diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js b/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js
index 5a1b13ebd..9930b17e6 100644
--- a/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js
+++ b/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 module.exports = {
-  development: {
+  default: {
     enabled: true,
+    rpcHost: "localhost", // HTTP-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
+    rpcPort: 8545, // HTTP-RPC server listening port (default: 8545)
+    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",  // Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)
+                            // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
+    wsRPC: true, // Enable the WS-RPC server
+    wsOrigins: "auto",  // Origins from which to accept websockets requests
+                        // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
+    wsHost: "localhost", // WS-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
+    wsPort: 8546 // WS-RPC server listening port (default: 8546)
+  },
+  development: {
     networkType: "custom", // Can be: testnet, rinkeby, livenet or custom, in which case, it will use the specified networkId
     networkId: "1337", // Network id used when networkType is custom
     isDev: true, // Uses and ephemeral proof-of-authority network with a pre-funded developer account, mining enabled
@@ -8,22 +19,12 @@ module.exports = {
     mineWhenNeeded: true, // Uses our custom script (if isDev is false) to mine only when needed
     nodiscover: true, // Disables the peer discovery mechanism (manual peer addition)
     maxpeers: 0, // Maximum number of network peers (network disabled if set to 0) (default: 25)
-    rpcHost: "localhost", // HTTP-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
-    rpcPort: 8545, // HTTP-RPC server listening port (default: 8545)
-    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",  // Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)
-                            // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
     proxy: true, // Proxy is used to present meaningful information about transactions
     targetGasLimit: 8000000, // Target gas limit sets the artificial target gas floor for the blocks to mine
-    wsRPC: true, // Enable the WS-RPC server
-    wsOrigins: "auto",  // Origins from which to accept websockets requests
-                        // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
-    wsHost: "localhost", // WS-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
-    wsPort: 8546, // WS-RPC server listening port (default: 8546)
     simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm", // Mnemonic  used by the simulator to generate a wallet
     simulatorBlocktime: 0 // Specify blockTime in seconds for automatic mining. Default is 0 and no auto-mining.
   },
   privatenet: {
-    enabled: true,
     networkType: "custom",
     networkId: "1337",
     isDev: false,
@@ -32,40 +33,27 @@ module.exports = {
     mineWhenNeeded: true,
     nodiscover: true,
     maxpeers: 0,
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
-    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",
     proxy: true,
     account: {
       // "address": "", // When specified, uses that address instead of the default one for the network
       password: "config/privatenet/password" // Password to unlock the account
     },
     targetGasLimit: 8000000,
-    wsRPC: true,
-    wsOrigins: "auto",
-    wsHost: "localhost",
-    wsPort: 8546,
     simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm",
     simulatorBlocktime: 0
   },
   testnet: {
-    enabled: true,
     networkType: "testnet",
     syncMode: "light",
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
-    rpcCorsDomain: "http://localhost:8000",
     account: {
       password: "config/testnet/password"
     }
   },
   livenet: {
-    enabled: true,
     networkType: "livenet",
     syncMode: "light",
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
     rpcCorsDomain: "http://localhost:8000",
+    wsOrigins: "http://localhost:8000",
     account: {
       password: "config/livenet/password"
     }
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js b/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js
index 5a1b13ebd..88e934061 100644
--- a/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js
+++ b/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js
@@ -1,6 +1,18 @@
 module.exports = {
-  development: {
+  // applies to all environments
+  default: {
     enabled: true,
+    rpcHost: "localhost", // HTTP-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
+    rpcPort: 8545, // HTTP-RPC server listening port (default: 8545)
+    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",  // Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)
+                            // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
+    wsRPC: true, // Enable the WS-RPC server
+    wsOrigins: "auto",  // Origins from which to accept websockets requests
+                        // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
+    wsHost: "localhost", // WS-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
+    wsPort: 8546 // WS-RPC server listening port (default: 8546)
+  },
+  development: {
     networkType: "custom", // Can be: testnet, rinkeby, livenet or custom, in which case, it will use the specified networkId
     networkId: "1337", // Network id used when networkType is custom
     isDev: true, // Uses and ephemeral proof-of-authority network with a pre-funded developer account, mining enabled
@@ -8,22 +20,12 @@ module.exports = {
     mineWhenNeeded: true, // Uses our custom script (if isDev is false) to mine only when needed
     nodiscover: true, // Disables the peer discovery mechanism (manual peer addition)
     maxpeers: 0, // Maximum number of network peers (network disabled if set to 0) (default: 25)
-    rpcHost: "localhost", // HTTP-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
-    rpcPort: 8545, // HTTP-RPC server listening port (default: 8545)
-    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",  // Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)
-                            // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
     proxy: true, // Proxy is used to present meaningful information about transactions
     targetGasLimit: 8000000, // Target gas limit sets the artificial target gas floor for the blocks to mine
-    wsRPC: true, // Enable the WS-RPC server
-    wsOrigins: "auto",  // Origins from which to accept websockets requests
-                        // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
-    wsHost: "localhost", // WS-RPC server listening interface (default: "localhost")
-    wsPort: 8546, // WS-RPC server listening port (default: 8546)
     simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm", // Mnemonic  used by the simulator to generate a wallet
     simulatorBlocktime: 0 // Specify blockTime in seconds for automatic mining. Default is 0 and no auto-mining.
   },
   privatenet: {
-    enabled: true,
     networkType: "custom",
     networkId: "1337",
     isDev: false,
@@ -32,40 +34,29 @@ module.exports = {
     mineWhenNeeded: true,
     nodiscover: true,
     maxpeers: 0,
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
-    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",
     proxy: true,
     account: {
       // "address": "", // When specified, uses that address instead of the default one for the network
       password: "config/privatenet/password" // Password to unlock the account
     },
     targetGasLimit: 8000000,
-    wsRPC: true,
-    wsOrigins: "auto",
     wsHost: "localhost",
     wsPort: 8546,
     simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm",
     simulatorBlocktime: 0
   },
   testnet: {
-    enabled: true,
     networkType: "testnet",
     syncMode: "light",
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
-    rpcCorsDomain: "http://localhost:8000",
     account: {
       password: "config/testnet/password"
     }
   },
   livenet: {
-    enabled: true,
     networkType: "livenet",
     syncMode: "light",
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
     rpcCorsDomain: "http://localhost:8000",
+    wsOrigins: "http://localhost:8000",
     account: {
       password: "config/livenet/password"
     }
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
index 5f6ff2d95..fd4f0a514 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 {
-  "development": {
+  "default": {
     "enabled": true,
+    "rpcHost": "localhost",
+    "rpcPort": 8545,
+    "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
+    "wsRPC": true,
+    "wsHost": "localhost",
+    "wsPort": 8546,
+    "wsOrigins": "auto"
+  },
+  "development": {
     "networkType": "custom",
     "networkId": "1337",
     "isDev": true,
@@ -8,18 +17,10 @@
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "maxpeers": 0,
-    "rpcHost": "localhost",
-    "rpcPort": 8545,
-    "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
     "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
-    "wsOrigins": "auto",
-    "wsRPC": true,
-    "wsHost": "localhost",
-    "wsPort": 8546,
     "proxy": true
   },
   "privatenet": {
-    "enabled": true,
     "networkType": "custom",
     "networkId": "1337",
     "isDev": false,
@@ -28,25 +29,16 @@
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "maxpeers": 0,
-    "rpcHost": "localhost",
-    "rpcPort": 8545,
-    "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
     "account": {
       "numAccounts": 3,
       "balance": "5 ether",
       "password": "config/privatenet/password"
     },
     "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
-    "wsOrigins": "auto",
-    "wsRPC": true,
-    "wsHost": "localhost",
-    "wsPort": 8546,
     "proxy": true
   },
   "testnet": {
     "networkType": "testnet",
-    "rpcHost": "localhost",
-    "rpcPort": 8545,
     "syncMode": "fast",
     "account": {
       "password": "config/ropsten/password"
@@ -54,8 +46,6 @@
   },
   "rinkeby": {
     "networkType": "rinkeby",
-    "rpcHost": "localhost",
-    "rpcPort": 8545,
     "syncMode": "fast",
     "account": {
       "password": "config/rinkeby/password"
@@ -63,9 +53,8 @@
   },
   "livenet": {
     "networkType": "livenet",
-    "rpcHost": "localhost",
-    "rpcPort": 8545,
     "rpcCorsDomain": "http://localhost:8000",
+    "wsOrigins": "http://localhost:8000",
     "account": {
       "password": "config/livenet/password"
     }