diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Api/ConfigurationService.cs b/MediaBrowser.Api/ConfigurationService.cs
index 9c8120de7d..2e5c252d63 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Api/ConfigurationService.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Api/ConfigurationService.cs
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api
     {
         [ApiMember(Name = "Path", Description = "Path", IsRequired = true, DataType = "string", ParameterType = "path", Verb = "GET")]
         public string Path { get; set; }
+        [ApiMember(Name = "PathType", Description = "PathType", IsRequired = true, DataType = "string", ParameterType = "path", Verb = "GET")]
+        public string PathType { get; set; }
     }
 
     public class ConfigurationService : BaseApiService
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api
 
         public void Post(UpdateMediaEncoderPath request)
         {
-            var task = _mediaEncoder.UpdateEncoderPath(request.Path);
+            var task = _mediaEncoder.UpdateEncoderPath(request.Path, request.PathType);
             Task.WaitAll(task);
         }
 
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Controller/MediaEncoding/IMediaEncoder.cs b/MediaBrowser.Controller/MediaEncoding/IMediaEncoder.cs
index 77ba1685f5..12c893b0fc 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Controller/MediaEncoding/IMediaEncoder.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Controller/MediaEncoding/IMediaEncoder.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Controller.MediaEncoding
     /// </summary>
     public interface IMediaEncoder : ITranscoderSupport
     {
+        string EncoderLocationType { get; }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets the encoder path.
         /// </summary>
@@ -60,12 +62,12 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Controller.MediaEncoding
         /// <param name="maxWidth">The maximum width.</param>
         /// <param name="cancellationToken">The cancellation token.</param>
         /// <returns>Task.</returns>
-        Task ExtractVideoImagesOnInterval(string[] inputFiles, 
-            MediaProtocol protocol, 
-            Video3DFormat? threedFormat, 
-            TimeSpan interval, 
-            string targetDirectory, 
-            string filenamePrefix, 
+        Task ExtractVideoImagesOnInterval(string[] inputFiles,
+            MediaProtocol protocol,
+            Video3DFormat? threedFormat,
+            TimeSpan interval,
+            string targetDirectory,
+            string filenamePrefix,
             int? maxWidth,
             CancellationToken cancellationToken);
 
@@ -131,6 +133,6 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Controller.MediaEncoding
 
         void Init();
 
-        Task UpdateEncoderPath(string path);
+        Task UpdateEncoderPath(string path, string pathType);
     }
 }
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding/Encoder/MediaEncoder.cs b/MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding/Encoder/MediaEncoder.cs
index 11291a05a5..5b9a2a6820 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding/Encoder/MediaEncoder.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding/Encoder/MediaEncoder.cs
@@ -99,6 +99,39 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder
             _hasExternalEncoder = hasExternalEncoder;
         }
 
+        public string EncoderLocationType
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (_hasExternalEncoder)
+                {
+                    return "External";
+                }
+
+                if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(FFMpegPath))
+                {
+                    return null;
+                }
+
+                if (IsSystemInstalledPath(FFMpegPath))
+                {
+                    return "System";
+                }
+
+                return "Custom";
+            }
+        }
+
+        private bool IsSystemInstalledPath(string path)
+        {
+            if (path.IndexOf("/", StringComparison.Ordinal) == -1 && path.IndexOf("\\", StringComparison.Ordinal) == -1)
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            return false;
+        }
+
         public void Init()
         {
             ConfigureEncoderPaths();
@@ -115,10 +148,13 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder
 
             var valueToSave = FFMpegPath;
 
-            // if using system variable, don't save this.
-            if (string.Equals(valueToSave, "ffmpeg", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(valueToSave))
             {
-                valueToSave = null;
+                // if using system variable, don't save this.
+                if (IsSystemInstalledPath(valueToSave))
+                {
+                    valueToSave = null;
+                }
             }
 
             if (!string.Equals(valueToSave, appPath, StringComparison.Ordinal))
@@ -128,19 +164,39 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder
             }
         }
 
-        public async Task UpdateEncoderPath(string path)
+        public async Task UpdateEncoderPath(string path, string pathType)
         {
-            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(path))
+            if (_hasExternalEncoder)
             {
-                throw new ArgumentNullException("path");
+                return;
             }
 
-            if (!File.Exists(path) && !Directory.Exists(path))
+            Tuple<string, string> newPaths;
+
+            if (string.Equals(pathType, "system", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                path = "ffmpeg";
+
+                newPaths = TestForInstalledVersions();
+            }
+            else if (string.Equals(pathType, "custom", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(path))
+                {
+                    throw new ArgumentNullException("path");
+                }
+
+                if (!File.Exists(path) && !Directory.Exists(path))
+                {
+                    throw new ResourceNotFoundException();
+                }
+                newPaths = GetEncoderPaths(path);
+            }
+            else
             {
-                throw new ResourceNotFoundException();
+                throw new ArgumentException("Unexpected pathType value");
             }
 
-            var newPaths = GetEncoderPaths(path);
             if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(newPaths.Item1))
             {
                 throw new ResourceNotFoundException("ffmpeg not found");
@@ -252,7 +308,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder
             }
         }
 
-        private Tuple<string,string> GetPathsFromDirectory(string path)
+        private Tuple<string, string> GetPathsFromDirectory(string path)
         {
             // Since we can't predict the file extension, first try directly within the folder 
             // If that doesn't pan out, then do a recursive search
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Model/System/SystemInfo.cs b/MediaBrowser.Model/System/SystemInfo.cs
index 868d9dc282..3d1de5b379 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Model/System/SystemInfo.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Model/System/SystemInfo.cs
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Model.System
         /// <value><c>true</c> if [supports automatic run at startup]; otherwise, <c>false</c>.</value>
         public bool SupportsAutoRunAtStartup { get; set; }
 
-        public bool HasExternalEncoder { get; set; }
+        public string EncoderLocationType { get; set; }
 
         public Architecture SystemArchitecture { get; set; }
 
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common/ApplicationHost.cs b/MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common/ApplicationHost.cs
index ec1ccbff57..1d7b65e5f1 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common/ApplicationHost.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common/ApplicationHost.cs
@@ -658,13 +658,13 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common
 
             encoderPath = info.EncoderPath;
             probePath = info.ProbePath;
-            _hasExternalEncoder = string.Equals(info.Version, "external", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            var hasExternalEncoder = string.Equals(info.Version, "external", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
 
             var mediaEncoder = new MediaEncoder(LogManager.GetLogger("MediaEncoder"),
                 JsonSerializer,
                 encoderPath,
                 probePath,
-                _hasExternalEncoder,
+                hasExternalEncoder,
                 ServerConfigurationManager,
                 FileSystemManager,
                 LiveTvManager,
@@ -1100,7 +1100,6 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common
             }
         }
 
-        private bool _hasExternalEncoder;
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets the system status.
         /// </summary>
@@ -1141,7 +1140,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Server.Startup.Common
                 ServerName = FriendlyName,
                 LocalAddress = localAddress,
                 SupportsLibraryMonitor = SupportsLibraryMonitor,
-                HasExternalEncoder = _hasExternalEncoder,
+                EncoderLocationType = MediaEncoder.EncoderLocationType,
                 SystemArchitecture = NativeApp.Environment.SystemArchitecture
             };
         }