diff --git a/lib/dashboard/console.js b/lib/dashboard/console.js
index edd3feff3..c78a97821 100644
--- a/lib/dashboard/console.js
+++ b/lib/dashboard/console.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class Console {
         'versions - ' + __('display versions in use for libraries and tools like web3 and solc'),
         // TODO: only if the blockchain is actually active!
         // will need to pass te current embark state here
+        'ipfs - ' + __('instantiated js-ipfs object configured to the current environment (available if ipfs is enabled)'),
         'web3 - ' + __('instantiated web3.js object configured to the current environment'),
         'quit - ' + __('to immediatly exit (alias: exit)'),
         '',
diff --git a/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js b/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
index d5a310708..9f8507e25 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 let UploadIPFS = require('./upload.js');
 let utils = require('../../utils/utils.js');
 let fs = require('../../core/fs.js');
+let RunCode = require('../../core/runCode.js');
+let IpfsApi = require('ipfs-api');
 
 class IPFS {
 
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ class IPFS {
     this.setServiceCheck();
     this.addIPFSToEmbarkJS();
     this.addSetProvider();
+    this.addIpfsObjectToConsole();
   }
 
   commandlineDeploy() {
@@ -111,6 +114,12 @@ class IPFS {
 
     this.embark.addProviderInit('storage', code, shouldInit);
   }
+
+  addIpfsObjectToConsole() {
+    let ipfs = IpfsApi(this.storageConfig.host, this.storageConfig.port);
+    RunCode.doEval("", {ipfs: ipfs});
+  }
+
 }
 
 module.exports = IPFS;