diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fc4f0b468c..96fa3b63ae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 NodeBB requires the following software to be installed:
 
 * A version of Node.js at least 0.8 or greater
-* Redis, version 2.6 or greater.
+* Redis, version 2.6 or greater or MongoDB, version 2.4 or greater
 * nginx, version 1.3.13 or greater (**only if** intending to use nginx to proxy requests to a NodeBB)
 
 ## Installation
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ First, we install our base software stack:
 
 	# apt-get install git nodejs redis-server npm build-essential imagemagick
 
+If you want to use MongoDB instead of Redis install it from http://www.mongodb.org/downloads and remove 'redis-server' from the above command. [MongoDB-Setup](https://github.com/designcreateplay/NodeBB/wiki/MongoDB-Setup)
+
 **If your package manager only installed a version of Node.js that is less than 0.8 (e.g. Ubuntu 12.10, 13.04):**
 
 	# add-apt-repository ppa:chris-lea/node.js
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 84aa875645..8c7cb7eea9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,14 +14,10 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "socket.io": "~0.9.16",
-    "redis": "0.8.3",
-    "mongodb": "~1.3.19",
     "express": "3.2.0",
     "express-namespace": "~0.1.1",
     "emailjs": "0.3.4",
     "cookie": "0.0.6",
-    "connect-redis": "1.4.5",
-    "connect-mongo": "0.4.0",
     "passport": "0.1.17",
     "passport-local": "0.1.6",
     "passport-twitter": "0.1.5",
@@ -50,6 +46,10 @@
     "semver": "~2.2.1"
   },
   "optionalDependencies": {
+    "redis": "0.8.3",
+    "mongodb": "~1.3.19",
+    "connect-redis": "1.4.5",
+    "connect-mongo": "0.4.0",
     "hiredis": "~0.1.15"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/public/src/modules/composer.js b/public/src/modules/composer.js
index 3858c1a379..34941f7518 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/composer.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/composer.js
@@ -7,18 +7,24 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 		postContainer: undefined,
 	};
 
-	var uploadsInProgress = [];
-
 	function createImagePlaceholder(img) {
 		var text = $('.post-window textarea').val(),
 			textarea = $('.post-window textarea'),
-			imgText = "!["+img.name+"](uploading...)";
+			imgText = "!["+img.name+"](uploading...)",
+			uuid = $('.post-window .imagedrop').parents('[data-uuid]').attr('data-uuid');
 
 		text += imgText;
 		textarea.val(text + " ");
-		uploadsInProgress.push(1);
-		socket.emit("api:posts.uploadImage", img, function(err, data) {
+		if(!composer.posts[uuid].uploadsInProgress) {
+			composer.posts[uuid].uploadsInProgress = [];
+		}
+
+		composer.posts[uuid].uploadsInProgress.push(1);
 
+		socket.emit("api:posts.uploadImage", img, function(err, data) {
+			if(err) {
+				return app.alertError(err.message);
+			}
 			var currentText = textarea.val();
 			imgText = "!["+data.name+"](uploading...)";
 
@@ -26,14 +32,13 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 				textarea.val(currentText.replace(imgText, "!["+data.name+"]("+data.url+")"));
 			else
 				textarea.val(currentText.replace(imgText, "!["+data.name+"](upload error)"));
-			uploadsInProgress.pop();
+			composer.posts[uuid].uploadsInProgress.pop();
 		});
 	}
 
 	function loadFile(file) {
 		var reader = new FileReader(),
-			dropDiv = $('.post-window .imagedrop'),
-			uuid = dropDiv.parents('[data-uuid]').attr('data-uuid');
+			dropDiv = $('.post-window .imagedrop');
 
 		$(reader).on('loadend', function(e) {
 			var bin = this.result;
@@ -68,8 +73,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 			});
 
 			textarea.on('dragenter', function(e) {
-				if(draggingDocument)
+				if(draggingDocument) {
 					return;
+				}
 				drop.css('top', textarea.position().top + 'px');
 				drop.show();
 
@@ -133,8 +139,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 
 			document.body.insertBefore(composer.postContainer, taskbar);
 
-			if(config.imgurClientIDSet)
+			if(config.imgurClientIDSet) {
 				initializeFileReader();
+			}
 
 			socket.on('api:composer.push', function(threadData) {
 				if (!threadData.error) {
@@ -330,7 +337,7 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 		titleEl.value = titleEl.value.trim();
 		bodyEl.value = bodyEl.value.trim();
 
-		if(uploadsInProgress.length) {
+		if(postData.uploadsInProgress && postData.uploadsInProgress.length) {
 			return app.alert({
 				type: 'warning',
 				timeout: 2000,
@@ -387,7 +394,6 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 		if (composer.posts[post_uuid]) {
 			$(composer.postContainer).find('.imagedrop').hide();
 			delete composer.posts[post_uuid];
-			uploadsInProgress.length = 0;
 			composer.minimize();
 			taskbar.discard('composer', post_uuid);
 		}
diff --git a/src/database/mongo.js b/src/database/mongo.js
index d6af3bc0b2..9be4c9e0bb 100644
--- a/src/database/mongo.js
+++ b/src/database/mongo.js
@@ -2,17 +2,25 @@
 
 (function(module) {
 	'use strict';
-	var mongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient,
-		winston = require('winston'),
+	var winston = require('winston'),
 		async = require('async'),
 		nconf = require('nconf'),
 		express = require('express'),
-		mongoStore = require('connect-mongo')(express),
-		mongoHost = nconf.get('mongo:host'),
-		db;
+		db,
+		mongoClient,
+		mongoStore;
+
+	try {
+		mongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;
+		mongoStore = require('connect-mongo')(express);
+	} catch (err) {
+		winston.error('Unable to initialize MongoDB! Is MongoDB installed? Error :' + err.message);
+		process.exit();
+	}
+
 
 	module.init = function(callback) {
-		mongoClient.connect('mongodb://'+ mongoHost + ':' + nconf.get('mongo:port') + '/' + nconf.get('mongo:database'), function(err, _db) {
+		mongoClient.connect('mongodb://'+ nconf.get('mongo:host') + ':' + nconf.get('mongo:port') + '/' + nconf.get('mongo:database'), function(err, _db) {
 			if(err) {
 				winston.error("NodeBB could not connect to your Mongo database. Mongo returned the following error: " + err.message);
 				process.exit();
diff --git a/src/database/redis.js b/src/database/redis.js
index d24573384b..b5de542089 100644
--- a/src/database/redis.js
+++ b/src/database/redis.js
@@ -2,16 +2,24 @@
 
 (function(module) {
 	'use strict';
-	var redisClient,
-		redis = require('redis'),
-		winston = require('winston'),
+	var winston = require('winston'),
 		nconf = require('nconf'),
 		express = require('express'),
-		connectRedis = require('connect-redis')(express),
-		reds = require('reds'),
-
 		redis_socket_or_host = nconf.get('redis:host'),
-		utils = require('./../../public/src/utils.js');
+		utils = require('./../../public/src/utils.js'),
+		redis,
+		connectRedis,
+		reds,
+		redisClient;
+
+	try {
+		redis = require('redis');
+		connectRedis = require('connect-redis')(express);
+		reds = require('reds');
+	} catch (err) {
+		winston.error('Unable to initialize Redis! Is Redis installed? Error :' + err.message);
+		process.exit();
+	}
 
 
 	if (redis_socket_or_host && redis_socket_or_host.indexOf('/')>=0) {