diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index 8daeaaa4a..6128ab452 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ Config.prototype.loadFiles = function(files) {
 
   // get embark.js object first
   originalFiles.filter(function(file) {
-    return file.indexOf('.') >= 0;
+    return (file[0] === '$' || file.indexOf('.') >= 0);
   }).filter(function(file) {
     if (file === 'embark.js') {
 
@@ -249,6 +249,9 @@ Config.prototype.loadFiles = function(files) {
 
       readFiles.push({filename: 'embark.js', content: fs.readFileSync(fs.embarkPath("js/build/embark.bundle.js")).toString(), path: fs.embarkPath("js/build/embark.bundle.js")});
     }
+    if (file === '$EMBARK_JS') {
+      readFiles.push({filename: '$EMBARK_JS', content: fs.readFileSync(fs.embarkPath("js/build/embark.bundle.js")).toString(), path: fs.embarkPath("js/build/embark.bundle.js")});
+    }
     if (file.indexOf("web3-") === 0) {
         let web3Version = file.split('web3-')[1].split(".js")[0];
         npm.getPackageVersion('web3', web3Version, function(web3Content) {
diff --git a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
index eb2e33d0c..cc38832dc 100644
--- a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ class Pipeline {
 
         if (file.filename === "$ALL_CONTRACTS") {
           return {content: abi, filename: file.filename, path: file.path, modified: true};
+        } else if (file.filename === "$EMBARK_JS") {
+          return {content: file.content, filename: "embark.js", path: file.path, modified: true};
         } else if (file.filename[0] === '$') {
           let contractName = file.filename.substr(1);
           return {content: this.buildContractJS(contractName), filename: contractName + ".js", path: file.path, modified: true};
diff --git a/test_app/embark.json b/test_app/embark.json
index 8f1ee41e7..2b275be5a 100644
--- a/test_app/embark.json
+++ b/test_app/embark.json
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
     "test2.html": "app/test2.html",
     "js/myweb3.js": "web3-0.18.js",
     "js/web3.js": "web3.js",
-    "js/all_contracts.js": "$ALL_CONTRACTS"
+    "js/all_contracts.js": "$ALL_CONTRACTS",
+    "js/only_embark.js": "$EMBARK_JS"
   },
   "buildDir": "dist/",
   "config": "config/",