diff --git a/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json b/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json
index 961c8be60..c6d471422 100644
--- a/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     "account": {
       "password": "config/development/password"
     },
+    "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
     "wsOrigins": "http://localhost:8000",
     "wsRPC": true,
     "wsHost": "localhost",
diff --git a/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json b/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json
index 4a50a438b..4b6ce0db5 100644
--- a/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json
+++ b/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@
     "timestamp": "0x00",
     "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
     "extraData": "0x",
-    "gasLimit": "0x4c4b40"
+    "gasLimit": "0x7a1200"
 }
diff --git a/demo/config/blockchain.json b/demo/config/blockchain.json
index 215b68c4c..1d02efcea 100644
--- a/demo/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/demo/config/blockchain.json
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     "account": {
       "password": "config/development/password"
     },
+    "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
     "wsOrigins": "http://localhost:8000",
     "wsRPC": true,
     "wsHost": "localhost",
diff --git a/demo/config/development/genesis.json b/demo/config/development/genesis.json
index 4a50a438b..4b6ce0db5 100644
--- a/demo/config/development/genesis.json
+++ b/demo/config/development/genesis.json
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@
     "timestamp": "0x00",
     "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
     "extraData": "0x",
-    "gasLimit": "0x4c4b40"
+    "gasLimit": "0x7a1200"
 }
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
index 524cba5a8..9c9d600fe 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ var Blockchain = function(options) {
     wsPort: this.blockchainConfig.wsPort || 8546,
     wsOrigins: this.blockchainConfig.wsOrigins || false,
     wsApi: (this.blockchainConfig.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'shh']),
-    vmdebug: this.blockchainConfig.vmdebug || false
+    vmdebug: this.blockchainConfig.vmdebug || false,
+    targetGasLimit: this.blockchainConfig.targetGasLimit || false
   };
 
   if (this.blockchainConfig === {} || JSON.stringify(this.blockchainConfig) === '{"enabled":true}') {
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
index 2e25f2eff..e28e559c6 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
@@ -193,6 +193,12 @@ class GethCommands {
         }
         callback(null, "");
       },
+      function gasLimit(callback) {
+        if (config.targetGasLimit) {
+          return callback(null, "--targetgaslimit " + config.targetGasLimit);
+        }
+        callback(null, "");
+      },
       function mineWhenNeeded(callback) {
         if (config.mineWhenNeeded) {
           return callback(null, "js .embark/" + self.env + "/js/mine.js");
diff --git a/test_app/config/blockchain.json b/test_app/config/blockchain.json
index b23fea5f2..41400449a 100644
--- a/test_app/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_app/config/blockchain.json
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     "account": {
       "password": "config/development/password"
     },
+    "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
     "wsOrigins": "http://localhost:8000",
     "wsRPC": true,
     "wsHost": "localhost",
diff --git a/test_app/config/development/genesis.json b/test_app/config/development/genesis.json
index 4a50a438b..4b6ce0db5 100644
--- a/test_app/config/development/genesis.json
+++ b/test_app/config/development/genesis.json
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@
     "timestamp": "0x00",
     "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
     "extraData": "0x",
-    "gasLimit": "0x4c4b40"
+    "gasLimit": "0x7a1200"
 }