diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index 2c59457cd..6255e9676 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -99,7 +99,14 @@ class SynapseHomeServer(HomeServer):
     def build_resource_for_web_client(self):
         webclient_path = self.get_config().web_client_location
         if not webclient_path:
-            import syweb
+            try:
+                import syweb
+            except ImportError:
+                quit_with_error(
+                    "Could not find a webclient. Please either install syweb\n"
+                    "or configure the location of the source to server via\n"
+                    "the config option `web_client_location`"
+                )
             syweb_path = os.path.dirname(syweb.__file__)
             webclient_path = os.path.join(syweb_path, "webclient")
         # GZip is disabled here due to
diff --git a/synapse/python_dependencies.py b/synapse/python_dependencies.py
index fa06480ad..61a362bb1 100644
--- a/synapse/python_dependencies.py
+++ b/synapse/python_dependencies.py
@@ -34,11 +34,7 @@ REQUIREMENTS = {
     "blist": ["blist"],
     "pysaml2": ["saml2"],
 }
-CONDITIONAL_REQUIREMENTS = {
-    "web_client": {
-        "matrix_angular_sdk>=0.6.6": ["syweb>=0.6.6"],
-    }
-}
+CONDITIONAL_REQUIREMENTS = {}
 
 
 def requirements(config=None, include_conditional=False):