diff --git a/packages/embark-utils/src/index.js b/packages/embark-utils/src/index.js
index c9e7e4ee4..551eadae1 100644
--- a/packages/embark-utils/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/embark-utils/src/index.js
@@ -128,6 +128,27 @@ function deconstructUrl(endpoint) {
   };
 }
 
+function getHexBalanceFromString(balanceString, web3) {
+  if(!web3){
+    throw new Error(__('[getHexBalanceFromString]: Missing parameter \'web3\''));
+  }
+  if (!balanceString) {
+    return 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF;
+  }
+  if (web3.utils.isHexStrict(balanceString)) {
+    return balanceString;
+  }
+  const match = balanceString.match(balanceRegex);
+  if (!match) {
+    throw new Error(__('Unrecognized balance string "%s"', balanceString));
+  }
+  if (!match[2]) {
+    return web3.utils.toHex(match[1]);
+  }
+
+  return web3.utils.toHex(web3.utils.toWei(match[1], match[2]));
+}
+
 function getWeiBalanceFromString(balanceString, web3){
   if(!web3){
     throw new Error(__('[getWeiBalanceFromString]: Missing parameter \'web3\''));
@@ -206,6 +227,7 @@ const Utils = {
   recursiveMerge,
   prepareContractsConfig,
   getWeiBalanceFromString,
+  getHexBalanceFromString,
   sha512,
   timer,
   unitRegex,
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/accountParser.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/accountParser.js
index 841825588..e8f3724de 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/accountParser.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/accountParser.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const bip39 = require("bip39");
 const hdkey = require('ethereumjs-wallet/hdkey');
 const ethereumjsWallet = require('ethereumjs-wallet');
 const fs = require('../core/fs');
-const {getHexBalanceFromString} = require('../utils/utils');
+import {getHexBalanceFromString} from 'embark-utils';
 
 const path = require('path');
 
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/utils.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/utils.js
index f7eb0de16..a04fdf6ee 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/utils.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/utils/utils.js
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ let http = require('follow-redirects').http;
 let https = require('follow-redirects').https;
 import {canonicalHost, normalizeInput} from 'embark-utils';
 
-const balanceRegex = /([0-9]+) ?([a-zA-Z]*)/;
-
 function dirname() {
   const path = require('path');
   return path.dirname.apply(path.dirname, arguments);
@@ -342,27 +340,6 @@ function buildUrlFromConfig(configObj) {
   return this.buildUrl(configObj.protocol, canonicalHost(configObj.host), configObj.port, configObj.type);
 }
 
-function getHexBalanceFromString(balanceString, web3) {
-  if(!web3){
-    throw new Error(__('[utils.getHexBalanceFromString]: Missing parameter \'web3\''));
-  }
-  if (!balanceString) {
-    return 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF;
-  }
-  if (web3.utils.isHexStrict(balanceString)) {
-    return balanceString;
-  }
-  const match = balanceString.match(balanceRegex);
-  if (!match) {
-    throw new Error(__('Unrecognized balance string "%s"', balanceString));
-  }
-  if (!match[2]) {
-    return web3.utils.toHex(match[1]);
-  }
-
-  return web3.utils.toHex(web3.utils.toWei(match[1], match[2]));
-}
-
 function compact(array) {
   return array.filter(n => n);
 }
@@ -497,7 +474,6 @@ module.exports = {
   normalizeInput,
   buildUrl,
   buildUrlFromConfig,
-  getHexBalanceFromString,
   compact,
   groupBy,
   interceptLogs,
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/test/accountParser.js b/packages/embark/src/test/accountParser.js
index 54bca8863..ed36ca5f8 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/test/accountParser.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/test/accountParser.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 /*global __dirname, describe, it, before, after, require*/
 const assert = require('assert');
 const sinon = require('sinon');
-const utils = require('../lib/utils/utils');
 const AccountParser = require('../lib/utils/accountParser');
 let TestLogger = require('../lib/utils/test_logger');
 const Web3 = require('web3');
 const i18n = require('../lib/core/i18n/i18n');
-import { getWeiBalanceFromString } from 'embark-utils';
+import { getWeiBalanceFromString, getHexBalanceFromString } from 'embark-utils';
 i18n.setOrDetectLocale('en');
 
 describe('embark.AccountParser', function () {
@@ -112,44 +111,44 @@ describe('embark.AccountParser', function () {
 
   describe('getHexBalance', () => {
     it('should return default if no balance', () => {
-      const hexBalance = utils.getHexBalanceFromString(null, Web3);
+      const hexBalance = getHexBalanceFromString(null, Web3);
 
       assert.strictEqual(hexBalance, 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF);
     });
 
     it('should return the balance string if already hexadecimal', () => {
-      const hexBalance = utils.getHexBalanceFromString('0xFFF', Web3);
+      const hexBalance = getHexBalanceFromString('0xFFF', Web3);
 
       assert.strictEqual(hexBalance, '0xFFF');
     });
 
     it('should convert to hex when decimal', () => {
-      const hexBalance = utils.getHexBalanceFromString('500', Web3);
+      const hexBalance = getHexBalanceFromString('500', Web3);
 
       assert.strictEqual(hexBalance, '0x1f4');
     });
 
     it('should convert to hex with eth string', () => {
-      const hexBalance = utils.getHexBalanceFromString('4ether', Web3);
+      const hexBalance = getHexBalanceFromString('4ether', Web3);
 
       assert.strictEqual(hexBalance, '0x3782dace9d900000');
     });
 
     it('should convert to hex with eth string with space', () => {
-      const hexBalance = utils.getHexBalanceFromString('673 shannon', Web3);
+      const hexBalance = getHexBalanceFromString('673 shannon', Web3);
 
       assert.strictEqual(hexBalance, '0x9cb1ed0a00');
     });
 
     it('should convert to hex with large ether values', () => {
-      const hexBalance = utils.getHexBalanceFromString('100000 ether', Web3);
+      const hexBalance = getHexBalanceFromString('100000 ether', Web3);
 
       assert.strictEqual(hexBalance, '0x152d02c7e14af6800000');
     });
 
     it('should fail when string is not good', () => {
       try {
-        utils.getHexBalanceFromString('nogood', Web3);
+        getHexBalanceFromString('nogood', Web3);
         assert.fail('Should have failed at getHexBalance');
       } catch (e) {
         // Ok