)) {
+                    mApplicationDelegate.requestPermission(
+                                job.getUri(),
+                                android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE,
+                                new GeckoSession.PermissionDelegate.Callback() {
+                                    @Override
+                                    public void grant() {
+                                        mDownloadManager.startDownload(job);
+                                    }
+
+                                    @Override
+                                    public void reject() {
+                                        mListeners.forEach(listener -> listener.onEnvironmentSetError(
+                                                mContext.getString(R.string.environment_download_permission_error_body)
+                                        ));
+                                    }
+                                });
+
+                } else {
+                    mDownloadManager.startDownload(job);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -130,17 +177,23 @@ public void onUnzipFinish(@NonNull String zipFile, @NonNull String outputPath) {
                     file.delete();
 
                     // the environment is ready, call native to update the current env.
+                    SettingsStore.getInstance(mContext).setEnvironment(env.getValue());
+                    mListeners.forEach(environmentListener -> environmentListener.onEnvironmentSetSuccess(env.getValue()));
                     mApplicationDelegate.updateEnvironment();
                 }
 
                 @Override
                 public void onUnzipCancelled(@NonNull String zipFile) {
-
+                    mListeners.forEach(listener -> listener.onEnvironmentSetError(
+                            mContext.getString(R.string.environment_download_unzip_error_body)
+                    ));
                 }
 
                 @Override
                 public void onUnzipError(@NonNull String zipFile, @Nullable String error) {
-
+                    mListeners.forEach(listener -> listener.onEnvironmentSetError(
+                            mContext.getString(R.string.environment_download_unzip_error_body)
+                    ));
                 }
             });
             String zipOutputPath = EnvironmentUtils.getEnvPath(mContext, env.getValue());
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 87c1c0358..ca0695aca 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -1832,4 +1832,14 @@ the Select` button. When clicked it closes all the previously selected tabs -->
     <!-- This string is displayed in the downloads panel, in the download status when an unknown error happened. -->
     <string name="download_status_unknown_error">Unknown error</string>
 
+    <!-- This string is shown in the body of the error dialog displayed when the user is trying to download an environment in the external storage
+    but hasn't granted the permission. -->
+    <string name="environment_download_permission_error_body">Permission to write the external storage is required to download the environment.</string>
+
+    <!-- This string is shown in the body of the error dialog displayed when the environment unzipping fails. -->
+    <string name="environment_download_unzip_error_body">An error occurred while unzipping the environment.</string>
+
+    <!-- This string is shown in the title of the error dialog displayed if there is any error during an environment setup. -->
+    <string name="environment__error_title">Environment error</string>
+
 </resources>