diff --git a/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/commands/cmd_start.sh b/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/commands/cmd_start.sh
index c0b512c9e34..884c63fc096 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/commands/cmd_start.sh
+++ b/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/commands/cmd_start.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ help_cmd_start() {
   text "Starts ${CHE_MINI_PRODUCT_NAME} and verifies its operation\n"
   text "\n"
   text "PARAMETERS:\n"
+  text "  --follow                          Displays server logs to console and blocks until user interrupts\n"
   text "  --force                           Uses 'docker rmi' and 'docker pull' to forcibly retrieve latest images\n"
   text "  --no-force                        Updates images if matching tag not found in local cache\n"
   text "  --pull                            Uses 'docker pull' to check for new remote versions of images\n"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ pre_cmd_start() {
   CHE_SKIP_CONFIG=false
   CHE_SKIP_PREFLIGHT=false
   CHE_SKIP_POSTFLIGHT=false
+  CHE_FOLLOW_LOGS=false
   FORCE_UPDATE="--no-force"
 
   while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@ pre_cmd_start() {
       --skip:postflight)
         CHE_SKIP_POSTFLIGHT=true
         shift ;;
+      --follow)
+        CHE_FOLLOW_LOGS=true
+        shift ;;
       --force)
         FORCE_UPDATE="--force"
         shift ;;
@@ -226,8 +231,14 @@ wait_until_booted() {
 
   # CHE-3546 - if in development mode, then display the che server logs to STDOUT
   #            automatically kill the streaming of the log output when the server is booted
-  if debug_server; then
-    docker logs -f ${CHE_CONTAINER_NAME} &
+  if debug_server || follow_logs; then
+    DOCKER_LOGS_COMMAND="docker logs -f ${CHE_CONTAINER_NAME}"
+
+    if debug_server; then 
+      DOCKER_LOGS_COMMAND+=" &"
+    fi
+
+    eval $DOCKER_LOGS_COMMAND
     LOG_PID=$!
   else
     info "start" "Server logs at \"docker logs -f ${CHE_CONTAINER_NAME}\""
@@ -309,3 +320,11 @@ skip_postflight() {
     return 1
   fi
 }
+
+follow_logs() {
+  if [ "${CHE_FOLLOW_LOGS}" = "true" ]; then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_02_pre_docker.sh b/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_02_pre_docker.sh
index 53ff7df3528..10c2bb9f1a6 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_02_pre_docker.sh
+++ b/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_02_pre_docker.sh
@@ -428,7 +428,9 @@ init_check_mounts() {
   fi
 
   # Verify that we can write to the host file system from the container
-  check_host_volume_mount
+  if ! is_fast; then 
+    check_host_volume_mount
+  fi
 
   DEFAULT_CHE_CONFIG="${DATA_MOUNT}"
   DEFAULT_CHE_INSTANCE="${DATA_MOUNT}"/instance
@@ -642,19 +644,27 @@ check_host_volume_mount() {
     warning "Boot2docker detected - ensure :/data is mounted to %userprofile%"
   fi
 
-  if file_system_writable "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test"; then 
-    delete_file_system_test "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test"
-  else 
-    error "Unable to write files to your host"
+  add_file_system_test "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test"
+
+  if ! file_system_writable "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test" ||
+     ! file_system_executable "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test"; then 
+    error "Unable to write or execute files on your host."
     error "Have you enabled Docker to allow mounting host directories?"
-    error "Did you give our CLI rights to create files on your host?"
+    error "Did you give our CLI rights to create + exec files on your host?"
+    delete_file_system_test "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test"
     return 2;
   fi
+
+  delete_file_system_test "${CHE_CONTAINER_ROOT}/test"
 }
 
-file_system_writable() {
-  echo 'test' > "${1}" 
+add_file_system_test() {
+  echo '#!/bin/sh' > "${1}"
+  echo 'echo hi' >> "${1}"
+  chmod +x "${1}" > /dev/null
+}
 
+file_system_writable() {
   if [[ -f "${1}" ]]; then
     return 0
   else 
@@ -662,12 +672,20 @@ file_system_writable() {
   fi
 }
 
+file_system_executable() {
+  EXEC_OUTPUT=$(bash "${1}")
+  if [ $EXEC_OUTPUT = "hi" ]; then
+    return 0
+  else 
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 delete_file_system_test() {
   rm -rf $1 > /dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
 is_boot2docker() {
-#  debug $FUNCNAME
   if uname -r | grep -q 'boot2docker'; then
     return 0
   else
diff --git a/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_05_pre_exec.sh b/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_05_pre_exec.sh
index ce0c9f106db..2781aa3e709 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_05_pre_exec.sh
+++ b/dockerfiles/base/scripts/base/startup_05_pre_exec.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ cli_parse () {
     rmi|upgrade|version|ssh|sync|action|test|compile|dir|help)
     ;;
   *)
-    error "You passed an unknown command."
+    error "You passed an unknown command: $1"
     usage
     return 2
     ;;