diff --git a/lib/contracts/blockchain.js b/lib/contracts/blockchain.js
index 664f0d054..04e32a593 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/blockchain.js
@@ -21,34 +21,87 @@ class Blockchain {
     this.isWeb3Ready = false;
     this.web3StartedInProcess = false;
 
+    this.registerProcessLaunch();
+
     if (!this.web3) {
       this.initWeb3();
     } else {
       this.isWeb3Ready = true;
     }
-    this.registerServiceCheck();
+    //this.registerServiceCheck();
     this.registerRequests();
     this.registerWeb3Object();
   }
 
-  initWeb3(cb) {
-    if (!cb) {
-      cb = function(){};
-    }
-    if (this.isWeb3Ready) {
-      return cb();
-    }
+  registerProcessLaunch() {
+    const self = this;
+    this.events.request('processes:register', 'blockchain', (cb) => {
+      self.startBlockchainNode(cb);
+    });
+  }
+
+  initWeb3() {
     const self = this;
     this.web3 = new Web3();
 
     if (this.contractsConfig.deployment.type !== "rpc" && this.contractsConfig.deployment.type !== "ws") {
       const message = __("contracts config error: unknown deployment type %s", this.contractsConfig.deployment.type);
       this.logger.error(message);
-      return cb(message);
+      //return cb(message);
     }
 
     const protocol = (this.contractsConfig.deployment.type === "rpc") ? this.contractsConfig.deployment.protocol : 'ws';
-    
+
+    this.web3Endpoint = utils.buildUrl(protocol, this.contractsConfig.deployment.host, this.contractsConfig.deployment.port);//`${protocol}://${this.contractsConfig.deployment.host}:${this.contractsConfig.deployment.port}`;
+
+    const providerOptions = {
+      web3: this.web3,
+      accountsConfig: this.contractsConfig.deployment.accounts,
+      blockchainConfig: this.blockchainConfig,
+      logger: this.logger,
+      isDev: this.isDev,
+      type: this.contractsConfig.deployment.type,
+      web3Endpoint: self.web3Endpoint
+    };
+    this.provider = new Provider(providerOptions);
+
+    self.assertNodeConnection(true, (err) => {
+      if (!err) {
+        self.provider.startWeb3Provider(() => {
+          self.provider.fundAccounts(() => {
+            self.registerWeb3Object();
+
+            self.events.emit("check:backOnline:Ethereum");
+          });
+        });
+        return;
+      }
+
+      self.events.request("processes:launch", "blockchain", () => {
+        console.dir("======> blockchain launched!");
+        self.provider.startWeb3Provider(() => {
+          self.provider.fundAccounts(() => {
+            self.registerWeb3Object();
+
+            self.events.emit("check:backOnline:Ethereum");
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  initWeb3_old() {
+    const self = this;
+    this.web3 = new Web3();
+
+    if (this.contractsConfig.deployment.type !== "rpc" && this.contractsConfig.deployment.type !== "ws") {
+      const message = __("contracts config error: unknown deployment type %s", this.contractsConfig.deployment.type);
+      this.logger.error(message);
+      //return cb(message);
+    }
+
+    const protocol = (this.contractsConfig.deployment.type === "rpc") ? this.contractsConfig.deployment.protocol : 'ws';
+
     this.web3Endpoint = utils.buildUrl(protocol, this.contractsConfig.deployment.host, this.contractsConfig.deployment.port);//`${protocol}://${this.contractsConfig.deployment.host}:${this.contractsConfig.deployment.port}`;
 
     const providerOptions = {
@@ -90,10 +143,11 @@ class Blockchain {
             return next();
           }
           self.web3StartedInProcess = true;
-          self.startBlockchainNode(() => {
+          //self.startBlockchainNode(() => {
+          self.events.request("processes:launch", "blockchain", () => {
             // Need to re-initialize web3 to connect to the new blockchain node
             self.provider.stop();
-            self.initWeb3(cb);
+            //self.initWeb3(cb);
           });
         });
       },
@@ -120,6 +174,7 @@ class Blockchain {
   }
 
   startBlockchainNode(callback) {
+    console.dir("==> startBlockchainNode");
     const self = this;
     let blockchainProcess = new BlockchainProcessLauncher({
       events: self.events,
@@ -132,9 +187,11 @@ class Blockchain {
 
     blockchainProcess.startBlockchainNode();
     self.events.once(constants.blockchain.blockchainReady, () => {
+      console.dir("==> blockchainReady");
       callback();
     });
     self.events.once(constants.blockchain.blockchainExit, () => {
+      console.dir("==> blockchainExit");
       self.provider.stop();
       callback();
     });
diff --git a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
index f1a3077a3..9302b1003 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 let async = require('async');
 
 const utils = require('../utils/utils.js');
+//require("../utils/debug_util.js")(__filename, async);
 
 class DeployManager {
   constructor(options) {
@@ -87,11 +88,12 @@ class DeployManager {
 
       // TODO: could be implemented as an event (beforeDeployAll)
       function checkIsConnectedToBlockchain(callback) {
-        self.blockchain.onReady(() => {
-          self.blockchain.assertNodeConnection((err) => {
-            callback(err);
-          });
-        });
+        callback();
+        //self.blockchain.onReady(() => {
+        //  self.blockchain.assertNodeConnection((err) => {
+        //    callback(err);
+        //  });
+        //});
       },
 
       // TODO: this can be done on the fly or as part of the initialization
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 71b8ec2ed..7b55bafca 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ class Engine {
       "namingSystem": this.namingSystem,
       "web3": this.web3Service,
       "libraryManager": this.libraryManagerService,
+      "processManager": this.processManagerService,
       "storage": this.storageService
     };
 
@@ -95,6 +96,15 @@ class Engine {
     return service.apply(this, [options]);
   }
 
+  processManagerService(_options) {
+    const ProcessManager = require('../processes/process_manager.js');
+    const processManager = new ProcessManager({
+      events: this.events,
+      logger: this.logger,
+      plugins: this.plugins
+    });
+  }
+
   pipelineService(_options) {
     const self = this;
     this.events.emit("status", "Building Assets");
diff --git a/lib/core/events.js b/lib/core/events.js
index 6bc9bcd1f..cd2218fdd 100644
--- a/lib/core/events.js
+++ b/lib/core/events.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ function log(eventType, eventName) {
   if (['end', 'prefinish', 'error', 'new', 'demo', 'block', 'version'].indexOf(eventName) >= 0) {
     return;
   }
+  if (eventType.indexOf("log") >= 0) {
+    return;
+  }
   //console.log(eventType, eventName);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 455deeb6a..46f7b4f62 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ class Embark {
           engine.logger.info(__("loaded plugins") + ": " + pluginList.join(", "));
         }
 
+        engine.startService("processManager");
         engine.startService("serviceMonitor");
         engine.startService("libraryManager");
         engine.startService("codeRunner");
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ class Embark {
           engine.logger.info(__("loaded plugins") + ": " + pluginList.join(", "));
         }
 
+        engine.startService("processManager");
         engine.startService("libraryManager");
         engine.startService("codeRunner");
         engine.startService("web3");
@@ -323,6 +325,7 @@ class Embark {
           engine.logger.info(__("loaded plugins") + ": " + pluginList.join(", "));
         }
 
+        engine.startService("processManager");
         engine.startService("serviceMonitor");
         engine.startService("libraryManager");
         engine.startService("pipeline");
@@ -382,6 +385,7 @@ class Embark {
 
       function startServices(callback) {
 
+        engine.startService("processManager");
         engine.startService("serviceMonitor");
         engine.startService("libraryManager");
         engine.startService("codeRunner");
diff --git a/lib/processes/process_manager.js b/lib/processes/process_manager.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4da9ddeab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/processes/process_manager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+
+class ProcessManager {
+  constructor(options) {
+    const self = this;
+    this.logger = options.logger;
+    this.events = options.events;
+    this.plugins = options.plugins;
+    this.processes = {};
+
+    self.events.setCommandHandler('processes:register', (name, cb) => {
+      console.dir("=====> registering " + name);
+      this.processes[name] = {
+        state: 'unstarted',
+        cb: cb
+      }
+    });
+
+    self.events.setCommandHandler('processes:launch', (name, cb) => {
+      let process = self.processes[name];
+      // TODO: should make distinction between starting and running
+      if (process.state != 'unstarted') {
+        console.dir("=====> already started " + name);
+        return cb();
+      }
+      console.dir("=====> launching " + name);
+      process.state = 'starting';
+      //let pry = require('pryjs');
+      //eval(pry.it);
+      process.cb.apply(process.cb, [() => {
+        process.state = 'running';
+        console.dir("=====> launched " + name);
+        cb();
+      }]);
+    });
+  }
+
+}
+
+module.exports = ProcessManager;