diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index 3dde287c5..50419d535 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ Cmd.prototype.run = function() {
   .option('-p, --port [port]', 'port to run the dev webserver (default: 8000)')
   .option('-b, --host [host]', 'host to run the dev webserver (default: localhost)')
   .option('--noserver', 'disable the development webserver')
+  .option('--nodashboard', 'simple mode, disables the dashboard')
   .description('run dapp (default: development)')
   .action(function(env, options) {
     self.Embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
@@ -74,7 +75,8 @@ Cmd.prototype.run = function() {
       env: env || 'development',
       serverPort: options.port,
       serverHost: options.host,
-      runWebserver: !options.noserver
+      runWebserver: !options.noserver,
+      useDashboard: !options.nodashboard
     });
   });
 };
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 82334d8e5..0671fbb6b 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -63,20 +63,34 @@ var Embark = {
     var self = this;
     var env = options.env;
     async.waterfall([
+      function welcome(callback) {
+        if (!options.useDashboard) {
+          console.log('========================'.bold.green);
+          console.log('Welcome to Embark 2.1.2'.yellow.bold);
+          console.log('========================'.bold.green);
+        }
+        callback();
+      },
       function startConsole(callback) {
         Embark.console = new Console();
         callback();
       },
       function startMonitor(callback) {
+        if (!options.useDashboard) {
+          return callback();
+        }
         Embark.monitor = new Monitor({env: env, console: Embark.console});
-        Embark.monitor.setStatus("Starting");
         self.logger.logFunction = Embark.monitor.logEntry;
         self.logger.contractsState = Embark.monitor.setContracts;
         self.logger.availableServices = Embark.monitor.availableServices;
+        self.logger.setStatus = Embark.monitor.setStatus.bind(Embark.monitor);
         // TODO: do this after monitor is rendered
         callback();
       },
       function monitorServices(callback) {
+        if (!options.useDashboard) {
+          return callback();
+        }
         Embark.servicesMonitor = new ServicesMonitor({
           logger: Embark.logger,
           config: Embark.config,
@@ -92,7 +106,7 @@ var Embark = {
         if (!options.runWebserver) {
           return callback();
         }
-        Embark.monitor.setStatus("Starting Server");
+        self.logger.setStatus("Starting Server");
         var server = new Server({
           logger: self.logger,
           host: options.serverHost,
@@ -101,7 +115,7 @@ var Embark = {
         server.start(callback);
       },
       function watchFilesForChanges(callback) {
-        Embark.monitor.setStatus("Watching for changes");
+        self.logger.setStatus("Watching for changes");
         var watch = new Watch({logger: self.logger});
         watch.start();
         watch.on('redeploy', function() {
@@ -116,7 +130,7 @@ var Embark = {
         callback();
       }
     ], function(err, result) {
-      Embark.monitor.setStatus("Ready".green);
+      self.logger.setStatus("Ready".green);
       self.logger.trace("finished".underline);
     });
   },
@@ -215,7 +229,7 @@ var Embark = {
   buildDeployGenerate: function(done) {
     var self = this;
 
-    Embark.monitor.setStatus("Deploying...".magenta.underline);
+    self.logger.setStatus("Deploying...".magenta.underline);
     async.waterfall([
       function deployAndBuildContractsManager(callback) {
         Embark.buildAndDeploy(function(err, contractsManager) {
@@ -237,7 +251,7 @@ var Embark = {
         callback(null, abiGenerator.generateABI({useEmbarkJS: true}));
       },
       function buildPipeline(abi, callback) {
-        Embark.monitor.setStatus("Building Assets");
+        self.logger.setStatus("Building Assets");
         var pipeline = new Pipeline({
           buildDir: self.config.buildDir,
           contractsFiles: self.config.contractsFiles,
@@ -251,9 +265,9 @@ var Embark = {
       if (err) {
         self.logger.error("error deploying");
         self.logger.error(err.message);
-        Embark.monitor.setStatus("Deployment Error".red);
+        self.logger.setStatus("Deployment Error".red);
       } else {
-        Embark.monitor.setStatus("Ready".green);
+        self.logger.setStatus("Ready".green);
       }
       done(result);
     });
diff --git a/lib/logger.js b/lib/logger.js
index b93f005a2..5007977c5 100644
--- a/lib/logger.js
+++ b/lib/logger.js
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ var Logger = function(options) {
   this.logLevels = ['error', 'warn', 'info', 'debug', 'trace'];
   this.logLevel    = options.logLevel || 'info';
   this.logFunction = options.logFunction || console.log;
-  this.contractsState = options.contractsState || console.log;
-  this.availableServices = options.availableServices || console.log;
+  this.contractsState = options.contractsState || function() {};
+  this.availableServices = options.availableServices || function() {};
+  this.setStatus = options.setStatus || console.log;
 };
 
 Logger.prototype.error = function(txt) {