diff --git a/lib/blockchain.js b/lib/blockchain.js
index 79abeb681..5c2c52091 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain.js
@@ -1,65 +1,35 @@
 var Deploy;
-var readYaml = require('read-yaml');
+var Config = require('./config/config.js');
 
 startChain = function(env) {
-  try {
-    blockchainConfig = readYaml.sync("config/blockchain.yml");
-  } catch (_error) {
-    exception = _error;
-    console.log("==== error reading config/blockchain.yml");
-    console.log(exception);
-  }
+  config = (new Config.Blockchain()).loadConfigFile('config/blockchain.yml').config(env);
 
-  rpcHost = blockchainConfig[env].rpc_host;
-
-  rpcPort = blockchainConfig[env].rpc_port;
-
-  rpcWhitelist = blockchainConfig[env].rpc_whitelist;
-
-  minerthreads = blockchainConfig[env].minerthreads;
-
-  datadir = blockchainConfig[env].datadir;
-
-  networkId = blockchainConfig[env].network_id || Math.floor((Math.random() * 100000) + 1000);
-
-  port = blockchainConfig[env].port || "30303";
-
-  console_toggle = blockchainConfig[env].console || false;
-
-  mine_when_needed = blockchainConfig[env].mine_when_needed || false;
-
-  account = blockchainConfig[env].account;
-
-  address = account.address;
+  address = config.account.address;
 
   cmd = "geth ";
 
-  if (datadir !== "default") {
-    cmd += "--datadir=\"" + datadir + "\" ";
-    cmd += "--logfile=\"" + datadir + ".log\" ";
+  if (config.datadir !== "default") {
+    cmd += "--datadir=\"" + config.datadir + "\" ";
+    cmd += "--logfile=\"" + config.datadir + ".log\" ";
   }
 
-  cmd += "--port " + port + " ";
-
+  cmd += "--port " + config.port + " ";
   cmd += "--rpc ";
+  cmd += "--rpcport " + config.rpcPort + " ";
+  cmd += "--networkid " + config.networkId + " ";
+  cmd += "--rpccorsdomain \"" + config.rpcWhitelist + "\" ";
 
-  cmd += "--rpcport " + rpcPort + " ";
-
-  cmd += "--networkid " + networkId + " ";
-
-  cmd += "--rpccorsdomain \"" + rpcWhitelist + "\" ";
-
-  if (minerthreads !== void 0) {
-    cmd += "--minerthreads \"" + minerthreads + "\" ";
+  if (config.minerthreads !== void 0) {
+    cmd += "--minerthreads \"" + config.minerthreads + "\" ";
   }
 
   cmd += "--mine ";
 
-  if (account.password !== void 0) {
-    cmd += "--password " + account.password + " ";
+  if (config.account.password !== void 0) {
+    cmd += "--password " + config.account.password + " ";
   }
 
-  if (account.init) {
+  if (config.account.init) {
     console.log("=== initializating account");
     console.log("running: " + cmd + " account list");
     result = exec(cmd + "account list");
@@ -79,11 +49,11 @@ startChain = function(env) {
     cmd += "--unlock " + address + " ";
   }
 
-  if (console_toggle) {
+  if (config.console_toggle) {
     cmd += "console";
   }
 
-  if (mine_when_needed) {
+  if (config.mine_when_needed) {
     cmd += "js node_modules/embark-framework/js/mine.js";
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/config/config.js b/lib/config/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63d69ef8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/config/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+var readYaml = require('read-yaml');
+
+// read config/blockchain.yml
+//* config can be an argument
+
+BlockchainConfig = function() {};
+
+BlockchainConfig.prototype.loadConfigFile = function(filename) {
+  try {
+    this.blockchainConfig = readYaml.sync(filename);
+  } catch (e) {
+    throw new Error("error reading " + filename);
+  }
+  return this;
+}
+
+BlockchainConfig.prototype.loadConfig = function(config) {
+  this.blockchainConfig = config;
+  return this;
+}
+
+BlockchainConfig.prototype.config = function(env) {
+  if (this.blockchainConfig === null) {
+    throw new Error("no blockchain config found");
+  }
+
+  var config = this.blockchainConfig[env || "development"];
+
+  var networkId;
+  if (config.network_id === undefined) {
+    networkId = Math.floor((Math.random() * 100000) + 1000)
+  }
+  else {
+    networkId = config.network_id
+  }
+
+  config = {
+    rpcHost: config.rpc_host,
+    rpcPort: config.rpc_port,
+    gasLimit: config.gas_limit || 500000,
+    gasPrice: config.gas_price || 10000000000000,
+    rpcWhitelist: config.rpc_whitelist,
+    minerthreads: config.minerthreads,
+    datadir: config.datadir,
+    networkId: networkId,
+    port: config.port || "30303",
+    console_toggle: config.console || false,
+    mine_when_needed: config.mine_when_needed || false,
+    account: config.account
+  }
+
+  return config;
+}
+
+Config = {
+  Blockchain: BlockchainConfig
+}
+
+module.exports = Config
+
diff --git a/lib/deploy.js b/lib/deploy.js
index 81bbab001..a4d4f5fad 100644
--- a/lib/deploy.js
+++ b/lib/deploy.js
@@ -2,35 +2,28 @@ var web3 = require('web3');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var grunt = require('grunt');
 var readYaml = require('read-yaml');
+var Config = require('./config/config.js');
 
 deployContracts = function(env, contractFiles, destFile) {
   indexOf = [].indexOf || function(item) { for (var i = 0, l = this.length; i < l; i++) { if (i in this && this[i] === item) return i; } return -1; };
 
-  blockchainConfig = readYaml.sync("config/blockchain.yml");
+  blockchainConfig = (new Config.Blockchain()).loadConfigFile('config/blockchain.yml').config(env);
 
   contractsConfig = readYaml.sync("config/contracts.yml")[env || "development"];
 
-  rpcHost = blockchainConfig[env || "development"].rpc_host;
-
-  rpcPort = blockchainConfig[env || "development"].rpc_port;
-
-  gasLimit = blockchainConfig[env || "development"].gas_limit || 500000;
-
-  gasPrice = blockchainConfig[env || "development"].gas_price || 10000000000000;
-
   try {
-    web3.setProvider(new web3.providers.HttpProvider("http://" + rpcHost + ":" + rpcPort));
+    web3.setProvider(new web3.providers.HttpProvider("http://" + blockchainConfig.rpcHost + ":" + blockchainConfig.rpcPort));
     primaryAddress = web3.eth.coinbase;
     web3.eth.defaultAccount = primaryAddress;
   } catch (_error) {
     e = _error;
-    console.log("==== can't connect to " + rpcHost + ":" + rpcPort + " check if an ethereum node is running");
+    console.log("==== can't connect to " + blockchainConfig.rpcHost + ":" + blockchainConfig.rpcPort + " check if an ethereum node is running");
     exit;
   }
 
   console.log("address is : " + primaryAddress);
 
-  result = "web3.setProvider(new web3.providers.HttpProvider('http://" + rpcHost + ":" + rpcPort + "'));";
+  result = "web3.setProvider(new web3.providers.HttpProvider('http://" + blockchainConfig.rpcHost + ":" + blockchainConfig.rpcPort + "'));";
 
   result += "web3.eth.defaultAccount = web3.eth.accounts[0];";
 
@@ -95,8 +88,8 @@ deployContracts = function(env, contractFiles, destFile) {
   for (k = 0, len2 = all_contracts.length; k < len2; k++) {
     className = all_contracts[k];
     contract = contractDB[className];
-    contractGasLimit = (contractsConfig != null ? (ref1 = contractsConfig[className]) != null ? ref1.gasLimit : void 0 : void 0) || gasLimit;
-    contractGasPrice = (contractsConfig != null ? (ref2 = contractsConfig[className]) != null ? ref2.gasPrice : void 0 : void 0) || gasPrice;
+    contractGasLimit = (contractsConfig != null ? (ref1 = contractsConfig[className]) != null ? ref1.gasLimit : void 0 : void 0) || blockchainConfig.gasLimit;
+    contractGasPrice = (contractsConfig != null ? (ref2 = contractsConfig[className]) != null ? ref2.gasPrice : void 0 : void 0) || blockchainConfig.gasPrice;
     args = (contractsConfig != null ? (ref3 = contractsConfig[className]) != null ? ref3.args : void 0 : void 0) || [];
     contractObject = web3.eth.contract(contract.info.abiDefinition);
     realArgs = [];
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 824f12778..0981bb333 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ embark.Tests = require('./test.js');
 embark.Blockchain = require('./blockchain.js');
 embark.Deploy = require('./deploy.js');
 embark.Release = require('./ipfs.js');
+embark.Config = require('./config/config.js');
 
 module.exports = embark;
 
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..80509835f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+var Config = require('../lib/config/config.js');
+var assert = require('assert');
+
+describe('embark.config.blockchain', function() {
+  var blockchainConfig = new Config.Blockchain();
+
+  describe('#loadConfigFile', function() {
+    it('should read and load yml file', function() {
+      blockchainConfig.loadConfigFile('test/support/blockchain.yml');
+
+      assert.equal(blockchainConfig.blockchainConfig.hasOwnProperty('development'), true)
+      assert.equal(blockchainConfig.blockchainConfig.hasOwnProperty('staging'), true)
+    });
+
+    it('should throw exception reading invalid file', function() {
+      assert.throws(function() { blockchainConfig.loadConfigFile('test/support/invalid.yml') }, Error);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#loadConfig', function() {
+    it('should load config', function() {
+      var hsh = {
+        development: {},
+        staging: {}
+      };
+
+      blockchainConfig.loadConfig(hsh);
+
+      assert.equal(blockchainConfig.blockchainConfig.hasOwnProperty('development'), true)
+      assert.equal(blockchainConfig.blockchainConfig.hasOwnProperty('staging'), true)
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#config', function() {
+
+    it('should load environment', function() {
+      var hsh = {
+        development: {
+          rpc_host: 'localhost',
+          rpc_port: 8101,
+          rpc_whitelist: "*",
+          network_id: 0,
+          minerthreads: 1,
+          datadir: '/tmp/embark',
+          mine_when_needed: true,
+          gas_limit: 123,
+          gas_price: 100,
+          console: false,
+          account: {
+            init: true,
+            password: 'config/password'
+          }
+        },
+        staging: {}
+      };
+
+      blockchainConfig.loadConfig(hsh);
+
+      assert.deepEqual(blockchainConfig.config('development'), {
+        rpcHost: 'localhost',
+        rpcPort: 8101,
+        gasLimit: 123,
+        gasPrice: 100,
+        rpcWhitelist: "*",
+        minerthreads: 1,
+        datadir: '/tmp/embark',
+        networkId: 0,
+        port: "30303",
+        console_toggle: false,
+        mine_when_needed: true,
+        account: {
+          init: true,
+          password: 'config/password'
+        }
+      })
+    });
+
+    it('should return defaults', function() {
+      var hsh = {
+        development: {
+          rpc_host: 'localhost',
+          rpc_port: 8101,
+          rpc_whitelist: "*",
+          network_id: 0,
+          minerthreads: 1,
+          datadir: '/tmp/embark',
+          mine_when_needed: true,
+          console: false,
+          account: {
+            init: true,
+            password: 'config/password'
+          }
+        },
+        staging: {}
+      };
+
+      blockchainConfig.loadConfig(hsh);
+
+      assert.deepEqual(blockchainConfig.config('development'), {
+        rpcHost: 'localhost',
+        rpcPort: 8101,
+        gasLimit: 500000,
+        gasPrice: 10000000000000,
+        rpcWhitelist: "*",
+        minerthreads: 1,
+        datadir: '/tmp/embark',
+        networkId: 0,
+        port: "30303",
+        console_toggle: false,
+        mine_when_needed: true,
+        account: {
+          init: true,
+          password: 'config/password'
+        }
+      })
+    });
+
+    it('should load environment', function() {
+      var blockchainConfig = new Config.Blockchain();
+      assert.throws(function() { blockchainConfig.config('development') }, Error);
+    });
+  });
+
+});
+
diff --git a/test/support/blockchain.yml b/test/support/blockchain.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1a4936be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/support/blockchain.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+development:
+  rpc_host: localhost
+  rpc_port: 8101
+  rpc_whitelist: "*"
+  minerthreads: 1
+  datadir: /tmp/embark
+  mine_when_needed: true
+  gas_limit: 500000
+  gas_price: 10000000000000
+  console: false
+  account:
+    init: true
+    password: config/password
+staging:
+  rpc_host: localhost
+  rpc_port: 8101
+  rpc_whitelist: "*"
+  datadir: default
+  network_id: 0
+  console: true
+  account:
+    init: false
+    address: 
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 6cb53b315..000000000
--- a/test/test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-EmbarkSpec = require('../lib/test.js').Tests;
-