diff --git a/compat/incorrect/README b/compat/incorrect/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..80af7cb06f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/incorrect/README
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+This is a directory that should never be added to your MATLAB path.
+It only serves to check whether your path is setup incorrectly.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2010b/README b/compat/matlablt2010b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb715fb302
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2010b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
+
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2011b/README b/compat/matlablt2011b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2011b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2012a/README b/compat/matlablt2012a/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2012a/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2013b/README b/compat/matlablt2013b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2013b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2014b/README b/compat/matlablt2014b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2014b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2015a/README b/compat/matlablt2015a/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2015a/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2016b/README b/compat/matlablt2016b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2016b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/compat/matlablt2017b/README b/compat/matlablt2017b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a371a10f45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/matlablt2017b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This directory contains some functions that allow FieldTrip to run
+on older MATLAB versions. These functions emulate the functionality
+that is present in the latest MATLAB version.
+
+Each of these directories is called matlabltXXXXX, where "lt" stands
+for "less than" and XXXXX is the MATLAB release. If you are using
+MATLAB release N, then you should only add the directories N+1,
+N+2, ... to your path. In general this will be done automatically
+by the ft_defaults function.
+
+See also http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path
diff --git a/ft_defaults.m b/ft_defaults.m
index 8d361a6553..c209fca1da 100644
--- a/ft_defaults.m
+++ b/ft_defaults.m
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@
 if ~isfield(ft_default.toolbox, 'stats') , ft_default.toolbox.stats   = 'compat'; end % matlab or compat
 if ~isfield(ft_default.toolbox, 'signal'), ft_default.toolbox.signal  = 'compat'; end % matlab or compat
 
+% Some people mess up their path settings and then have
+% stuff on the path that should not be there.
+% The following will issue a warning
+checkIncorrectPath();
+
 % Check whether this ft_defaults function has already been executed. Note that we
 % should not use ft_default itself directly, because the user might have set stuff
 % in that struct already prior to ft_defaults being called for the first time.
@@ -316,3 +321,18 @@ function checkMultipleToolbox(toolbox, keyfile)
 end
 end % function checkMultipleToolbox
 
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+% SUBFUNCTION
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+function checkIncorrectPath
+
+persistent v p
+if isempty(v) || isempty(p)
+  [v, p] = ft_version;
+end
+
+incorrect = fullfile(p, 'compat', 'incorrect');
+if contains(path, incorrect)
+  ft_warning('Your path is set up incorrectly.\nYou probably used addpath(genpath(''path_to_fieldtrip'')).\nThis can lead to unexpected behaviour.\nSee http://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/faq/should_i_add_fieldtrip_with_all_subdirectories_to_my_matlab_path');
+end
+end % function checkPath