Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls reinforced by geogrids and geotextiles have seen a tremendous growth over the past thirty years. However, along with this growth has come numerous failures consisting of excessive deformation and, in some cases, actual collapse. Of the 82-cases in the authors data base, improper drainage control was the cause in 68% of them. As a result, this paper is focused on both internal drainage issues within the reinforced soil mass within the reinforced soil mass (46%) and external drainage issues around the soil mass (22%). After a brief introduction of the technology some elements of traditional design will be presented. The issue of proper versus improper methods of drainage control will then form the core of the paper. A summary and recommendations section aimed at preventing drainage problems in the future will conclude the paper.