diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
index e9f1f5b5b5..201637b6e7 100644
--- a/INSTALL.md
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -2,15 +2,27 @@ SBMLSolver installation instructions
 ====================================
 
 
-1. First build the SBMLSolver dependencies, these are in a separate git repo. You
+1. Check to see if zlib1g is installed. If it is not installed you will need to install it by
+
+   ```
+   sudo apt-get install zlib1g-dev
+   ```
+
+2. Check to see if libncurses is installed. If it is not installed you will need to install it by
+
+   ```
+   sudo apt-get install libncurses-dev
+   ```
+
+3. First build the SBMLSolver dependencies, these are in a separate git repo. You
    will install this into its own directory, reccomended to install to $HOME/local
 
    <https://github.com/AndySomogyi/sbmlsolver_dep>
 
 
-2. grab this repo from git, assuming you'll call it '$HOME/src/sbmlsolver'.
+4. grab this repo from git, assuming you'll call it '$HOME/src/sbmlsolver'.
 
-3. Create a build directory, ```$HOME/src/sbmlsolver_build```, go to this dir and
+5. Create a build directory, ```$HOME/src/sbmlsolver_build```, go to this dir and
    run ccmake,
 
    ```
@@ -30,7 +42,7 @@ SBMLSolver installation instructions
    ccmake -G"Xcode" ../sbmlsolver
    ```
 
- 4. In the ccmake gui, select ```$HOME/local``` (or wherever you installed the dependencies to)
+ 6. In the ccmake gui, select ```$HOME/local``` (or wherever you installed the dependencies to)
     as the value for the ``` SBMLSOLVER_DEP_DIR``` build option.
 
     Hit 'c' a few times to configure, and 'g' to generate the project file.