diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/miner.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/miner.js
index 6f26ff14d..771b08867 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/miner.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/miner.js
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ const NetcatClient = require('netcat/client');
 const minerStart = 'miner_start';
 const minerStop = 'miner_stop';
 const getHashRate = 'miner_getHashrate';
+const getCoinbase = 'eth_coinbase';
+const getBalance = 'eth_getBalance';
+const newBlockFilter = 'eth_newBlockFilter';
+const getChanges = 'eth_getFilterChanges';
 
 class GethMiner {
   constructor() {
@@ -40,9 +44,15 @@ class GethMiner {
     this.client.unixSocket(ipcPath)
       .enc('utf8')
       .connect()
-      .on('data', function(res){
+      .on('data', function(response){
+        try {
+          response = JSON.parse(response);
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error(e);
+          return;
+        }
         if (self.callback) {
-          self.callback(null, res);
+          self.callback(response.error, response.result);
           self.callback = null;
         }
       });
@@ -52,7 +62,11 @@ class GethMiner {
     }
 
     self.sendCommand(minerStop, () => {
-      self.fundAccount(function () {
+      self.fundAccount(function (err) {
+        if (err) {
+          console.error(err);
+          return;
+        }
         if (this.config.mine_periodically) self.start_periodic_mining();
         if (this.config.mine_pending_txns) self.start_transaction_mining();
       });
@@ -60,34 +74,86 @@ class GethMiner {
 
   }
 
-  sendCommand(method, callback) {
+  sendCommand(method, params, callback) {
+    if (typeof params === 'function') {
+      callback = params;
+      params = [];
+    }
     if (callback) {
       this.callback = callback;
     }
-    this.client.send(JSON.stringify({"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": method, "params": [], "id": 1}));
+    this.client.send(JSON.stringify({"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": method, "params": params || [], "id": 1}));
   }
 
-  fundAccount(cb) {
-    const self = this;
-    const accountFunded = function () {
-      // TODO check https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/JSON-RPC for APIs
-      return (eth.getBalance(eth.coinbase) >= self.config.initial_ether);
-    };
-
-    if (accountFunded()) {
-      return cb();
+  getCoinbase(callback) {
+    if (this.coinbase) {
+      return callback(null, this.coinbase);
     }
-
-    console.log("== Funding account");
-    this.sendCommand(minerStart);
-
-    const blockWatcher = web3.eth.filter("latest").watch(function () {
-      if (accountFunded()) {
-        console.log("== Account funded");
-
-        blockWatcher.stopWatching();
-        self.sendCommand(minerStop, cb);
+    this.sendCommand(getCoinbase, (err, response) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return callback(err);
       }
+      this.coinbase = response.result;
+      if (!this.coinbase) {
+        return callback('Failed getting coinbase account');
+      }
+      callback(null, this.coinbase);
+    });
+  }
+
+  accountFunded(callback) {
+    const self = this;
+    self.getCoinbase((err, coinbase) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return callback(err);
+      }
+      self.sendCommand(getBalance, [coinbase], (err, result) => {
+        if (err) {
+          return callback(err);
+        }
+        callback(null, result >= self.config.initial_ether);
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  watchNewBlocks() {
+    const self = this;
+    self.sendCommand(newBlockFilter, (err, filterId) => {
+      if (err) {
+        console.error(err);
+        return;
+      }
+      const interval = setInterval(() => {
+        self.sendCommand(getChanges, [filterId], (err, changes) => {
+          if (!changes || !changes.length) {
+            return;
+          }
+          self.accountFunded((err, funded) => {
+            if (funded) {
+              clearTimeout(interval);
+              self.sendCommand(minerStop);
+            }
+          });
+        });
+      }, 1000);
+    });
+  }
+
+  fundAccount(callback) {
+    const self = this;
+
+    self.accountFunded((err, funded) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return callback(err);
+      }
+      if (funded) {
+        return callback();
+      }
+
+      console.log("== Funding account");
+      this.sendCommand(minerStart);
+
+      self.watchNewBlocks();
     });
   }
 
@@ -143,8 +209,8 @@ class GethMiner {
   start_transaction_mining() {
     const self = this;
     web3.eth.filter("pending").watch(function () {
-      self.sendCommand(getHashRate, (err, response) => {
-        if (response.result > 0) return;
+      self.sendCommand(getHashRate, (err, result) => {
+        if (result > 0) return;
 
         console.log("== Pending transactions! Looking for next block...");
         self.sendCommand(minerStart);