diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
index 4a74b22a6..642f89265 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ class IPFS {
 
     if (this.isIpfsStorageEnabledInTheConfig()) {
       this.setServiceCheck();
-      this.addStorageProviderToEmbarkJS();
-      this.addObjectToConsole();
       this.registerUploadCommand();
 
       this.events.request("processes:register", "ipfs", (cb) => {
-        self.startProcess(cb);
+        self.startProcess(() => {
+          this.addStorageProviderToEmbarkJS();
+          this.addObjectToConsole();
+          cb();
+        });
       });
 
       this._checkService((err) => {
@@ -83,18 +85,22 @@ class IPFS {
     });
   }
 
-  _getNodeUrl() {
+  _getNodeUrlConfig() {
     if (this.storageConfig.upload.provider === 'ipfs') {
-      return utils.buildUrlFromConfig(this.storageConfig.upload) + '/api/v0/version';
+      return this.storageConfig.upload;
     }
 
     for (let connection of this.storageConfig.dappConnection) {
       if (connection.provider === 'ipfs') {
-        return utils.buildUrlFromConfig(connection) + '/api/v0/version';
+        return connection;
       }
     }
   }
 
+  _getNodeUrl() {
+    return utils.buildUrlFromConfig(this._getNodeUrlConfig()) + '/api/v0/version';
+  }
+
   _checkService(cb) {
     let url = this._getNodeUrl();
     utils.getJson(url, cb);
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@ class IPFS {
         this.logger.error(__('Error downloading IPFS API'));
         return this.logger.error(err.message || err);
       }
-      this.events.once('code-generator:ready', () => {
+      this.events.request('code-generator:ready', () => {
         this.events.request('code-generator:symlink:generate', location, 'ipfs-api', (err, symlinkDest) => {
           if (err) {
             this.logger.error(__('Error creating a symlink to IPFS API'));
@@ -119,6 +125,7 @@ class IPFS {
             code += "\nEmbarkJS.Storage.registerProvider('ipfs', __embarkIPFS);";
 
             this.embark.addCodeToEmbarkJS(code);
+            this.embark.addConsoleProviderInit("storage", code, (storageConfig) => storageConfig.enabled);
           });
         });
       });
@@ -126,7 +133,8 @@ class IPFS {
   }
 
   addObjectToConsole() {
-    let ipfs = IpfsApi(this.host, this.port);
+    const {host, port} = this._getNodeUrlConfig();
+    let ipfs = IpfsApi(host, port);
     this.events.emit("runcode:register", "ipfs", ipfs);
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js b/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js
index a3a209298..f2aaeb296 100644
--- a/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js
+++ b/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js
@@ -72,37 +72,27 @@ Storage.isAvailable = function () {
 };
 
 // TODO: most of this logic should move to the provider implementations themselves
-Storage.setProviders = async function (dappConnOptions) {
+Storage.setProviders = function (dappConnOptions) {
   const self = this;
-  try {
-    await detectSeries(dappConnOptions, async (dappConn, callback) => {
-      if(dappConn === '$BZZ' || dappConn.provider === 'swarm'){
-        let options = dappConn;
-        if(dappConn === '$BZZ') options = {"useOnlyGivenProvider": true};
-        try{
-          await self.setProvider('swarm', options);
-          let isAvailable = await self.isAvailable();
+  detectSeries(dappConnOptions, (dappConn, callback) => {
+    let options = dappConn;
+    if (dappConn === '$BZZ') options = {"useOnlyGivenProvider": true};
+    try {
+      self.setProvider(dappConn === '$BZZ' ? dappConn : dappConn.provider, options).then(() => {
+        self.isAvailable().then((isAvailable) => {
           callback(null, isAvailable);
-        }catch(err){
-          callback(null, false); // catch errors for when bzz object not initialised but config has requested it to be used
-        }
-      }
-      else if(dappConn.provider === 'ipfs') {
-        // set the provider then check the connection, if true, use that provider, else, check next provider
-        try{
-          await self.setProvider('ipfs', dappConn);
-          let isAvailable =  await self.isAvailable();
-          callback(null, isAvailable);
-        } catch(err) {
-          callback(null, false); // catch but keep looping by not passing err to callback
-        }
-      }
-    }, function(err, result){
-      if(!result) console.error('Could not connect to a storage provider using any of the dappConnections in the storage config');
-    });
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error('Failed to connect to a storage provider: ' + err.message);
-  }
+        }).catch(() => {
+          callback(null, false);
+        });
+      }).catch(() => {
+        callback(null, false); // catch errors for when bzz object not initialised but config has requested it to be used
+      });
+    } catch (err) {
+      callback(null, false);
+    }
+  }, function (err, result) {
+    if (!result) console.error('Could not connect to a storage provider using any of the dappConnections in the storage config');
+  });
 };
 
 export default Storage;