diff --git a/django/contrib/staticfiles/storage.py b/django/contrib/staticfiles/storage.py
index e3914efdfa3..a804c5626c8 100644
--- a/django/contrib/staticfiles/storage.py
+++ b/django/contrib/staticfiles/storage.py
@@ -30,17 +30,17 @@ class StaticFilesStorage(FileSystemStorage):
             location = settings.STATIC_ROOT
         if base_url is None:
             base_url = settings.STATIC_URL
-        if not location:
-            raise ImproperlyConfigured("You're using the staticfiles app "
-                "without having set the STATIC_ROOT setting.")
-        # check for None since we might use a root URL (``/``)
-        if base_url is None:
-            raise ImproperlyConfigured("You're using the staticfiles app "
-                "without having set the STATIC_URL setting.")
-        check_settings()
+        check_settings(base_url)
         super(StaticFilesStorage, self).__init__(location, base_url,
                                                  *args, **kwargs)
 
+    def path(self, name):
+        if not self.location:
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured("You're using the staticfiles app "
+                                       "without having set the STATIC_ROOT "
+                                       "setting to a filesystem path.")
+        return super(StaticFilesStorage, self).path(name)
+
 
 class CachedFilesMixin(object):
     patterns = (
diff --git a/django/contrib/staticfiles/utils.py b/django/contrib/staticfiles/utils.py
index 9aee9280638..55ea3cf06b8 100644
--- a/django/contrib/staticfiles/utils.py
+++ b/django/contrib/staticfiles/utils.py
@@ -37,16 +37,18 @@ def get_files(storage, ignore_patterns=None, location=''):
         for fn in get_files(storage, ignore_patterns, dir):
             yield fn
 
-def check_settings():
+def check_settings(base_url=None):
     """
     Checks if the staticfiles settings have sane values.
 
     """
-    if not settings.STATIC_URL:
+    if base_url is not None:
+        base_url = settings.STATIC_URL
+    if not base_url:
         raise ImproperlyConfigured(
             "You're using the staticfiles app "
             "without having set the required STATIC_URL setting.")
-    if settings.MEDIA_URL == settings.STATIC_URL:
+    if settings.MEDIA_URL == base_url:
         raise ImproperlyConfigured("The MEDIA_URL and STATIC_URL "
                                    "settings must have different values")
     if ((settings.MEDIA_ROOT and settings.STATIC_ROOT) and