diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index e6e178484..12cd67b86 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -170,13 +170,15 @@ class Cmd {
   upload() {
     program
       .command('upload [platform] [environment]')
+      .option('--logfile [logfile]', 'filename to output logs (default: none)')
       .description('upload your dapp to a decentralized storage (e.g embark upload ipfs)')
       .action(function (platform, env, _options) {
-        // TODO: get env in cmd line as well
-        embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
+        let environment = env || 'development';
+        embark.initConfig(environment, {
           embarkConfig: 'embark.json', interceptLogs: false
         });
-        embark.upload(platform);
+        _options.env = environment;
+        embark.upload(platform, _options);
       });
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index dcb5ac667..ef0dbffa7 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -147,15 +147,16 @@ class Embark {
     });
   }
 
-  build(options) {
-
-    let engine = new Engine({
-      env: options.env,
-      version: this.version,
-      embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
-      interceptLogs: false
-    });
-    engine.init();
+  build(options, engine, continueProcessing) {
+    if(!engine){
+      engine = new Engine({
+        env: options.env,
+        version: this.version,
+        embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
+        interceptLogs: false
+      });
+      engine.init();
+    }
 
     async.waterfall([
       function startServices(callback) {
@@ -185,7 +186,9 @@ class Embark {
         engine.logger.info("finished building".underline);
       }
       // needed due to child processes
-      process.exit();
+      if(err || !continueProcessing){
+        process.exit();
+      }
     });
   }
 
@@ -247,29 +250,68 @@ class Embark {
   }
 
   // TODO: should deploy if it hasn't already
-  upload(platform) {
-    let options = {
-      buildDir: 'dist/',
-      storageConfig: this.config.storageConfig
-    };
+  upload(platform, options) {
+    
+    options.buildDir = 'dist/';
+    options.storageConfig = this.config.storageConfig;
 
+    // initialise embark engine
+    let engine = new Engine({
+      env: options.env,
+      version: this.version,
+      embarkConfig: options.embarkConfig || 'embark.json',
+      logfile: options.logfile
+    });
+    engine.init();
+
+    // load plugins
     this.plugins.loadInternalPlugin('ipfs', options);
     this.plugins.loadInternalPlugin('swarm', options);
 
-    let cmdPlugins = this.plugins.getPluginsFor('uploadCmds');
+    let plugins = this.plugins;
     let cmdPlugin;
-    if (cmdPlugins.length > 0) {
-      cmdPlugin = cmdPlugins.find((pluginCmd) => {
-        return pluginCmd.name == platform;
-      });
-    }
+    let self = this;
+    async.waterfall([
+      function setupStoragePlugin(callback){
+        // check use has input existing storage plugin
+        let cmdPlugins = plugins.getPluginsFor('uploadCmds');
+        
+        if (cmdPlugins.length > 0) {
+          cmdPlugin = cmdPlugins.find((pluginCmd) => {
+            return pluginCmd.name == platform;
+          });
+        }
+        if (!cmdPlugin) {
+          engine.logger.info('try "embark upload ipfs" or "embark upload swarm"'.green);
+          callback({message: 'unknown platform: ' + platform});
+        } else {
+          callback();
+        }
+      },
+      function buildAndDeployContracts(callback){
+        // 2. upload to storage (outputDone event triggered after webpack finished)
+        engine.events.on('outputDone', function () {
+          engine.logger.info('deploying to ' + platform + '...');
+          cmdPlugin.uploadCmds[0].cb()
+          .then((success) => {
+            callback(null, success);
+          })
+          .catch(callback);
+        });
+        // 1. build the contracts and dapp webpack
+        self.build(options, engine, true);
+      }
+    ], function (err, _result) {
+      if (err) {
+        engine.logger.error(err.message);
+        engine.logger.debug(err.stack);
+      } else {
+        engine.logger.info("finished building dapp and deploying to " + platform.underline);
+      }
 
-    if (cmdPlugin) {
-      cmdPlugin.uploadCmds[0].cb();
-    } else {
-      console.log(("unknown platform: " + platform).red);
-      console.log('try "embark upload ipfs" or "embark upload swarm"'.green);
-    }
+      // needed due to child processes
+      process.exit();
+    });
   }
 
   runTests(file) {
diff --git a/lib/modules/ipfs/upload.js b/lib/modules/ipfs/upload.js
index da9e6191b..3dd52f1a7 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ipfs/upload.js
+++ b/lib/modules/ipfs/upload.js
@@ -12,48 +12,51 @@ class IPFS {
   }
 
   deploy() {
-    console.log("deploying!");
-    let self = this;
-    async.waterfall([
-      function findBinary(callback) {
-        let ipfs_bin = shelljs.which(self.configIpfsBin);
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      console.log("deploying!");
+      let self = this;
+      async.waterfall([
+        function findBinary(callback) {
+          let ipfs_bin = shelljs.which(self.configIpfsBin);
 
-        if (ipfs_bin === 'ipfs not found' || !ipfs_bin) {
-          console.log(('=== WARNING: ' + self.configIpfsBin + ' not found or not in the path. Guessing ~/go/bin/ipfs for path').yellow);
-          ipfs_bin = "~/go/bin/ipfs";
+          if (ipfs_bin === 'ipfs not found' || !ipfs_bin) {
+            console.log(('=== WARNING: ' + self.configIpfsBin + ' not found or not in the path. Guessing ~/go/bin/ipfs for path').yellow);
+            ipfs_bin = "~/go/bin/ipfs";
+          }
+
+          callback(null, ipfs_bin);
+        },
+        function runCommand(ipfs_bin, callback) {
+          let cmd = `"${ipfs_bin}" add -r ${self.buildDir}`;
+          console.log(("=== adding " + self.buildDir + " to ipfs").green);
+          console.log(cmd.green);
+          shelljs.exec(cmd, function(code, stdout, stderr){
+            callback(stderr, stdout);
+          });
+        },
+        function getHashFromOutput(result, callback) {
+          let rows = result.split("\n");
+          let dir_row = rows[rows.length - 2];
+          let dir_hash = dir_row.split(" ")[1];
+
+          callback(null, dir_hash);
+        },
+        function printUrls(dir_hash, callback) {
+          console.log(("=== DApp available at http://localhost:8080/ipfs/" + dir_hash + "/").green);
+          console.log(("=== DApp available at http://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/" + dir_hash + "/").green);
+
+          callback();
         }
-
-        return callback(null, ipfs_bin);
-      },
-      function runCommand(ipfs_bin, callback) {
-        let cmd = `"${ipfs_bin}" add -r ${self.buildDir}`;
-        console.log(("=== adding " + self.buildDir + " to ipfs").green);
-        console.log(cmd.green);
-        let result = shelljs.exec(cmd);
-
-        return callback(null, result);
-      },
-      function getHashFromOutput(result, callback) {
-        let rows = result.output.split("\n");
-        let dir_row = rows[rows.length - 2];
-        let dir_hash = dir_row.split(" ")[1];
-
-        return callback(null, dir_hash);
-      },
-      function printUrls(dir_hash, callback) {
-        console.log(("=== DApp available at http://localhost:8080/ipfs/" + dir_hash + "/").green);
-        console.log(("=== DApp available at http://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/" + dir_hash + "/").green);
-
-        return callback();
-      }
-    ], function (err, _result) {
-      if (err) {
-        console.log("error uploading to ipfs".red);
-        console.log(err);
-      }
+      ], function (err, _result) {
+        if (err) {
+          console.log("error uploading to ipfs".red);
+          console.log(err);
+          reject(err);
+        }
+        else resolve('successfully uploaded to ipfs');
+      });
     });
   }
-
 }
 
 module.exports = IPFS;
diff --git a/lib/modules/swarm/upload.js b/lib/modules/swarm/upload.js
index 4ba0a9b39..5eed94b18 100644
--- a/lib/modules/swarm/upload.js
+++ b/lib/modules/swarm/upload.js
@@ -9,46 +9,51 @@ class Swarm {
   }
 
   deploy() {
-    let self = this;
-    async.waterfall([
-      function findBinary(callback) {
-        let swarm_bin = shelljs.which('swarm');
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      let self = this;
+      async.waterfall([
+        function findBinary(callback) {
+          let swarm_bin = shelljs.which('swarm');
 
-        if (swarm_bin === 'swarm not found' || !swarm_bin) {
-          console.log('=== WARNING: Swarm not in an executable path. Guessing ~/go/bin/swarm for path'.yellow);
-          swarm_bin = "~/go/bin/swarm";
+          if (swarm_bin === 'swarm not found' || !swarm_bin) {
+            console.log('=== WARNING: Swarm not in an executable path. Guessing ~/go/bin/swarm for path'.yellow);
+            swarm_bin = "~/go/bin/swarm";
+          }
+
+          callback(null, swarm_bin);
+        },
+        function runCommand(swarm_bin, callback) {
+          let cmd = `"${swarm_bin}" --defaultpath ${self.buildDir} index.html --recursive up ${self.buildDir}`;
+          console.log(("=== adding " + self.buildDir + " to swarm").green);
+          console.log(cmd.green);
+          shelljs.exec(cmd, function(code, stdout, stderr){
+            callback(stderr, {code: code, output: stdout});
+          });
+        },
+        function getHashFromOutput(result, callback) {
+          if (result.code !== 0) {
+            callback("couldn't upload, is the swarm daemon running?");
+          }
+          else{
+            let rows = result.output.split("\n");
+            let dir_hash = rows.reverse()[1];
+
+            callback(null, dir_hash);
+          }
+        },
+        function printUrls(dir_hash, callback) {
+          console.log(("=== DApp available at http://localhost:8500/bzz:/" + dir_hash + "/").green);
+
+          callback();
         }
-
-        return callback(null, swarm_bin);
-      },
-      function runCommand(swarm_bin, callback) {
-        let cmd = `"${swarm_bin}" --defaultpath ${self.buildDir} index.html --recursive up ${self.buildDir}`;
-        console.log(("=== adding " + self.buildDir + " to swarm").green);
-        console.log(cmd.green);
-        let result = shelljs.exec(cmd);
-
-        return callback(null, result);
-      },
-      function getHashFromOutput(result, callback) {
-        if (result.code !== 0) {
-          return callback("couldn't upload, is the swarm daemon running?");
+      ], function (err, _result) {
+        if (err) {
+          console.log("error uploading to swarm".red);
+          console.log(err);
+          reject(err);
         }
-
-        let rows = result.output.split("\n");
-        let dir_hash = rows.reverse()[1];
-
-        return callback(null, dir_hash);
-      },
-      function printUrls(dir_hash, callback) {
-        console.log(("=== DApp available at http://localhost:8500/bzz:/" + dir_hash + "/").green);
-
-        return callback();
-      }
-    ], function (err, _result) {
-      if (err) {
-        console.log("error uploading to swarm".red);
-        console.log(err);
-      }
+        else resolve('successfully uploaded to swarm');
+      });
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/app/js/test.js b/test_apps/test_app/app/js/test.js
index a4ba623cb..a4b9b260a 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/app/js/test.js
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/app/js/test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+import $ from 'jquery';
+import AlreadyDeployedToken from 'Embark/contracts/AlreadyDeployedToken';
+import AnotherStorage from 'Embark/contracts/AnotherStorage';
+import async from 'async';
+import MyToken from 'Embark/contracts/MyToken';
+import MyToken2 from 'Embark/contracts/MyToken2';
+import SimpleStorage from 'Embark/contracts/SimpleStorage';
+import Token from 'Embark/contracts/Token';
+
 
 $(document).ready(function() {