diff --git a/packages/embark-core/constants.json b/packages/embark-core/constants.json
index c054f39c8..0f66b00e7 100644
--- a/packages/embark-core/constants.json
+++ b/packages/embark-core/constants.json
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@
   "storage": {
     "init": "init",
     "initiated": "initiated",
-    "restart": "restart"
+    "restart": "restart",
+    "exit": "storageExit"
   },
   "codeGenerator": {
     "gasLimit": 6000000
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js
index 481aaf847..a9d94ccea 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -278,14 +278,14 @@ class Engine {
         if (!this.config.storageConfig.available_providers.includes("ipfs")) {
           return next();
         }
-        this.events.on("ipfs:process:started", next);
+        this.events.once("ipfs:process:started", next);
         this.registerModule('ipfs');
       },
       (next) => {
         if (!this.config.storageConfig.available_providers.includes("swarm")) {
           return next();
         }
-        this.events.on("swarm:process:started", next);
+        this.events.once("swarm:process:started", next);
         this.registerModule('swarm');
       }
     ], (err) => {
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/processes/processManager.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/processes/processManager.js
index 790b8fa5c..7186a29e4 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/processes/processManager.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/processes/processManager.js
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ const ProcessState = {
   Stopped: 'stopped',
   Starting: 'starting',
   Running: 'running',
-  Stopping: 'stopping'
+  Stopping: 'stopping',
+  Errored: 'errored'
 };
 
 class ProcessManager {
@@ -111,14 +112,17 @@ class ProcessManager {
     self.events.setCommandHandler('processes:launch', (name, cb) => {
       cb = cb || function noop() {};
       let process = self.processes[name];
-      if (process.state !== ProcessState.Stopped) {
+      if (![ProcessState.Stopped, ProcessState.Errored].includes(process.state)) {
         return cb(__(`The ${name} process is already ${process.state.toLowerCase()}.`));
       }
       process.state = ProcessState.Starting;
       if(!process.afterLaunchFn) process.afterLaunchFn = cb;
       process.cb.apply(process.cb, [
         (...args) => {
-          process.state = ProcessState.Running;
+          if(args[0]) {
+            process.state = ProcessState.Errored;
+          }
+          else process.state = ProcessState.Running;
           cb.apply(cb, args);
         }
       ]);
@@ -127,13 +131,16 @@ class ProcessManager {
     self.events.setCommandHandler('processes:stop', (name, cb) => {
       let process = self.processes[name];
       cb = cb || function noop() {};
-      if (process.state !== ProcessState.Running) {
+      if (![ProcessState.Running, ProcessState.Errored].includes(process.state)) {
         return cb(__(`The ${name} process is already ${process.state.toLowerCase()}.`));
       }
       process.state = ProcessState.Stopping;
       process.stopFn.apply(process.stopFn, [
         (...args) => {
-          process.state = ProcessState.Stopped;
+          if(args[0]) {
+            process.state = ProcessState.Errored;
+          }
+          else process.state = ProcessState.Stopped;
           cb.apply(cb, args);
         }
       ]);
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchainProcessLauncher.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchainProcessLauncher.js
index 15c87b22f..771fb74cb 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchainProcessLauncher.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchainProcessLauncher.js
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class BlockchainProcessLauncher {
 
   stopBlockchainNode(cb) {
     if(this.blockchainProcess) {
-      this.events.on(constants.blockchain.blockchainExit, cb);
+      this.events.once(constants.blockchain.blockchainExit, cb);
       this.blockchainProcess.exitCallback = () => {}; // don't show error message as the process was killed on purpose
       this.blockchainProcess.send('exit');
     }
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
index e3ce408c1..07e169eda 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/index.js
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ class IPFS {
     this.namesystemConfig = embark.config.namesystemConfig;
     this.embark = embark;
     this.fs = embark.fs;
+    this.isServiceRegistered = false;
+    this.addedToEmbarkJs = false;
+    this.addedToConsole = false;
+    this.storageProcessesLauncher = null;
+    this.usingRunningNode = false;
 
     this.webServerConfig = embark.config.webServerConfig;
     this.blockchainConfig = embark.config.blockchainConfig;
@@ -28,10 +33,32 @@ class IPFS {
     this.registerUploadCommand();
     this.listenToCommands();
     this.registerConsoleCommands();
-    this.startProcess((err, newProcessStarted) => {
-      this.addStorageProviderToEmbarkJS();
-      this.addObjectToConsole();
-      this.events.emit("ipfs:process:started", err, newProcessStarted);
+    this.events.request("processes:register", "ipfs", {
+      launchFn: (cb) => {
+        if(this.usingRunningNode) {
+          return cb(__("IPFS process is running in a separate process and cannot be started by Embark."));
+        }
+        this.startProcess((err, newProcessStarted) => {
+          this.addStorageProviderToEmbarkJS();
+          this.addObjectToConsole();
+          this.events.emit("ipfs:process:started", err, newProcessStarted);
+          cb();
+        });
+      },
+      stopFn: (cb) => {
+        if(this.usingRunningNode) {
+          return cb(__("IPFS process is running in a separate process and cannot be stopped by Embark."));
+        }
+        this.stopProcess(cb);
+      }
+    });
+    this.events.request("processes:launch", "ipfs", (err, msg) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return this.logger.error(err);
+      }
+      if (msg) {
+        this.logger.info(msg);
+      }
     });
   }
 
@@ -50,14 +77,16 @@ class IPFS {
   }
 
   setServiceCheck() {
+    if (this.isServiceRegistered) return;
+    this.isServiceRegistered = true;
     let self = this;
 
     self.events.on('check:backOnline:IPFS', function () {
-      self.logger.info(__('IPFS node detected') + '..');
+      self.logger.info(__('IPFS node detected') + '...');
     });
 
     self.events.on('check:wentOffline:IPFS', function () {
-      self.logger.info(__('IPFS node is offline') + '..');
+      self.logger.info(__('IPFS node is offline') + '...');
     });
 
     self.events.request("services:register", 'IPFS', function (cb) {
@@ -98,6 +127,8 @@ class IPFS {
   }
 
   addStorageProviderToEmbarkJS() {
+    if(this.addedToEmbarkJs) return;
+    this.addedToEmbarkJs = true;
     this.events.request('version:downloadIfNeeded', 'ipfs-api', (err, location) => {
       if (err) {
         this.logger.error(__('Error downloading IPFS API'));
@@ -124,6 +155,9 @@ class IPFS {
   }
 
   addObjectToConsole() {
+    if(this.addedToConsole) return;
+    this.addedToConsole = true;
+
     const {host, port} = this._getNodeUrlConfig();
     let ipfs = IpfsApi(host, port);
     this.events.emit("runcode:register", "ipfs", ipfs);
@@ -132,26 +166,33 @@ class IPFS {
   startProcess(callback) {
     this._checkService((err) => {
       if (!err) {
+        this.usingRunningNode = true;
         this.logger.info("IPFS node found, using currently running node");
         return callback(null, false);
       }
       this.logger.info("IPFS node not found, attempting to start own node");
       let self = this;
-      const storageProcessesLauncher = new StorageProcessesLauncher({
-        logger: self.logger,
-        events: self.events,
-        storageConfig: self.storageConfig,
-        webServerConfig: self.webServerConfig,
-        blockchainConfig: self.blockchainConfig,
-        corsParts: self.embark.config.corsParts,
-        embark: self.embark
-      });
+      if(this.storageProcessesLauncher === null) {
+        this.storageProcessesLauncher = new StorageProcessesLauncher({
+          logger: self.logger,
+          events: self.events,
+          storageConfig: self.storageConfig,
+          webServerConfig: self.webServerConfig,
+          blockchainConfig: self.blockchainConfig,
+          corsParts: self.embark.config.corsParts,
+          embark: self.embark
+        });
+      }
       self.logger.trace(`Storage module: Launching ipfs process...`);
-      return storageProcessesLauncher.launchProcess('ipfs', (err) => {
+      return this.storageProcessesLauncher.launchProcess('ipfs', (err) => {
         callback(err, true);
       });
     });
   }
+  stopProcess(cb) {
+    if(!this.storageProcessesLauncher) return cb();
+    this.storageProcessesLauncher.stopProcess("ipfs", cb);
+  }
 
   registerUploadCommand() {
     const self = this;
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/process.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/process.js
index ac3c8990f..36156eb71 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/process.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/ipfs/process.js
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ class IPFSProcess extends ProcessWrapper {
   kill() {
     if (this.child) {
       this.child.kill();
+      ipfsProcess.send({result: constants.storage.exit});
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/storageProcessesLauncher.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/storageProcessesLauncher.js
index 8e39e06e7..3a75edb00 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/storageProcessesLauncher.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/storageProcessesLauncher.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class StorageProcessesLauncher {
     this.processes = {};
     this.corsParts = options.corsParts || [];
     this.restartCalled = false;
+    this.manualExit = false;
 
     this.cors = this.buildCors();
 
@@ -81,6 +82,10 @@ class StorageProcessesLauncher {
   }
 
   processExited(storageName, code) {
+    if (this.manualExit) {
+      this.manualExit = false;
+      return;
+    }
     if(this.restartCalled){
       this.restartCalled = false;
       return this.launchProcess(storageName, () => {});
@@ -156,6 +161,12 @@ class StorageProcessesLauncher {
         delete this.processes[storageName];
       });
 
+      self.processes[storageName].on('result', constants.storage.exit, (_msg) => {
+        self.processes[storageName].kill();
+        delete this.processes[storageName];
+        this.events.emit(constants.storage.exit);
+      });
+
       self.events.on('logs:swarm:enable', () => {
         self.processes[storageName].silent = false;
       });
@@ -166,6 +177,13 @@ class StorageProcessesLauncher {
 
     });
   }
+  stopProcess(storageName, cb) {
+    if(this.processes[storageName]) {
+      this.manualExit = true;
+      this.events.once(constants.storage.exit, cb);
+      this.processes[storageName].send('exit');
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 module.exports = StorageProcessesLauncher;