diff --git a/cake/basics.php b/cake/basics.php
index de96709cb..95f8ca1eb 100644
--- a/cake/basics.php
+++ b/cake/basics.php
@@ -957,6 +957,8 @@
 			}
 		} else if(is_writable(dirname($filename))) {
 			file_put_contents($filename, $data);
+		} else {
+			return false;
 		}
 		return $data;
 	}
diff --git a/cake/libs/configure.php b/cake/libs/configure.php
index fc86a2f19..485127171 100644
--- a/cake/libs/configure.php
+++ b/cake/libs/configure.php
@@ -283,10 +283,11 @@ class Configure extends Object {
  */
 	function __writeConfig($content, $name, $write = true){
 		$file = CACHE . 'persistent' . DS . $name . '.php';
+		$cached = false;
 		if(!file_exists($file)){
-			cache('persistent' . DS . $name . '.php', "<?php\n\$config = array();\n");
+			$cached = cache('persistent' . DS . $name . '.php', "<?php\n\$config = array();\n");
 		}
-		if($write === true){
+		if($write === true && $cached){
 			if(!class_exists('File')){
 				uses('File');
 			}