diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/index.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/index.js
index 190e6b7aa..36b1dc624 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/index.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/storage/index.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class Storage {
   }
 
   addSetProviders(cb) {
-    let code = `\nEmbarkJS.Storage.setProviders(${JSON.stringify(this.storageConfig.dappConnection || [])});`;
+    let code = `\nEmbarkJS.Storage.setProviders(${JSON.stringify(this.storageConfig.dappConnection || [])}, {web3});`;
 
     let shouldInit = (storageConfig) => {
       return storageConfig.enabled;
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/index.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/index.js
index 50d9cb268..4e72a7f04 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/index.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/index.js
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ class Swarm {
     this.port = this.storageConfig.port;
     this.embark = embark;
     this.fs = embark.fs;
+    this.isServiceRegistered = false;
+    this.addedToEmbarkJs = false;
+    this.addedToConsole = false;
+    this.storageProcessesLauncher = null;
+    this.usingRunningNode = false;
 
     this.webServerConfig = embark.config.webServerConfig;
     this.blockchainConfig = embark.config.blockchainConfig;
@@ -49,18 +54,44 @@ class Swarm {
     this.registerUploadCommand();
     this.listenToCommands();
     this.registerConsoleCommands();
-    this.startProcess((err, newProcessStarted) => {
-      this.addProviderToEmbarkJS();
-      this.addObjectToConsole();
-      this.events.emit("swarm:process:started", err, newProcessStarted);
+    this.events.request("processes:register", "swarm", {
+      launchFn: (cb) => {
+        if(this.usingRunningNode) {
+          return cb(__("Swarm process is running in a separate process and cannot be started by Embark."));
+        }
+        this.startProcess((err, newProcessStarted) => {
+          this.addProviderToEmbarkJS();
+          this.addObjectToConsole();
+          this.events.emit("swarm:process:started", err, newProcessStarted);
+          cb();
+        });
+      },
+      stopFn: (cb) => {
+        if(this.usingRunningNode) {
+          return cb(__("Swarm process is running in a separate process and cannot be stopped by Embark."));
+        }
+        this.stopProcess(cb);
+      }
+    });
+    this.events.request("processes:launch", "swarm", (err, msg) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return this.logger.error(err);
+      }
+      if (msg) {
+        this.logger.info(msg);
+      }
     });
   }
 
   addObjectToConsole() {
+    if (this.addedToConsole) return;
+    this.addedToConsole = true;
     this.events.emit("runcode:register", "swarm", this.swarm);
   }
 
   setServiceCheck() {
+    if (this.isServiceRegistered) return;
+    this.isServiceRegistered = true;
     let self = this;
 
     this.events.on('check:backOnline:Swarm', function () {
@@ -89,6 +120,8 @@ class Swarm {
   }
 
   addProviderToEmbarkJS() {
+    if(this.addedToEmbarkJs) return;
+    this.addedToEmbarkJs = true;
     let code = "";
     code += "\nconst __embarkSwarm = require('embarkjs-swarm')";
     code += "\nEmbarkJS.Storage.registerProvider('swarm', __embarkSwarm.default || __embarkSwarm);";
@@ -99,27 +132,35 @@ class Swarm {
   startProcess(callback) {
     this.swarm.isAvailable((err, isAvailable) => {
       if (!err || isAvailable) {
+        this.usingRunningNode = true;
         this.logger.info("Swarm node found, using currently running node");
         return callback(null, false);
       }
       this.logger.info("Swarm node not found, attempting to start own node");
       let self = this;
-      const storageProcessesLauncher = new StorageProcessesLauncher({
-        logger: self.logger,
-        events: self.events,
-        storageConfig: self.storageConfig,
-        webServerConfig: self.webServerConfig,
-        corsParts: self.embark.config.corsParts,
-        blockchainConfig: self.blockchainConfig,
-        embark: self.embark
-      });
+      if(this.storageProcessesLauncher === null) {
+        this.storageProcessesLauncher = new StorageProcessesLauncher({
+          logger: self.logger,
+          events: self.events,
+          storageConfig: self.storageConfig,
+          webServerConfig: self.webServerConfig,
+          corsParts: self.embark.config.corsParts,
+          blockchainConfig: self.blockchainConfig,
+          embark: self.embark
+        });
+      }
       self.logger.trace(`Storage module: Launching swarm process...`);
-      return storageProcessesLauncher.launchProcess('swarm', (err) => {
+      return this.storageProcessesLauncher.launchProcess('swarm', (err) => {
         callback(err, true);
       });
     });
   }
 
+  stopProcess(cb) {
+    if(!this.storageProcessesLauncher) return cb();
+    this.storageProcessesLauncher.stopProcess("swarm", cb);
+  }
+
   registerUploadCommand() {
     const self = this;
     this.embark.registerUploadCommand('swarm', (cb) => {
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/process.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/process.js
index 0df6e705e..8a3ed535f 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/process.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/modules/swarm/process.js
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ class SwarmProcess extends ProcessWrapper {
   kill() {
     if (this.child) {
       this.child.kill();
+      swarmProcess.send({result: constants.storage.exit});
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/embarkjs-swarm/src/index.js b/packages/embarkjs-swarm/src/index.js
index 61bdd2a30..146667bf6 100644
--- a/packages/embarkjs-swarm/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/embarkjs-swarm/src/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-/*global web3 */
 let __embarkSwarm = {_swarmConnection: undefined};
 let SwarmAPI = require('swarm-api');
 if (SwarmAPI.default) {
@@ -14,11 +13,15 @@ __embarkSwarm.setProvider = function (options) {
   this._connectError = new Error(`Cannot connect to Swarm node on ${this._connectUrl}`);
 
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    if(!options.web3) {
+      reject(__("A web3 object must be passed in to __embarkSwarm.setProvider"));
+    }
+    const {web3, useOnlyGivenProvider} = options;
     try {
-      if (!web3.bzz.currentProvider && !options.useOnlyGivenProvider) {
+      if (!web3.bzz.currentProvider && !useOnlyGivenProvider) {
         this._swarmConnection = new SwarmAPI({gateway: this._connectUrl});
       }
-      else if (options.useOnlyGivenProvider && web3.bzz.givenProvider !== null) {
+      else if (useOnlyGivenProvider && web3.bzz.givenProvider !== null) {
         this._swarmConnection = new SwarmAPI({gateway: web3.bzz.givenProvider});
       }
       resolve(this);
diff --git a/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js b/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js
index f8dcd1922..8f436f0b1 100644
--- a/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js
+++ b/packages/embarkjs/src/storage.js
@@ -72,11 +72,12 @@ Storage.isAvailable = function () {
 };
 
 // TODO: most of this logic should move to the provider implementations themselves
-Storage.setProviders = function (dappConnOptions) {
+Storage.setProviders = function (dappConnOptions, addlOpts) {
   const self = this;
   detectSeries(dappConnOptions, (dappConn, callback) => {
     let options = dappConn;
     if (dappConn === '$BZZ') options = {"useOnlyGivenProvider": true};
+    options = {...options, ...addlOpts};
     try {
       self.setProvider(dappConn === '$BZZ' ? dappConn : dappConn.provider, options).then(() => {
         self.isAvailable().then((isAvailable) => {