diff --git a/lib/contracts/provider.js b/lib/contracts/provider.js
index e7c5ce914..94cbba602 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/provider.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/provider.js
@@ -4,11 +4,14 @@ const WsSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/websocke
 const async = require('async');
 const AccountParser = require('./accountParser');
 const fundAccount = require('./fundAccount');
+const EventEmitter = require('events');
 
+EventEmitter.prototype._maxListeners = 300;
 const NO_ACCOUNTS = 'noAccounts';
 
-class Provider {
+class Provider extends ProviderEngine {
   constructor(options) {
+    super();
     this.web3 = options.web3;
     this.accountsConfig = options.accountsConfig;
     this.blockchainConfig = options.blockchainConfig;
@@ -16,19 +19,19 @@ class Provider {
     this.web3Endpoint = options.web3Endpoint;
     this.logger = options.logger;
     this.isDev = options.isDev;
-    this.engine = new ProviderEngine();
     this.asyncMethods = {};
+    this.setMaxListeners(300);
   }
 
   startWeb3Provider(callback) {
     const self = this;
 
     if (this.type === 'rpc') {
-      self.engine.addProvider(new RpcSubprovider({
+      self.addProvider(new RpcSubprovider({
         rpcUrl: self.web3Endpoint
       }));
     } else if (this.type === 'ws') {
-      self.engine.addProvider(new WsSubprovider({
+      self.addProvider(new WsSubprovider({
         rpcUrl: self.web3Endpoint,
         origin: this.blockchainConfig.wsOrigins.split(',')[0]
       }));
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ class Provider {
 
 
     // network connectivity error
-    self.engine.on('error', (err) => {
+    self.on('error', (err) => {
       // report connectivity errors as trace due to polling
       self.logger.trace('web3 provider error: ', err);
       self.logger.trace('stopping web3 provider due to error');
@@ -47,8 +50,8 @@ class Provider {
       self.engine.stop();
     });
 
-    self.engine.start();
   self.web3.setProvider(self);
+    self.start();
 
     self.accounts = AccountParser.parseAccountsConfig(self.accountsConfig, self.web3, self.logger);
     self.addresses = [];
@@ -87,10 +90,6 @@ class Provider {
     }, callback);
   }
 
-  stop() {
-    this.engine.stop();
-  }
-
   eth_accounts(payload, cb) {
     return cb(null, this.addresses);
   }
@@ -106,11 +105,7 @@ class Provider {
         callback(null, response);
       });
     }
-    this.engine.sendAsync.apply(this.engine, arguments);
-  }
-
-  send() {
-    return this.engine.send.apply(this.engine, arguments);
+    super.sendAsync(payload, callback);
   }
 }