diff --git a/tethysapp/app_store/begin_install.py b/tethysapp/app_store/begin_install.py
index ad2c477..ee89b2b 100755
--- a/tethysapp/app_store/begin_install.py
+++ b/tethysapp/app_store/begin_install.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 from .helpers import check_all_present, logger, send_notification
 from .resource_helpers import get_resource, get_app_instance_from_path
+from tethys_apps.base.workspace import TethysWorkspace
 
 
 def handle_property_not_present(prop):
@@ -92,9 +93,14 @@ def detect_app_dependencies(app_name, channel_layer, notification_method=send_no
     if custom_settings:
         notification_method("Processing App's Custom Settings....", channel_layer)
         for setting in custom_settings:
+            default = setting.default
+            if isinstance(default, TethysWorkspace):
+                default = default.path
+
             setting = {"name": setting.name,
                        "description": setting.description,
-                       "default": str(setting.default),
+                       "required": setting.required,
+                       "default": str(default),
                        }
             custom_settings_json.append(setting)
 
diff --git a/tethysapp/app_store/public/js/main.js b/tethysapp/app_store/public/js/main.js
index 6150de1..dd42ff3 100755
--- a/tethysapp/app_store/public/js/main.js
+++ b/tethysapp/app_store/public/js/main.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const settingsHelper = {
         if (settingsData) {
             if (settingsData.length > 0) {
                 $("#skipConfigButton").click(function() {
+                    $(".setting_warning").hide()
                     ws.send(
                         JSON.stringify({
                             data: {
@@ -42,11 +43,13 @@ const settingsHelper = {
                 let formDataElement = $("#custom-settings-container").children("form")
                 settingsData.forEach((setting) => {
                     let defaultValue = setting.default ? setting.default : ""
+                    let requiredClass = setting.required ? "required_setting" : ""
                     let newElement = `
                     <div class="form-group">
-                        <label for="${setting.name}">${setting.name}</label>
-                        <input type="text" class="form-control" id="${setting.name}" value="${defaultValue}">
+                        <label for="${setting.name}">${setting.name}${setting.required ? "*": ""}</label>
+                        <input type="text" class="form-control ${requiredClass}" id="${setting.name}" value="${defaultValue}">
                         <p class="help-block">${setting.description}</p>
+                        <div id="${setting.name}_warningMessage" style="display:none;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px" class="p-3 mb-2 bg-warning text-white setting_warning">This setting is required and must be filled to submit settings</div>
                     </div>`
                     formDataElement.append(newElement)
                 })
@@ -55,8 +58,10 @@ const settingsHelper = {
                     `<button type="submit" class="btn btn-success">Submit</button>`
                 )
                 formDataElement.submit(function(event) {
+                    $(".setting_warning").hide()
                     event.preventDefault()
                     let formData = { settings: {} }
+                    let has_errors = false
                     if ("app_py_path" in completeMessage) {
                         formData["app_py_path"] = completeMessage["app_py_path"]
                     }
@@ -64,9 +69,17 @@ const settingsHelper = {
                         .children("form")
                         .find(".form-control")
                         .each(function() {
+                            if ($(this).hasClass("required_setting") && $(this).val() == "") {
+                                let setting_name = $(this)[0].id
+                                $(`#${setting_name}_warningMessage`).show()
+                                has_errors = true
+                            }
                             formData.settings[$(this).attr("id")] = $(this).val()
                         })
-
+                    
+                    if (has_errors) {
+                        return
+                    }
                     ws.send(
                         JSON.stringify({
                             data: formData,
diff --git a/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/addToWarehouse.html b/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/addToWarehouse.html
index b5d5e00..2fe8d33 100644
--- a/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/addToWarehouse.html
+++ b/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/addToWarehouse.html
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ <h5 class="modal-title" id="add-app-modal-label">Submit your application to the
                     <label for="notifEmail">Notification Email</label>
                     <input type="text" class="form-control" id="notifEmail" placeholder="Email Address to notify on build">
                 </div>
-                <div id="notifEmail_failMessage" style="display:none;margin-top:10px;" class="p-3 mb-2 bg-warning text-white">A github url must be provided</div>
+                <div id="notifEmail_failMessage" style="display:none;margin-top:10px;" class="p-3 mb-2 bg-warning text-white">A email for notifications must be provided</div>
                 <div id="{{ store.conda_channel }}_failMessage" style="display:none;margin-top:10px;" class="p-3 mb-2 bg-info text-white"></div>
                 <div class="form-group">
                     <label for="githubURL">GitHub URL</label>
diff --git a/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/customSettings.html b/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/customSettings.html
index d39b7b6..20c6c39 100644
--- a/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/customSettings.html
+++ b/tethysapp/app_store/templates/app_store/modals/customSettings.html
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ <h5 class="modal-title" id="custom-settings-modal-label">Define Custom Settings<
             <div class="modal-body" id="custom-settings-container">
             </div>
             <div class="modal-footer">
+                <p>*Settings with an asterisk are required unless the configuration is skipped</p>
                 <div id="customSettingLoader" hidden>
                     <img width="100px" src="{% static 'app_store/images/loader.gif' %}" />
                 </div>
diff --git a/tethysapp/app_store/tests/unit_tests/test_begin_install.py b/tethysapp/app_store/tests/unit_tests/test_begin_install.py
index 68810f6..45488cb 100644
--- a/tethysapp/app_store/tests/unit_tests/test_begin_install.py
+++ b/tethysapp/app_store/tests/unit_tests/test_begin_install.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def test_detect_app_dependencies_pip_settings(mocker, tethysapp_base_with_applic
     mock_subprocess.Popen().stdout.readline.side_effect = [""]
     mock_tethysapp = mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.tethysapp')
     mock_app = MagicMock()
-    mock_setting = MagicMock(default=True, description="description")
+    mock_setting = MagicMock(default="some_value", description="description", required=True)
     mock_setting.name = "name"
     mock_app.custom_settings.return_value = [mock_setting]
     mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.get_app_instance_from_path', return_value=mock_app)
@@ -67,7 +67,45 @@ def test_detect_app_dependencies_pip_settings(mocker, tethysapp_base_with_applic
     detect_app_dependencies(app_name, channel_layer, mock_ws)
 
     expected_data_json = {
-        "data": [{"name": "name", "description": "description", "default": "True"}],
+        "data": [{"name": "name", "description": "description", "required": True, "default": "some_value"}],
+        "returnMethod": "set_custom_settings",
+        "jsHelperFunction": "processCustomSettings",
+        "app_py_path": str(tethysapp_base_with_application_files / "tethysapp")
+    }
+    mock_ws.assert_has_calls([
+        call("Running PIP install....", channel_layer),
+        call("PIP install completed", channel_layer),
+        call("Processing App's Custom Settings....", channel_layer),
+        call(expected_data_json, channel_layer)
+    ])
+    assert mock_subprocess.Popen().stdout.readline.call_count == 1
+
+
+def test_detect_app_dependencies_pip_settings_workspace_default(mocker, tethysapp_base_with_application_files,
+                                                                tmp_path):
+    app_name = "test_app"
+    channel_layer = MagicMock()
+    mock_ws = MagicMock()
+    mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.call')
+    mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.cache')
+    mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.importlib')
+    mock_subprocess = mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.subprocess')
+    mock_subprocess.Popen().stdout.readline.side_effect = [""]
+    mock_tethysapp = mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.tethysapp')
+    mock_app = MagicMock()
+    mock_workspace = MagicMock(path=str(tmp_path))
+    mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.isinstance', return_value=True)
+    mock_setting = MagicMock(default=mock_workspace, description="description", required=True)
+    mock_setting.name = "name"
+    mock_app.custom_settings.return_value = [mock_setting]
+    mocker.patch('tethysapp.app_store.begin_install.get_app_instance_from_path', return_value=mock_app)
+
+    mock_tethysapp.__path__ = [str(tethysapp_base_with_application_files / "tethysapp")]
+
+    detect_app_dependencies(app_name, channel_layer, mock_ws)
+
+    expected_data_json = {
+        "data": [{"name": "name", "description": "description", "required": True, "default": str(tmp_path)}],
         "returnMethod": "set_custom_settings",
         "jsHelperFunction": "processCustomSettings",
         "app_py_path": str(tethysapp_base_with_application_files / "tethysapp")