diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e876383572d..8b2c07e3ee9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ This vision translates to the following functional commitments:
   - iOS 5+
   - Android 4.0+
 
+## Having Problems getting set up?
+
+Before contacting us for help, please review our [Troubleshooting Guide](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/master/docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md).
+
 ## Contributing
 
 [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/discourse/discourse.png)](https://travis-ci.org/discourse/discourse)
diff --git a/docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md b/docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6de274c747b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+## Troubleshooting issues with Discourse environments
+
+Are you having trouble setting up Discourse? Here are some basic things to check before
+reaching out to the community for help:
+
+
+1. Are you running Ruby 1.9.3 or later?
+
+   Discourse is designed for Ruby 1.9.3 or later. You can check your version by typing 
+   `ruby -v` and checking the response.
+
+
+2. Are you on Postgres 9.1 or later with HSTORE enabled?
+
+   You can check your postgres version by typing `psql --version`. To see if hstore is
+   installed, open a session to postgres and type `\dx` and see if hstore is listed.
+
+
+3. Have you run `bundle install`?
+
+   We frequently update our dependencies to newer versions. It is a good idea to run
+   `bundle install` every time you check out Discourse, especially if it's been a while.
+
+
+3. Have you migrated your database?
+
+   Our schema changes fairly frequently. After checking out the source code, you should 
+   run `rake db:migrate`
+
+
+4. Have you added the seed data?
+
+   We depend on some basic seed data being present in the database. You should run 
+   `rake db:seed_fu` to keep your database in sync.
+
+
+5. Do the tests pass?
+
+   If you are having other problems, it's useful to know if the test suite passes. You 
+   can run it by first using `rake db:test:prepare` and then `rake spec`. If you 
+   experience any failures, that's a bad sign! Our master branch should *always* pass 
+   every test.
+
+
+
+
+
+