diff --git a/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/post_file.py b/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/post_file.py
index 80664b72a1c..cf97f056c2b 100644
--- a/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/post_file.py
+++ b/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/post_file.py
@@ -5,7 +5,19 @@
 #   "Except where otherwise noted, recipes in the Python Cookbook are published under the Python license ."
 #   This recipe is covered under the Python license: http://www.python.org/license
 
-import httplib, mimetypes
+import httplib, mimetypes, urllib2
+
+def link_exists(host, selector):
+    """
+    Check to see if the given host exists and is reachable
+    """
+    try:
+      site = urllib2.urlopen("http://" + host + selector)
+      meta = site.info()
+    except urllib2.URLError:
+      print "FAIL: http://" + host + selector + " raises URLError (check if link exists)"
+      return 0
+    return 1
 
 def post_multipart(host, selector, fields, files):
     """
diff --git a/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/run_tests.py b/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/run_tests.py
index de40edb6822..746517f6464 100755
--- a/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/run_tests.py
+++ b/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/run_tests.py
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@ def process_Request(post):
         str += line.split(":")[3] + ":" + shortNames(line.split(":")[1]) + ":" + line.split(":")[2] + '\n'
   return str
 
-def send_to_csv(csv_file, results):
+def send_to_csv(csv_dir, results):
   import csv
   for res in results:
     browser_dump, counter_dump = results[res]
-    writer = csv.writer(open(csv_file + '_' +  res + '.csv', "wb"))
+    writer = csv.writer(open(os.path.join(csv_dir, res + '.csv'), "wb"))
     if res in ('ts', 'twinopen'):
       i = 0
       writer.writerow(['i', 'val'])
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def send_to_csv(csv_file, results):
           i += 1
     for cd in counter_dump:
       for count_type in cd:
-        writer = csv.writer(open(csv_file + '_' + res + '_' + count_type + '.csv', "wb"))
+        writer = csv.writer(open(os.path.join(csv_dir, res + '_' + count_type + '.csv'), "wb"))
         writer.writerow(['i', 'value'])
         i = 0
         for val in cd[count_type]:
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ def test_file(filename):
   tests = []
   title = ''
   testdate = ''
-  csv_file = ''
+  csv_dir = ''
   results_server = ''
   results_link = ''
   results = {}
@@ -261,12 +261,18 @@ def test_file(filename):
       title = yaml_config[item]
     elif item == 'testdate':
       testdate = yaml_config[item]
-    elif item == 'csv_file':
-       csv_file = os.path.normpath(yaml_config[item])
+    elif item == 'csv_dir':
+       csv_dir = os.path.normpath(yaml_config[item])
+       if not os.path.exists(csv_dir):
+         print "FAIL: path \"" + csv_dir + "\" does not exist"
+         sys.exit(0)
     elif item == 'results_server':
        results_server = yaml_config[item]
     elif item == 'results_link' :
        results_link = yaml_config[item]
+  if (results_link != results_server != ''):
+    if not post_file.link_exists(results_server, results_link):
+      exit(0)
   browser_config = {'preferences'  : yaml_config['preferences'],
                     'extensions'   : yaml_config['extensions'],
                     'firefox'      : yaml_config['firefox'],
@@ -304,8 +310,8 @@ def test_file(filename):
   if (results_server != '') and (results_link != ''):
     #send results to the graph server
     send_to_graph(results_server, results_link, title, date, browser_config, results)
-  if csv_file != '':
-    send_to_csv(csv_file, results)
+  if csv_dir != '':
+    send_to_csv(csv_dir, results)
   
 if __name__=='__main__':
   optlist, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'd', ['debug'])
diff --git a/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/sample.config b/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/sample.config
index 6f270b763a9..88d66a4cd93 100755
--- a/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/sample.config
+++ b/mozilla/testing/performance/talos/sample.config
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ title: firefox_testing
 
 #*** output options ****
 #uncomment to turn on dump to csv option
-#csv_file: 'output/out'
+#csv_dir: 'output'
 #comment out next two lines to disable send to graph server
 results_server: 'url.of.graphserver'
 results_link: '/bulk.cgi'