diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index c3e59c8048e..9f07dc79c1d 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ RUN mkdir -p "$GF_PATHS_HOME/.aws" && \
     useradd -r -u $GF_UID -g grafana grafana && \
     mkdir -p "$GF_PATHS_PROVISIONING/datasources" \
              "$GF_PATHS_PROVISIONING/dashboards" \
+             "$GF_PATHS_PROVISIONING/notifiers" \
              "$GF_PATHS_LOGS" \
              "$GF_PATHS_PLUGINS" \
              "$GF_PATHS_DATA" && \
diff --git a/packaging/deb/control/postinst b/packaging/deb/control/postinst
index 351c966a8e6..957f8aef307 100755
--- a/packaging/deb/control/postinst
+++ b/packaging/deb/control/postinst
@@ -31,11 +31,16 @@ case "$1" in
     cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/ldap.toml /etc/grafana/ldap.toml
   fi
 
-  if [ ! -f $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR ]; then
+  if [ ! -d $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR ]; then
     mkdir -p $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/dashboards $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/datasources
     cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/provisioning/dashboards/sample.yaml $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/dashboards/sample.yaml
     cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/provisioning/datasources/sample.yaml $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/datasources/sample.yaml
-  fi 
+  fi
+
+  if [ ! -d $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/notifiers ]; then
+    mkdir -p $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/notifiers
+    cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/provisioning/notifiers/sample.yaml $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/notifiers/sample.yaml
+  fi
 
 	# configuration files should not be modifiable by grafana user, as this can be a security issue
 	chown -Rh root:$GRAFANA_GROUP /etc/grafana/*
diff --git a/packaging/docker/Dockerfile b/packaging/docker/Dockerfile
index d4f2f2aa7a3..d783cb14377 100644
--- a/packaging/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/packaging/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ RUN mkdir -p "$GF_PATHS_HOME/.aws" && \
     useradd -r -u $GF_UID -g grafana grafana && \
     mkdir -p "$GF_PATHS_PROVISIONING/datasources" \
              "$GF_PATHS_PROVISIONING/dashboards" \
+             "$GF_PATHS_PROVISIONING/notifiers" \
              "$GF_PATHS_LOGS" \
              "$GF_PATHS_PLUGINS" \
              "$GF_PATHS_DATA" && \
diff --git a/packaging/rpm/control/postinst b/packaging/rpm/control/postinst
index e75850f258e..cd679838487 100755
--- a/packaging/rpm/control/postinst
+++ b/packaging/rpm/control/postinst
@@ -45,11 +45,16 @@ if [ $1 -eq 1 ] ; then
     cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/ldap.toml /etc/grafana/ldap.toml
   fi
 
-  if [ ! -f $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR ]; then
+  if [ ! -d $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR ]; then
     mkdir -p $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/dashboards $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/datasources
     cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/provisioning/dashboards/sample.yaml $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/dashboards/sample.yaml
     cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/provisioning/datasources/sample.yaml $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/datasources/sample.yaml
-  fi 
+  fi
+
+  if [ ! -d $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/notifiers ]; then
+    mkdir -p $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/notifiers
+    cp /usr/share/grafana/conf/provisioning/notifiers/sample.yaml $PROVISIONING_CFG_DIR/notifiers/sample.yaml
+  fi
 
  	# Set user permissions on /var/log/grafana, /var/lib/grafana
 	mkdir -p /var/log/grafana /var/lib/grafana
diff --git a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/config_reader.go b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/config_reader.go
index fa08972961d..c57ca1c55e1 100644
--- a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/config_reader.go
+++ b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/config_reader.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (cr *configReader) readConfig() ([]*DashboardsAsConfig, error) {
 
 	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(cr.path)
 	if err != nil {
-		cr.log.Error("can't read dashboard provisioning files from directory", "path", cr.path)
+		cr.log.Error("can't read dashboard provisioning files from directory", "path", cr.path, "error", err)
 		return dashboards, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/provisioning/datasources/config_reader.go b/pkg/services/provisioning/datasources/config_reader.go
index b2930c2b679..34c1418aa98 100644
--- a/pkg/services/provisioning/datasources/config_reader.go
+++ b/pkg/services/provisioning/datasources/config_reader.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func (cr *configReader) readConfig(path string) ([]*DatasourcesAsConfig, error)
 
 	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		cr.log.Error("can't read datasource provisioning files from directory", "path", path)
+		cr.log.Error("can't read datasource provisioning files from directory", "path", path, "error", err)
 		return datasources, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/provisioning/notifiers/config_reader.go b/pkg/services/provisioning/notifiers/config_reader.go
index e712e8e3eff..c1b4cbf9f29 100644
--- a/pkg/services/provisioning/notifiers/config_reader.go
+++ b/pkg/services/provisioning/notifiers/config_reader.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func (cr *configReader) readConfig(path string) ([]*notificationsAsConfig, error
 
 	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		cr.log.Error("Can't read alert notification provisioning files from directory", "path", path)
+		cr.log.Error("Can't read alert notification provisioning files from directory", "path", path, "error", err)
 		return notifications, nil
 	}