diff --git a/lib/contracts/deploy.js b/lib/contracts/deploy.js
index 4b07e2c2a..beedfa829 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/deploy.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/deploy.js
@@ -80,7 +80,46 @@ class Deploy {
 
           let cmds = "";
           cmds += codeGenerator.generateContractCode(contract);
-          cmds += contract.onDeploy.join(';\n');
+
+          let withErrors = false;
+          let regex = /\$\w+/g;
+          let onDeployCode = contract.onDeploy.map((cmd) => {
+            let realCmd = cmd.replace(regex, (match) => {
+                let referedContractName = match.slice(1);
+                let referedContract = self.contractsManager.getContract(referedContractName);
+                if (!referedContract) {
+                  self.logger.error('error executing onDeploy for ' + contract.className);
+                  self.logger.error(referedContractName + ' does not exist');
+                  self.logger.error("error running onDeploy: " + cmd);
+                  withErrors = true;
+                  return;
+                }
+                if (referedContract && referedContract.deploy === false) {
+                  self.logger.error('error executing onDeploy for ' + contract.className);
+                  self.logger.error(referedContractName + " exists but has been set to not deploy");
+                  self.logger.error("error running onDeploy: " + cmd);
+                  withErrors = true;
+                  return;
+                }
+                if (referedContract && !referedContract.deployedAddress) {
+                  self.logger.error('error executing onDeploy for ' + contract.className);
+                  self.logger.error("couldn't find a valid address for " + referedContractName + ". has it been deployed?");
+                  self.logger.error("error running onDeploy: " + cmd);
+                  withErrors = true;
+                  return;
+                }
+                return referedContract.deployedAddress;
+            });
+            return realCmd;
+          });
+
+          if (withErrors) {
+            contract.error = "onDeployCmdError";
+            return callback(new Error("error running onDeploy"));
+          }
+
+          cmds += onDeployCode.join(';\n');
+
           RunCode.doEval(cmds, self.web3);
         }
 
@@ -180,7 +219,7 @@ class Deploy {
         }
         self.logger.info("finished deploying contracts");
         self.logger.trace(arguments);
-        done();
+        done(err);
       }
     );
 
diff --git a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
index 975abae0c..08bc20753 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ class DeployManager {
           chainConfig: self.chainConfig,
           env: self.config.env
         });
-        deploy.deployAll(function () {
-          self.events.emit('contractsDeployed', contractsManager);
+        deploy.deployAll(function (err) {
+          if (!err) {
+            self.events.emit('contractsDeployed', contractsManager);
+          }
+          //callback(err, contractsManager);
           callback(null, contractsManager);
         });
       }
diff --git a/test_app/config/contracts.json b/test_app/config/contracts.json
index a8a3541d4..03c65827c 100644
--- a/test_app/config/contracts.json
+++ b/test_app/config/contracts.json
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
       },
       "Test": {
         "onDeploy": [
-          "Test.changeAddress(web3.eth.accounts[0])"
+          "Test.changeAddress('$MyToken')"
         ]
       },
       "MyToken": {
diff --git a/test_app/test/token_spec.js b/test_app/test/token_spec.js
index d24dbe587..a347447e4 100644
--- a/test_app/test/token_spec.js
+++ b/test_app/test/token_spec.js
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ describe("Token", function() {
       "AlreadyDeployedToken": {
         "address": "0x123",
         instanceOf: "Token"
+      },
+      "Test": {
+        onDeploy: [
+          "Test.changeAddress('$MyToken', function(){})"
+        ]
       }
     };
     EmbarkSpec.deployAll(contractsConfig, done);
@@ -57,4 +62,11 @@ describe("Token", function() {
     done();
   });
 
+  it("should use onDeploy", function(done) {
+    Test.addr(function(err, result) {
+      assert.equal(result, MyToken.address)
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
 });