diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/amazons3.php b/apps/files_external/lib/amazons3.php
index 9a682fb2d4..00baacd488 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/amazons3.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/amazons3.php
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ class AmazonS3 extends \OC\Files\Storage\Common {
 		$scheme = ($params['use_ssl'] === 'false') ? 'http' : 'https';
 		$this->test = isset($params['test']);
 		$this->timeout = ( ! isset($params['timeout'])) ? 15 : $params['timeout'];
-		$params['region'] = ( ! isset($params['region'])) ? 'eu-west-1' : $params['region'];
-		$params['hostname'] = ( !isset($params['hostname'])) ? 's3.amazonaws.com' : $params['hostname'];
-		if (!isset($params['port'])) {
+		$params['region'] = ( ! isset($params['region']) || $params['region'] === '' ) ? 'eu-west-1' : $params['region'];
+		$params['hostname'] = ( !isset($params['hostname']) || $params['hostname'] === '' ) ? 's3.amazonaws.com' : $params['hostname'];
+		if (!isset($params['port']) || $params['port'] === '') {
 			$params['port'] = ($params['use_ssl'] === 'false') ? 80 : 443;
 		}
 		$base_url = $scheme.'://'.$params['hostname'].':'.$params['port'].'/';
@@ -507,8 +507,10 @@ class AmazonS3 extends \OC\Files\Storage\Common {
 	}
 
 	public function test() {
-		$test = $this->s3->get_canonical_user_id();
-		if (isset($test['id']) && $test['id'] != '') {
+		$test = $this->connection->getBucketAcl(array(
+			'Bucket' => $this->bucket,
+		));
+		if (isset($test) && !is_null($test->getPath('Owner/ID'))) {
 			return true;
 		}
 		return false;
diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/config.php b/apps/files_external/lib/config.php
index aaa6c5be1a..12836c7b88 100755
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/config.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/config.php
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ class OC_Mount_Config {
 				'key' => 'Access Key',
 				'secret' => '*Secret Key',
 				'bucket' => 'Bucket',
-				'hostname' => 'Hostname (optional)',
-				'port' => 'Port (optional)',
-				'region' => 'Region (optional)',
+				'hostname' => '&Hostname (optional)',
+				'port' => '&Port (optional)',
+				'region' => '&Region (optional)',
 				'use_ssl' => '!Enable SSL',
 				'use_path_style' => '!Enable Path Style'));
 
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ class OC_Mount_Config {
 				$storage = new $class($options);
 				return $storage->test();
 			} catch (Exception $exception) {
+				\OCP\Util::logException('files_external', $exception);
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/apps/files_external/templates/settings.php b/apps/files_external/templates/settings.php
index 0d318a183c..3ca16c3c7a 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/templates/settings.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/templates/settings.php
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 											   class="optional"
 											   data-parameter="<?php p($parameter); ?>"
 											   value="<?php p($value); ?>"
-											   placeholder="<?php p(substr($placeholder, 5)); ?>" />
+											   placeholder="<?php p(substr($placeholder, 1)); ?>" />
 									<?php elseif (strpos($placeholder, '#') !== false): ?>
 										<input type="hidden"
 											   data-parameter="<?php p($parameter); ?>"