diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs
index 2e93e95585..ddb131e6fc 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs
@@ -1827,8 +1827,16 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 								break;
 							case "Coleco":
 								string colbiosPath = PathManager.MakeAbsolutePath(Global.Config.PathCOLBios, "Coleco");
-								ColecoVision c = new ColecoVision(game, rom.RomData, colbiosPath, Global.Config.ColecoSkipBiosIntro);
-								nextEmulator = c;
+								FileInfo colfile = new FileInfo(colbiosPath);
+								if (!colfile.Exists)
+								{
+									MessageBox.Show("Unable to find the required ColecoVision BIOS file - \n" + colbiosPath, "Unable to load BIOS", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
+								}
+								else
+								{
+									ColecoVision c = new ColecoVision(game, rom.RomData, colbiosPath, Global.Config.ColecoSkipBiosIntro);
+									nextEmulator = c;
+								}
 								break;
 							case "INTV":
 								{
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/output/Coleco/BIOS_Info.txt b/BizHawk.MultiClient/output/Coleco/BIOS_Info.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5cfc3945a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/output/Coleco/BIOS_Info.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+To play ColecoVision games requires the coleco BIOS,
+
+It is expected by default to be in this folder named ColecoBios.bin
+
+To configure the location and name of this file, use the Config -> Path Config dialog
+
+Its sha1 is 45BEDC4CBDEAC66C7DF59E9E599195C778D86A92
\ No newline at end of file