diff --git a/lib/blockchain.js b/lib/blockchain.js
index a8e9c1f97..8d566937f 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain.js
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ var Blockchain = function(blockchainConfig, Client) {
     account: this.blockchainConfig.account || {},
     whisper: (this.blockchainConfig.whisper === undefined) || this.blockchainConfig.whisper,
     maxpeers: ((this.blockchainConfig.maxpeers === 0) ? 0 : (this.blockchainConfig.maxpeers || 25)),
-    bootnodes: this.blockchainConfig.bootnodes || ""
+    bootnodes: this.blockchainConfig.bootnodes || "",
+    rpcApi: (this.blockchainConfig.rpcApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net']),
+    vmdebug: this.blockchainConfig.vmdebug || false
   };
 
   this.client = new Client({config: this.config});
diff --git a/lib/geth_commands.js b/lib/geth_commands.js
index e3b793198..49d6ff2d0 100644
--- a/lib/geth_commands.js
+++ b/lib/geth_commands.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ GethCommands.prototype.listAccountsCommand = function() {
 GethCommands.prototype.mainCommand = function(address) {
   var config = this.config;
   var cmd = "geth ";
-  var rpc_api = ['eth', 'web3'];
+  var rpc_api = (this.config.rpcApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net']);
 
   cmd += this.commonOptions();
 
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ GethCommands.prototype.mainCommand = function(address) {
     cmd += "--nodiscover ";
   }
 
+  if (config.vmdebug) {
+    cmd += "--vmdebug ";
+  }
+
   cmd += "--maxpeers " + config.maxpeers + " ";
 
   if (config.mineWhenNeeded || config.mine) {
diff --git a/test/blockchain.js b/test/blockchain.js
index 7bc91bfa7..b714a079d 100644
--- a/test/blockchain.js
+++ b/test/blockchain.js
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@ describe('embark.Blockchain', function() {
           mineWhenNeeded: false,
           rpcHost: 'localhost',
           rpcPort: 8545,
+          rpcApi: ['eth', 'web3', 'net'],
           rpcCorsDomain: false,
           networkId: 12301,
           port: 30303,
           nodiscover: false,
           maxpeers: 25,
           mine: false,
+          vmdebug: false,
           whisper: true,
           account: {},
           bootnodes: ""
@@ -43,12 +45,14 @@ describe('embark.Blockchain', function() {
           mineWhenNeeded: true,
           rpcHost: 'someserver',
           rpcPort: 12345,
+          rpcApi: ['eth', 'web3', 'net'],
           rpcCorsDomain: true,
           networkId: 1,
           port: 123456,
           nodiscover: true,
           maxpeers: 25,
           mine: true,
+          vmdebug: false,
           whisper: false,
           account: {},
           bootnodes: ""