diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/SettingsController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/SettingsController.php
index 0980b297c6..5f2d57ffd4 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/SettingsController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/SettingsController.php
@@ -163,16 +163,26 @@ class SettingsController extends Controller
 
     }
 
-    public function slacktest(SlackSettingsRequest $request)
+    public function slacktest(Request $request)
     {
 
         \Log::error(strncmp($request->input('slack_endpoint'), 'https://hooks.slack.com/', 24));
         \Log::error('Endpoint: '.$request->input('slack_endpoint'));
         \Log::error('Request: '.print_r($request->all(), true));
-        \Log::error('Rules: '.print_r(Setting::rules(), true));
+        // \Log::error('Rules: '.print_r(Setting::rules(), true));
 
        
 
+        $validator = Validator::make($request->all(), [
+            'slack_endpoint'                      => 'url|required_with:slack_channel|starts_with:https://hooks.slack.com|nullable',
+            'slack_channel'                       => 'required_with:slack_endpoint|starts_with:#|nullable',
+        ]);
+
+        if ($validator->fails()) {
+            return response()->json(['message' => 'Validation failed', 'errors' => $validator->errors()], 422);
+        }
+
+
         // if (($request->filled('slack_endpoint')) && ((strncmp($request->input('slack_endpoint'), "https://hooks.slack.com/", 24) !== 0))) {
         //     return response()->json(['message' => 'Oops! Please check the endpoint URL. Slack endpoints should start with https://hooks.slack.com. Your current endpoint is '.$request->input('slack_endpoint'), ['errors' => 'Invalid slack endpoint.']], 422);
             
@@ -221,7 +231,7 @@ class SettingsController extends Controller
                 return response()->json(['message' => 'Success'], 200);
 
             } catch (\Exception $e) {
-                return response()->json(['message' => 'Oops! Please check the channel name and webhook endpoint URL. Slack responded with: '.$e->getMessage()], 400);
+                return response()->json(['message' => 'FARTS! Please check the channel name and webhook endpoint URL ('.$request->input('slack_endpoint').'). Slack responded with: '.$e->getMessage()], 400);
             }
         
         //} 
diff --git a/app/Http/Requests/SlackSettingsRequest.php b/app/Http/Requests/SlackSettingsRequest.php
index d838fde462..1f44215198 100644
--- a/app/Http/Requests/SlackSettingsRequest.php
+++ b/app/Http/Requests/SlackSettingsRequest.php
@@ -22,15 +22,12 @@ class SlackSettingsRequest extends Request
     public function rules()
     {
         return [
-            'slack_endpoint' => 'url|required_with:slack_channel|starts_with:https://hooks.slack.com|nullable',
+            'slack_endpoint'                      => 'url|required_with:slack_channel|starts_with:"https://hooks.slack.com"|nullable',
             'slack_channel'                       => 'required_with:slack_endpoint|starts_with:#|nullable',
             'slack_botname'                       => 'string|nullable',
 
         ];
     }
 
-    public function response(array $errors)
-    {
-        return $this->redirector->back()->withInput()->withErrors($errors, $this->errorBag);
-    }
+
 }
diff --git a/app/Models/Setting.php b/app/Models/Setting.php
index 13d7b38bc1..447071e2a9 100755
--- a/app/Models/Setting.php
+++ b/app/Models/Setting.php
@@ -52,10 +52,7 @@ class Setting extends Model
           'admin_cc_email'                      => 'email|nullable',
           'default_currency'                    => 'required',
           'locale'                              => 'required',
-          'slack_endpoint'                      => 'url|required_with:slack_channel|nullable',
           'labels_per_page'                     => 'numeric',
-          'slack_channel'                       => 'regex:/^[\#\@]?\w+/|required_with:slack_endpoint|nullable',
-          'slack_botname'                       => 'string|nullable',
           'labels_width'                        => 'numeric',
           'labels_height'                       => 'numeric',
           'labels_pmargin_left'                 => 'numeric|nullable',
diff --git a/resources/lang/en/validation.php b/resources/lang/en/validation.php
index 4ece7d41c7..801cfe4931 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en/validation.php
+++ b/resources/lang/en/validation.php
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ return array(
         'string'  => 'The :attribute must be at least :min characters.',
         'array'   => 'The :attribute must have at least :min items.',
     ],
+    'starts_with'          => 'The :attribute must start with one of the following: :values.',
     'not_in'               => 'The selected :attribute is invalid.',
     'numeric'              => 'The :attribute must be a number.',
     'present'              => 'The :attribute field must be present.',
diff --git a/resources/views/settings/slack.blade.php b/resources/views/settings/slack.blade.php
index 22da6f1de5..f7bd8b84b6 100644
--- a/resources/views/settings/slack.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/settings/slack.blade.php
@@ -165,14 +165,23 @@
             $("#slackteststatus").removeClass('text-danger');
             $("#slackteststatus").html('');
             $("#slacktesticon").html('<i class="fa fa-spinner spin"></i> Sending Slack test message...');
-            $.ajax({
+            $.ajax(
+                {
+                // If I comment this back in, I always get a success (200) message
+                // Without it, I get 
+                    //  beforeSend: function (xhr) { 
+                    //  xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type","application/json");
+                    // xhr.setRequestHeader("Accept","text/json");
+                    // },
             
+                
                 url: '{{ route('api.settings.slacktest') }}',
                 type: 'POST',
                 headers: {
                     "X-Requested-With": 'XMLHttpRequest',
                     "X-CSRF-TOKEN": $('meta[name="csrf-token"]').attr('content'),
-                    "X-CSRF-TOKEN": $('meta[name="csrf-token"]').attr('content')
+                //    'Accept': 'application/json',
+                //    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
                 },
                 data: {
                     'slack_endpoint': $('#slack_endpoint').val(),