diff --git a/lib/constants.json b/lib/constants.json
index 603e67113..d6bc7a60b 100644
--- a/lib/constants.json
+++ b/lib/constants.json
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@
     "any": "any"
   },
   "events": {
-    "contextChange": "contextChange"
+    "contractFilesChanged": "contractFilesChanged"
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/contracts/contracts.js b/lib/contracts/contracts.js
index ae291124a..2dd8e9a75 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/contracts.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/contracts.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ let async = require('async');
 
 let Compiler = require('./compiler.js');
 let utils = require('../utils/utils.js');
+const constants = require('../constants');
 
 // TODO: create a contract object
 
@@ -16,6 +17,11 @@ class ContractsManager {
     this.contractDependencies = {};
     this.gasLimit = options.gasLimit;
     this.deployOnlyOnConfig = false;
+    this.events = options.events;
+
+    this.events.on(constants.events.contractFilesChanged, (newContracts) => {
+      this.contractFiles = newContracts;
+    });
   }
 
   build(done) {
diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index 7061faddd..99e0e9c0d 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const File = require('./file.js');
 const Plugins = require('./plugins.js');
 const utils = require('../utils/utils.js');
 const path = require('path');
+const deepEqual = require('deep-equal');
 const constants = require('../constants');
 
 var Config = function(options) {
@@ -217,8 +218,12 @@ Config.prototype.loadWebServerConfigFile = function() {
 };
 
 Config.prototype.loadEmbarkConfigFile = function() {
-  var contracts = this.embarkConfig.contracts;
-  this.contractsFiles = this.loadFiles(contracts);
+  const contracts = this.embarkConfig.contracts;
+  const newContractsFiles = this.loadFiles(contracts);
+  if (newContractsFiles.length !== this.contractFiles || deepEqual(newContractsFiles, this.contractFiles)) {
+    this.events.emit(constants.events.contractFilesChanged, newContractsFiles);
+    this.contractsFiles = newContractsFiles;
+  }
   // determine contract 'root' directories
   this.contractDirectories = contracts.map((dir) => {
     return dir.split("**")[0];
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 36cc4102a..dbbe6aafc 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -197,7 +197,8 @@ class Engine {
       contractsConfig: this.config.contractsConfig,
       logger: this.logger,
       plugins: this.plugins,
-      gasLimit: false
+      gasLimit: false,
+      events: this.events
     });
 
     this.deployManager = new DeployManager({
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ class Engine {
       onlyCompile: options.onlyCompile
     });
 
-    this.events.on('file-event', function (fileType, _path) {
+    this.events.on('file-event', function (fileType) {
       // TODO: for now need to deploy on asset chanes as well
       // because the contractsManager config is corrupted after a deploy
       if (fileType === 'contract' || fileType === 'config') {
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index d29008171..d3d46b5bc 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/fs-extra/-/fs-extra-5.0.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-Q3FWsbdmkQd1ib11A4XNWQvRD//5KpPoGawA8aB2DR7pWKoW9XQv3+dGxD/Z1eVFze23Okdo27ZQytVFlweKvQ==",
       "requires": {
-        "@types/node": "9.6.6"
+        "@types/node": "10.0.0"
       }
     },
     "@types/lockfile": {
@@ -32,16 +32,16 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-pD6JuijPmrfi84qF3/TzGQ7zi0QIX+d7ZdetD6jUA6cp+IsCzAquXZfi5viesew+pfpOTIdAVKuh1SHA7KeKzg=="
     },
     "@types/node": {
-      "version": "9.6.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-9.6.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-SJe0g5cZeGNDP5sD8mIX3scb+eq8LQQZ60FXiKZHipYSeEFZ5EKml+NNMiO76F74TY4PoMWlNxF/YRY40FOvZQ=="
+      "version": "10.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-10.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-kctoM36XiNZT86a7tPsUje+Q/yl+dqELjtYApi0T5eOQ90Elhu0MI10rmYk44yEP4v1jdDvtjQ9DFtpRtHf2Bw=="
     },
     "@types/node-fetch": {
       "version": "1.6.9",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node-fetch/-/node-fetch-1.6.9.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-n2r6WLoY7+uuPT7pnEtKJCmPUGyJ+cbyBR8Avnu4+m1nzz7DwBVuyIvvlBzCZ/nrpC7rIgb3D6pNavL7rFEa9g==",
       "requires": {
-        "@types/node": "9.6.6"
+        "@types/node": "10.0.0"
       }
     },
     "@types/semver": {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/tar/-/tar-4.0.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-YybbEHNngcHlIWVCYsoj7Oo1JU9JqONuAlt1LlTH/lmL8BMhbzdFUgReY87a05rY1j8mfK47Del+TCkaLAXwLw==",
       "requires": {
-        "@types/node": "9.6.6"
+        "@types/node": "10.0.0"
       }
     },
     "@types/url-join": {
@@ -2138,6 +2138,11 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "deep-equal": {
+      "version": "1.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/deep-equal/-/deep-equal-1.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-9dJgKStmDghO/0zbyfCK0yR0SLU="
+    },
     "deep-is": {
       "version": "0.1.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/deep-is/-/deep-is-0.1.3.tgz",
@@ -6647,7 +6652,6 @@
       "version": "1.0.35",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-webcrypto-ossl/-/node-webcrypto-ossl-1.0.35.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-FCJVeb0J9dY7CtbO4LqAD4xqBg0=",
-      "optional": true,
       "requires": {
         "mkdirp": "0.5.1",
         "nan": "2.9.2",
@@ -10897,7 +10901,6 @@
       "version": "0.1.19",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/webcrypto-core/-/webcrypto-core-0.1.19.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-8CTjoCu8oW3tRtJpaMQlNaORJNw=",
-      "optional": true,
       "requires": {
         "tslib": "1.9.0"
       }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 28aa1df62..1d3952142 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
     "colors": "^1.1.2",
     "commander": "^2.15.1",
     "css-loader": "^0.28.11",
+    "deep-equal": "^1.0.1",
     "ejs": "^2.5.8",
     "ethereumjs-testrpc": "^6.0.3",
     "file-loader": "^1.1.5",
diff --git a/test/contracts.js b/test/contracts.js
index 466ed101c..229aa0f26 100644
--- a/test/contracts.js
+++ b/test/contracts.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ let ContractsManager = require('../lib/contracts/contracts.js');
 let Logger = require('../lib/core/logger.js');
 let File = require('../lib/core/file.js');
 let TestLogger = require('../lib/tests/test_logger.js');
+let Events = require('../lib/core/events');
 let assert = require('assert');
 
 //let SolidityCompiler = require('../lib/modules/solidity');
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@ describe('embark.Contracts', function() {
           }
         }
       },
-      logger: new Logger({})
+      logger: new Logger({}),
+      events: new Events()
     });
 
     describe('#build', function() {
@@ -146,7 +148,8 @@ describe('embark.Contracts', function() {
           }
         }
       },
-      logger: new Logger({})
+      logger: new Logger({}),
+      events: new Events()
     });
 
     describe('#build', function() {