diff --git a/lib/driver.js b/lib/driver.js
index 94d09918e..74fd27724 100644
--- a/lib/driver.js
+++ b/lib/driver.js
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ class XCUITestDriver extends BaseDriver {
         await this.startSim();
       }
 
-      await this.installApp(); 
-      
+      await this.installApp();
+
       await this.startWda(sessionId, realDevice);
 
       if (this.isSafari()) {
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ class XCUITestDriver extends BaseDriver {
   async installToSimulator () {
     if (this.opts.fullReset && this.opts.bundleId) {
       await removeApp(this.opts.device.udid, this.opts.bundleId);
-    }  
+    }
     await installApp(this.opts.device.udid, this.opts.app);
   }
 
@@ -572,9 +572,7 @@ class XCUITestDriver extends BaseDriver {
     try {
       //This iDevice object could be ideviceinstaller (node-idevice) for future once we have ideviceinstaller working for ios 10
       let iDevice = new IOSDeploy(this.opts.udid);
-      if (!await fs.hasAccess(iDevice.cmd)) {
-        throw new Error(`ios-deploy is not installed or not installed globally. Please install : npm install -g ios-deploy`);
-      }
+      await iDevice.checkStatus();
       return iDevice;
     } catch (e) {
       let msg = "Could not initialize ios-deploy make sure it is " +
diff --git a/lib/ios-deploy.js b/lib/ios-deploy.js
index dd16e1a7f..73f47f866 100644
--- a/lib/ios-deploy.js
+++ b/lib/ios-deploy.js
@@ -1,48 +1,54 @@
 import { exec } from 'teen_process';
+import { fs } from 'appium-support';
 import logger from './logger';
 
 const IOSDEPLOY_PATH = `ios-deploy`;
 
 class IOSDeploy {
- 
+
   constructor (udid) {
     this.udid = udid;
     this.cmd = IOSDEPLOY_PATH;// this.cmd is in accordance with iDevice
   }
 
+  async checkStatus () {
+    // make sure we actually have the program
+    await fs.which(this.cmd);
+  }
+
   async remove (bundleid) {
     let remove = [`--uninstall_only`, `--id`, this.udid, `--bundle_id`, bundleid];
     try {
       let {stdout} = await exec(this.cmd, remove, { maxBuffer: 524288});
       logger.debug(`app uninstall stdout : ${stdout}`);
     } catch (err) {
-      logger.debug(`Error : ${err.message}`);  
+      logger.debug(`Error : ${err.message}`);
       throw new Error(`coulld not remove app ${err.message}`);
     }
   }
 
   async install (app) {
-    let install = [`--id`, this.udid, `--uninstall`, `--bundle`, app]; 
+    let install = [`--id`, this.udid, `--uninstall`, `--bundle`, app];
     try {
       let {stdout} =  await exec(this.cmd, install, { maxBuffer: 524288});
       logger.debug(`app install stdout : ${stdout}`);
     } catch (err) {
-      logger.debug(`Error : ${err.message}`);  
+      logger.debug(`Error : ${err.message}`);
       throw new Error(`could not install app ${err.message}`);
-    }       
+    }
   }
 
   async isInstalled (bundleid) {
     let isInstalled = [`--exists`, `--id`, this.udid, `--bundle_id`, bundleid];
     try {
       let {stdout} = await exec(this.cmd, isInstalled, { maxBuffer: 524288});
-      logger.debug(`app isInstalled stdout : ${stdout}`);
+      logger.debug(`Stdout from app isInstalled check: ${stdout}`);
       return (stdout && (stdout.indexOf("true") > -1));
     } catch (err) {
-      logger.debug(`Error : ${err.message}`);  
+      logger.debug(`Error checking install status: ${err.message}`);
       return false;
-    }          
+    }
   }
 }
 
-export default IOSDeploy;
\ No newline at end of file
+export default IOSDeploy;
diff --git a/lib/webdriveragent.js b/lib/webdriveragent.js
index ac4b41395..69047688c 100644
--- a/lib/webdriveragent.js
+++ b/lib/webdriveragent.js
@@ -61,8 +61,11 @@ class WebDriverAgent {
     await this.checkForDependencies();
 
     // start the logging process
-    this.deviceLogs = this.realDevice ? this.createRealDeviceLogsSubProcess()
-                                      : this.deviceLogs = this.createSimLogsSubProcess();
+    if (this.realDevice) {
+      this.deviceLogs = await this.createRealDeviceLogsSubProcess();
+    } else {
+      this.deviceLogs = await this.createSimLogsSubProcess();
+    }
 
     this.xcodebuild = await this.createXcodeBuildSubProcess();
 
@@ -149,7 +152,7 @@ class WebDriverAgent {
     return xcodebuild;
   }
 
-  createSimLogsSubProcess () {
+  async createSimLogsSubProcess () {
     let args = [
       '-f',
       '-n', '0',
@@ -166,7 +169,25 @@ class WebDriverAgent {
     return new SubProcess(`iproxy`, [localport, deviceport, this.device.udid]);
   }
 
-  createRealDeviceLogsSubProcess () {
+  async createRealDeviceLogsSubProcess () {
+    async function checkForLogger (logger) {
+      // the logger can be the name of a program on the PATH
+      // or a path to the program
+      try {
+        await fs.which(logger);
+      } catch (err) {
+        // not on the PATH, so see if it is an accessible path itself
+        return await fs.exists(logger);
+      }
+
+      // no error thrown, so all is well
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (!await checkForLogger(this.realDeviceLogger)) {
+      // we have no logger
+      throw new Error(`Unable to find real device logging program '${this.realDeviceLogger}'`);
+    }
+
     let logs = new SubProcess(`${this.realDeviceLogger}`, ['-u', this.device.udid]);
     this.setupLogging(logs, 'Device');
     return logs;