diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommCommand.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommCommand.cs
index cc9ab8571a..7145d35aae 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommCommand.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommCommand.cs
@@ -8,8 +8,13 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Interop
 	sealed class CommCommand
 	{
 		/// <summary>
-		/// The raw JSON decond of the <see cref="CommCommand"/>
+		/// The dictionary of the <see cref="CommCommand"/>
 		/// </summary>
 		public IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string> Parameters { get; set; }
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// The raw JSON of the <see cref="CommCommand"/>
+		/// </summary>
+		public string RawJson { get; set; }
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommContext.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommContext.cs
index 839086a3bb..f9c5208d88 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommContext.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Interop/CommContext.cs
@@ -109,10 +109,11 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Interop
 				{
 					command = new CommCommand
 					{
-						Parameters = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string>>(file)
+						Parameters = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string>>(file),
+						RawJson = file
 					};
 				}
-				catch (JsonSerializationException ex)
+				catch (JsonException ex)
 				{
 					//file not fully written yet
 					logger.LogDebug("Suppressing json convert exception for command file write: {0}", ex);
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/SessionController.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/SessionController.cs
index dd5d2b7ebb..8cd90b5b72 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/SessionController.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Watchdog/SessionController.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using Byond.TopicSender;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization;
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Globalization;
@@ -286,6 +287,25 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Watchdog
 				content = new object();
 				switch (method)
 				{
+					case Constants.DMCommandChat:
+						try
+						{
+							var message = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Response>(command.RawJson, new JsonSerializerSettings
+							{
+								ContractResolver = new CamelCasePropertyNamesContractResolver()
+							});
+							if (message.ChannelIds == null)
+								throw new InvalidOperationException("Missing ChannelIds field!");
+							if (message.Message == null)
+								throw new InvalidOperationException("Missing Message field!");
+							await chat.SendMessage(message.Message, message.ChannelIds, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+						}
+						catch (Exception e)
+						{
+							logger.LogDebug("Exception while decoding chat message! Exception: {0}", e);
+							goto default;
+						}
+						break;
 					case Constants.DMCommandServerPrimed:
 						//currently unused, maybe in the future
 						break;
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/InstanceController.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/InstanceController.cs
index 5db9cd5897..e220a74e39 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/InstanceController.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/InstanceController.cs
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ using System.Linq;
 using System.Linq.Expressions;
 using System.Net;
 using System.Reflection;
-using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Tgstation.Server.Api;
@@ -121,6 +120,17 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Controllers
 				return BadRequest(new ErrorMessage { Message = "path must not be empty!" });
 
 			NormalizeModelPath(model, out var rawPath);
+
+			var localPath = ioManager.ResolvePath(".");
+			NormalizeModelPath(new Api.Models.Instance
+			{
+				Path = localPath
+			}, out var normalizedLocalPath);
+
+			if (rawPath.StartsWith(normalizedLocalPath, StringComparison.Ordinal))
+				return Conflict("Instances cannot be created in the installation directory!");
+
+
 			var dirExistsTask = ioManager.DirectoryExists(model.Path, cancellationToken);
 			bool attached = false;
 			if (await ioManager.FileExists(model.Path, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false) || await dirExistsTask.ConfigureAwait(false))
diff --git a/tests/Tgstation.Server.Tests/InstanceManagerTest.cs b/tests/Tgstation.Server.Tests/InstanceManagerTest.cs
index 0c9efe68b9..6a09d73d63 100644
--- a/tests/Tgstation.Server.Tests/InstanceManagerTest.cs
+++ b/tests/Tgstation.Server.Tests/InstanceManagerTest.cs
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Tests
 			}, cancellationToken)).ConfigureAwait(false);
 			await Assert.ThrowsExceptionAsync<ConflictException>(() => instanceManagerClient.CreateOrAttach(firstTest, cancellationToken)).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
+			//can't create instances in installation directory
+			await Assert.ThrowsExceptionAsync<ConflictException>(() => instanceManagerClient.CreateOrAttach(new Api.Models.Instance
+			{
+				Path = "./A/Local/Path",
+				Name = "NoInstallDirTest"
+			}, cancellationToken)).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
 			//can't move to existent directories
 			await Assert.ThrowsExceptionAsync<ConflictException>(() => instanceManagerClient.Update(new Api.Models.Instance
 			{