diff --git a/chains.json b/chains.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 0967ef424..000000000
--- a/chains.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-{}
diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index 4bb29c1e3..f89bf8b17 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ Config.prototype.loadBlockchainConfigFile = function() {
 
 Config.prototype.loadContractsConfigFile = function() {
   var defaultVersions = {
-    "web3.js": "1.0.0-beta",
+    "web3": "1.0.0-beta",
     "solc": "0.4.17"
   };
   var versions = utils.recursiveMerge(defaultVersions, this.embarkConfig.versions || {});
diff --git a/lib/versions/library_manager.js b/lib/versions/library_manager.js
index 3589a8378..05bf2879a 100644
--- a/lib/versions/library_manager.js
+++ b/lib/versions/library_manager.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class LibraryManager {
     this.versions = {};
 
     let solcVersionInConfig = this.contractsConfig.versions.solc;
-    let web3VersionInConfig = this.contractsConfig.versions["web3.js"];
+    let web3VersionInConfig = this.contractsConfig.versions["web3"];
     let ipfsApiVersion = this.storageConfig.versions["ipfs-api"];
 
     this.versions['solc'] = solcVersionInConfig;
@@ -64,10 +64,7 @@ class LibraryManager {
   listenToCommandsToGetLibrary() {
     let npm = new Npm({logger: this.embark.logger});
     this.embark.events.setCommandHandler('version:getPackageLocation', (libName, version, cb) => {
-      npm.getPackageVersion(libName, version, false, false, cb);
-    });
-    this.embark.events.setCommandHandler('version:getPackageContent', (libName, version, cb) => {
-      npm.getPackageVersion(libName, version, false, true, cb);
+      npm.getPackageVersion(libName, version, cb);
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/versions/npm.js b/lib/versions/npm.js
index 44b9844f7..a6d50246b 100644
--- a/lib/versions/npm.js
+++ b/lib/versions/npm.js
@@ -1,113 +1,26 @@
-// here be dragons
-// TODO: this is horrible and needs to be refactored ASAP
-let utils = require('../utils/utils.js');
 let fs = require('../core/fs.js');
 
+let PluginManager = require('live-plugin-manager').PluginManager;
+
 class Npm {
 
   constructor(options) {
     this.logger = options.logger;
   }
 
-  downloadFromGit(registryJSON, packageName, version, returnContent, callback) {
-    let repoName = registryJSON.repository.url.replace("git+https://github.com/", "").replace(".git","");
-    let gitHead = registryJSON.gitHead;
-
-    if (!gitHead) {
-      this.logger.error("Could not download " + packageName + " " + version);
-      return callback("error");
-    }
-
-    let fileLocation = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/" + repoName + "/" + gitHead + "/dist/web3.min.js";
-
-    let packageDirectory = './.embark/versions/' + packageName + '/' + version + '/';
-    if (fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + "/" + packageName + ".js")) {
-      if (returnContent) {
-        let distFile = packageDirectory + packageName + ".js";
-        callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
-      } else {
-        callback(null, packageDirectory);
-      }
-    } else {
-      fs.mkdirpSync(packageDirectory);
-      this.logger.info("downloading " + packageName + " " + version + "....");
-
-      utils.downloadFile(fileLocation, packageDirectory + "/" + packageName + ".js", function() {
-        utils.extractTar(packageDirectory + "/" + packageName + ".js", packageDirectory, function() {
-          if (returnContent) {
-            let distFile = packageDirectory + packageName + ".js";
-            callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
-          } else {
-            callback(null, packageDirectory);
-          }
-        });
-      });
-    }
-  }
-
-  downloadFromNpm(registryJSON, packageName, version, returnContent, callback) {
-    let tarball = registryJSON.dist.tarball;
-
-    let packageDirectory = './.embark/versions/' + packageName + '/' + version + '/';
-    if (fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + "/downloaded_package.tgz") && fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + "package.json")) {
-      if (returnContent) {
-        let distFile = packageDirectory + returnContent;
-        callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
-      } else {
-        callback(null, packageDirectory);
-      }
-    } else {
-      fs.mkdirpSync(packageDirectory);
-      this.logger.info("downloading " + packageName + " " + version + "....");
-
-      utils.downloadFile(tarball, packageDirectory + "/downloaded_package.tgz", function() {
-        utils.extractTar(packageDirectory + "/downloaded_package.tgz", packageDirectory, function() {
-          if (returnContent) {
-            let distFile = packageDirectory + returnContent;
-            callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
-          } else {
-            callback(null, packageDirectory);
-          }
-        });
-      });
-    }
-  }
-
-  // TODO: callback should accept an error
-  getPackageVersion(packageName, version, returnContent, getFromGit, callback) {
-    let self = this;
-    let npmRegistry = "https://registry.npmjs.org/" + packageName + "/" + version;
+  getPackageVersion(packageName, version, callback) {
     let packageDirectory = './.embark/versions/' + packageName + '/' + version + '/';
 
-    if (fs.existsSync(packageDirectory) && fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + "package.json")) {
-      let content;
-      if (getFromGit && returnContent) {
-        let distFile = packageDirectory + packageName + ".js";
-        content = fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString();
-      } else if (returnContent) {
-        let distFile = packageDirectory + returnContent;
-        content = fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString();
-      } else {
-        content = packageDirectory;
-      }
-      return callback(null, content);
+    let manager = new PluginManager({pluginsPath: packageDirectory});
+
+    if (fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + packageName)) {
+      return callback(null, packageDirectory + packageName);
     }
 
-    utils.httpsGet(npmRegistry, function (err, body) {
-      if (err) {
-        if (err.code === 'ENOTFOUND') {
-          return callback("can't reach " + err.hostname + " to download " + packageName + " " + version + " - are you connected to the internet?");
-        }
-        return callback(err);
-      }
-      let registryJSON = JSON.parse(body);
-
-      if (getFromGit) {
-        self.downloadFromGit(registryJSON, packageName, version, returnContent, callback);
-      } else {
-        self.downloadFromNpm(registryJSON, packageName, version, returnContent, callback);
-      }
-    });
+    this.logger.info("downloading " + packageName + " " + version + "....");
+    manager.install(packageName, version).then((result) => {
+      callback(null , result.location);
+    }).catch(callback);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e34b98e4a..28aa1df62 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
     "globule": "^1.1.0",
     "http-shutdown": "^1.2.0",
     "ipfs-api": "17.2.4",
+    "live-plugin-manager": "https://github.com/iurimatias/live-plugin-manager.git",
     "merge": "^1.2.0",
     "mocha": "^2.2.5",
     "orbit-db": "^0.17.3",
diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/embark.json b/templates/boilerplate/embark.json
index 37d16797b..0a5bfef57 100644
--- a/templates/boilerplate/embark.json
+++ b/templates/boilerplate/embark.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   "buildDir": "dist/",
   "config": "config/",
   "versions": {
-    "web3.js": "1.0.0-beta",
+    "web3": "1.0.0-beta",
     "solc": "0.4.17",
     "ipfs-api": "17.2.4"
   },
diff --git a/templates/demo/embark.json b/templates/demo/embark.json
index 9ad970177..909673725 100644
--- a/templates/demo/embark.json
+++ b/templates/demo/embark.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   "buildDir": "dist/",
   "config": "config/",
   "versions": {
-    "web3.js": "1.0.0-beta",
+    "web3": "1.0.0-beta",
     "solc": "0.4.17",
     "ipfs-api": "17.2.4"
   },
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
index ebc2b594d..75aa79577 100644
--- a/test/config.js
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe('embark.Config', function () {
     it('should load contract config correctly', function () {
       config.loadContractsConfigFile();
       let expectedConfig = {
-        versions: {'web3.js': '1.0.0-beta', solc: '0.4.17'},
+        versions: {'web3': '1.0.0-beta', solc: '0.4.17'},
         deployment: {host: 'localhost', port: 8545, type: 'rpc'},
         dappConnection: ['$WEB3', 'localhost:8545'],
         "gas": "auto",
diff --git a/test_apps/contracts_app/contracts.json b/test_apps/contracts_app/contracts.json
index c15d84b00..d4112a285 100644
--- a/test_apps/contracts_app/contracts.json
+++ b/test_apps/contracts_app/contracts.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "default": {
     "versions": {
-      "web3.js": "1.0.0-beta.27",
+      "web3": "1.0.0-beta.27",
       "solc": "0.4.17"
     },
     "deployment": {
diff --git a/test_apps/contracts_app/embark.json b/test_apps/contracts_app/embark.json
index 0eefbfab2..4f2b9380f 100644
--- a/test_apps/contracts_app/embark.json
+++ b/test_apps/contracts_app/embark.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     "webserver": false
   },
   "versions": {
-    "web3.js": "1.0.0-beta",
+    "web3": "1.0.0-beta",
     "solc": "0.4.17"
   }
 }
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/app/contracts/another_storage.sol b/test_apps/test_app/app/contracts/another_storage.sol
index 92233769b..d8e0a1a81 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/app/contracts/another_storage.sol
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/app/contracts/another_storage.sol
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-pragma solidity ^0.4.17;
+pragma solidity ^0.4.18;
 contract AnotherStorage {
   address public simpleStorageAddress;
   address simpleStorageAddress2;
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/embark.json b/test_apps/test_app/embark.json
index 0d56876bb..66dfb0066 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/embark.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/embark.json
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
   "config": "config/",
   "versions": {
     "solc": "0.4.18",
-    "ipfs-api": "17.2.6"
+    "web3": "1.0.0-beta.34",
+    "ipfs-api": "17.2.7"
   },
   "plugins": {
     "embark-service": {}