diff --git a/core/includes/install.core.inc b/core/includes/install.core.inc
index e8ef040..becc6e9 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.core.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.core.inc
@@ -2299,8 +2299,17 @@ function install_display_requirements($install_state, $requirements) {
  *   An array of information about the current installation state.
  */
 function install_write_profile($install_state) {
-  $is_mismatch = \Drupal::installProfile() !== $install_state['parameters']['profile'];
-  if ($is_mismatch) {
+  $settings_value = Settings::get('install_profile');
+  // We need to write to settings.php if the value in settings.php does not
+  // equal the selected profile.
+  $need_to_write = $settings_value !== $install_state['parameters']['profile'];
+  // However, if we're dealing with a distribution and the profile is not
+  // writable do not write the value to settings.php if the current value is not
+  // set.
+  if ($settings_value == '' && \Drupal::service('kernel')->getDistribution() && !is_writable(\Drupal::service('site.path') . '/settings.php')) {
+    $need_to_write = FALSE;
+  }
+  if ($need_to_write) {
     // Remember the profile which was used.
     $settings['settings']['install_profile'] = (object) array(
       'value' => $install_state['parameters']['profile'],
diff --git a/core/includes/install.inc b/core/includes/install.inc
index 31d472a..ae23d4e 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.inc
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ function drupal_rewrite_settings($settings = array(), $settings_file = NULL) {
     }
 
     // Write the new settings file.
-    if (file_put_contents(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $settings_file, $buffer) === FALSE) {
+    if (@file_put_contents(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $settings_file, $buffer) === FALSE) {
       throw new Exception(t('Failed to modify %settings. Verify the file permissions.', array('%settings' => $settings_file)));
     }
     else {
diff --git a/core/modules/simpletest/src/InstallerTestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/src/InstallerTestBase.php
index c340c92..084c93e 100644
--- a/core/modules/simpletest/src/InstallerTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/src/InstallerTestBase.php
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ protected function setUp() {
       ->set('app.root', DRUPAL_ROOT);
     \Drupal::setContainer($this->container);
 
-    $this->drupalGet($GLOBALS['base_url'] . '/core/install.php');
+    $this->drupalGet($this->getInstallationUrl());
 
     // Select language.
     $this->setUpLanguage();
@@ -215,4 +215,13 @@ protected function refreshVariables() {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets the URL at which the installation starts.
+   *
+   * @return string
+   */
+  protected function getInstallationUrl() {
+    return $GLOBALS['base_url'] . '/core/install.php';
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/DistributionProfileExistingSettingsTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/DistributionProfileExistingSettingsTest.php
index f6548eb..c999d6a 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/DistributionProfileExistingSettingsTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/DistributionProfileExistingSettingsTest.php
@@ -80,16 +80,18 @@ protected function setUp() {
     mkdir($this->settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY]->value, 0777, TRUE);
     mkdir($this->settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY]->value, 0777, TRUE);
     parent::setUp();
-    $filename = $this->siteDirectory . '/settings.php';
-    // Make the settings file read-only.
-    // Not using File API; a potential error must trigger a PHP warning.
-    chmod($filename, 0444);
   }
 
   /**
    * Overrides InstallerTest::setUpLanguage().
    */
   protected function setUpLanguage() {
+    // Make settings file not writable.
+    $filename = $this->siteDirectory . '/settings.php';
+    // Make the settings file read-only.
+    // Not using File API; a potential error must trigger a PHP warning.
+    chmod($filename, 0444);
+
     // Verify that the distribution name appears.
     $this->assertRaw($this->info['distribution']['name']);
     // Verify that the requested theme is used.
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileBrokenTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileBrokenTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4db9a75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileBrokenTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\system\Tests\Installer\InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileBrokenTest.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Installer;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Site\Settings;
+use Drupal\simpletest\InstallerTestBase;
+use Drupal\Core\Database\Database;
+
+/**
+ * Tests installer breaks with a profile mismatch and a read-only settings.php.
+ *
+ * @group Installer
+ */
+class InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileBrokenTest extends InstallerTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * The excepted exception message thrown during the installer.
+   * @var string;
+   */
+  protected $exceptionMessage;
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   *
+   * Configures a preexisting settings.php file without an install_profile
+   * setting before invoking the interactive installer.
+   */
+  protected function setUp() {
+    // Pre-configure hash salt.
+    // Any string is valid, so simply use the class name of this test.
+    $this->settings['settings']['hash_salt'] = (object) array(
+      'value' => __CLASS__,
+      'required' => TRUE,
+    );
+
+    // Pre-configure database credentials.
+    $connection_info = Database::getConnectionInfo();
+    unset($connection_info['default']['pdo']);
+    unset($connection_info['default']['init_commands']);
+
+    $this->settings['databases']['default'] = (object) array(
+      'value' => $connection_info,
+      'required' => TRUE,
+    );
+
+    // During interactive install we'll change this to a different profile and
+    // this test will ensure that the new value is written to settings.php.
+    $this->settings['settings']['install_profile'] = (object) array(
+      'value' => 'minimal',
+      'required' => TRUE,
+    );
+
+    // Pre-configure config directories.
+    $this->settings['config_directories'] = array(
+      CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY => (object) array(
+        'value' => conf_path() . '/files/config_active',
+        'required' => TRUE,
+      ),
+      CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY => (object) array(
+        'value' => conf_path() . '/files/config_staging',
+        'required' => TRUE,
+      ),
+    );
+    mkdir($this->settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY]->value, 0777, TRUE);
+    mkdir($this->settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY]->value, 0777, TRUE);
+
+    // @todo Remove HTML once https://www.drupal.org/node/2514044 is fixed.
+    $this->exceptionMessage = htmlspecialchars('Failed to modify <em class="placeholder">' . $this->siteDirectory . '/settings.php' . '</em>. Verify the file permissions.');
+    parent::setUp();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function getInstallationUrl() {
+    // Make settings file not writable. This will break the installer.
+    $filename = $this->siteDirectory . '/settings.php';
+    // Make the settings file read-only.
+    // Not using File API; a potential error must trigger a PHP warning.
+    chmod($filename, 0444);
+    return $GLOBALS['base_url'] . '/core/install.php?langcode=en&profile=testing';
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUpLanguage() {
+    // This step is skipped, because there is a lagcode as a query param.
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUpProfile() {
+    // This step is skipped, because there is a profile as a query param.
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUpSettings() {
+    // This step should not appear, since settings.php is fully configured
+    // already.
+  }
+
+  protected function setUpSite() {
+    // This step should not appear, since settings.php could not be written.
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verifies that installation did not succeed.
+   */
+  public function testBrokenInstaller() {
+    $this->assertText($this->exceptionMessage);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function error($message = '', $group = 'Other', array $caller = NULL) {
+    if ($group == 'Exception' && $message == $this->exceptionMessage) {
+      // Ignore the expected exception.
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+    return parent::error($message, $group, $caller);
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37bb7c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\system\Tests\Installer\InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileTest.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Installer;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Site\Settings;
+use Drupal\simpletest\InstallerTestBase;
+use Drupal\Core\Database\Database;
+
+/**
+ * Tests the installer with an existing settings file but no install profile.
+ *
+ * @group Installer
+ */
+class InstallerExistingSettingsMismatchProfileTest extends InstallerTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   *
+   * Configures a preexisting settings.php file without an install_profile
+   * setting before invoking the interactive installer.
+   */
+  protected function setUp() {
+    // Pre-configure hash salt.
+    // Any string is valid, so simply use the class name of this test.
+    $this->settings['settings']['hash_salt'] = (object) array(
+      'value' => __CLASS__,
+      'required' => TRUE,
+    );
+
+    // Pre-configure database credentials.
+    $connection_info = Database::getConnectionInfo();
+    unset($connection_info['default']['pdo']);
+    unset($connection_info['default']['init_commands']);
+
+    $this->settings['databases']['default'] = (object) array(
+      'value' => $connection_info,
+      'required' => TRUE,
+    );
+
+    // During interactive install we'll change this to a different profile and
+    // this test will ensure that the new value is written to settings.php.
+    $this->settings['settings']['install_profile'] = (object) array(
+      'value' => 'minimal',
+      'required' => TRUE,
+    );
+
+    // Pre-configure config directories.
+    $this->settings['config_directories'] = array(
+      CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY => (object) array(
+        'value' => conf_path() . '/files/config_active',
+        'required' => TRUE,
+      ),
+      CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY => (object) array(
+        'value' => conf_path() . '/files/config_staging',
+        'required' => TRUE,
+      ),
+    );
+    mkdir($this->settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY]->value, 0777, TRUE);
+    mkdir($this->settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY]->value, 0777, TRUE);
+
+    parent::setUp();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function getInstallationUrl() {
+    return $GLOBALS['base_url'] . '/core/install.php?langcode=en&profile=testing';
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUpLanguage() {
+    // This step is skipped, because there is a lagcode as a query param.
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUpProfile() {
+    // This step is skipped, because there is a profile as a query param.
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUpSettings() {
+    // This step should not appear, since settings.php is fully configured
+    // already.
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verifies that installation succeeded.
+   */
+  public function testInstaller() {
+    $this->assertUrl('user/1');
+    $this->assertResponse(200);
+    $this->assertEqual('testing', \Drupal::installProfile());
+    $this->assertEqual('testing', Settings::get('install_profile'), 'Profile was correctly changed to testing in Settings.php');
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsTest.php
index 08ae978..4c22a19 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Installer/InstallerExistingSettingsTest.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Installer;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Site\Settings;
 use Drupal\simpletest\InstallerTestBase;
 use Drupal\Core\Database\Database;
 use Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel;
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ public function testInstaller() {
     $this->assertUrl('user/1');
     $this->assertResponse(200);
     $this->assertEqual('testing', drupal_get_profile(), 'Profile was changed from minimal to testing during interactive install.');
+    $this->assertEqual('testing', Settings::get('install_profile'), 'Profile was correctly changed to testing in Settings.php');
   }
 
 }