diff --git a/cmd/cmd_controller.js b/cmd/cmd_controller.js
index 5b0c1d657..20d265447 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_controller.js
+++ b/cmd/cmd_controller.js
@@ -205,22 +205,25 @@ class EmbarkController {
         engine.startService("processManager");
         engine.startService("libraryManager");
         engine.startService("codeRunner");
-        engine.startService("web3");
         if (!options.onlyCompile) {
+          engine.startService("web3");
+          engine.startService("deployment", {onlyCompile: options.onlyCompile});
           engine.startService("pipeline");
-        }
-        engine.startService("deployment", {onlyCompile: options.onlyCompile});
-        if (!options.onlyCompile) {
           engine.startService("storage");
           engine.startService("codeGenerator");
+        } else {
+          engine.startService('compiler');
         }
 
         callback();
       },
-      function deploy(callback) {
-        engine.events.request('deploy:contracts', function (err) {
-          callback(err);
-        });
+      function buildOrBuildAndDeploy(callback) {
+        if (options.onlyCompile) {
+          engine.events.request('contracts:build', {}, err => callback(err));
+        } else {
+          // deploy:contracts will trigger a build as well
+          engine.events.request('deploy:contracts', err => callback(err));
+        }
       },
       function waitForWriteFinish(callback) {
         if (options.onlyCompile) {
@@ -229,7 +232,7 @@ class EmbarkController {
         }
         engine.logger.info("Finished deploying".underline);
         engine.events.on('outputDone', (err) => {
-          engine.logger.info(__("finished building").underline);
+          engine.logger.info(__("Finished building").underline);
           callback(err, true);
         });
       }
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 393c16018..7e31a3138 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class Engine {
       "pipeline": this.pipelineService,
       "codeRunner": this.codeRunnerService,
       "codeGenerator": this.codeGeneratorService,
+      "compiler": this.setupCompilerAndContractsManagerService,
       "deployment": this.deploymentService,
       "fileWatcher": this.fileWatchService,
       "webServer": this.webServerService,
@@ -178,17 +179,21 @@ class Engine {
     this.events.on('asset-changed', addToCargo);
   }
 
+  setupCompilerAndContractsManagerService(options) {
+    this.registerModule('compiler', {plugins: this.plugins, disableOptimizations: options.disableOptimizations});
+    this.registerModule('solidity', {ipc: this.ipc, useDashboard: this.useDashboard});
+    this.registerModule('vyper');
+    this.registerModule('contracts_manager', {compileOnceOnly: options.compileOnceOnly});
+  }
+
   deploymentService(options) {
     let self = this;
 
-    this.registerModule('compiler', {plugins: self.plugins, disableOptimizations: options.disableOptimizations});
-    this.registerModule('solidity', {ipc: self.ipc, useDashboard: this.useDashboard});
-    this.registerModule('vyper');
+    this.setupCompilerAndContractsManagerService(options);
     this.registerModule('profiler');
     this.registerModule('deploytracker', {trackContracts: options.trackContracts});
     this.registerModule('specialconfigs');
     this.registerModule('console_listener', {ipc: self.ipc});
-    this.registerModule('contracts_manager', {compileOnceOnly: options.compileOnceOnly});
     this.registerModule('deployment', {plugins: this.plugins, onlyCompile: options.onlyCompile});
 
     this.events.on('file-event', function (fileType) {