diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index 2f09eb5dd..6267f373c 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class Cmd {
       .description(__('New Application'))
       .option('--simple', __('create a barebones project meant only for contract development'))
       .option('--locale [locale]', __('language to use (default: en)'))
+      .option('--template [url]', __('download template'))
       .action(function (name, options) {
         i18n.setOrDetectLocale(options.locale);
         if (name === undefined) {
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ class Cmd {
               if (options.simple) {
                 embark.generateTemplate('simple', './', inputvalue);
               } else {
-                embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', inputvalue);
+                embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', inputvalue, options.template);
               }
             }
           });
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ class Cmd {
           if (options.simple) {
             embark.generateTemplate('simple', './', name);
           } else {
-            embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', name);
+            embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', name, options.template);
           }
         }
       });
diff --git a/lib/cmds/template_generator.js b/lib/cmds/template_generator.js
index 8597fcc02..43d6b1ec8 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/template_generator.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/template_generator.js
@@ -6,22 +6,37 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
     this.templateName = templateName;
   }
 
+  downloadAndGenerate(uri, destinationFolder, name) {
+    const self = this;
+    let {url, filePath} = this.getExternalProject(uri);
+    let tmpFilePath = fs.tmpDir(filePath);
+    console.log(__('Installing Template from ' + uri + '....').green);
+
+    fs.mkdirpSync(utils.dirname(tmpFilePath));
+    utils.downloadFile(url, tmpFilePath, () => {
+      let fspath = utils.joinPath(destinationFolder, name);
+
+      utils.extractZip(tmpFilePath, fspath, {
+        map: file => {
+          let fixed_path = file.path.split('/');
+          fixed_path.shift(); // remove first directory
+          file.path = utils.joinPath(...fixed_path);
+          return file;
+        }
+      }).then(() => {
+        self.installTemplate(fspath, name, true);
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
   generate(destinationFolder, name) {
-    let templatePath = fs.embarkPath(utils.joinPath('templates', this.templateName));
     console.log(__('Initializing Embark Template....').green);
+
+    let templatePath = fs.embarkPath(utils.joinPath('templates', this.templateName));
     let fspath = utils.joinPath(destinationFolder, name);
-
     fs.copySync(templatePath, fspath);
-    utils.cd(fspath);
-    utils.sed('package.json', '%APP_NAME%', name);
 
-    if (name === 'embark_demo') {
-      console.log(__('Installing packages...').green);
-      utils.runCmd('npm install');
-    }
-
-    console.log(__('Init complete').green);
-    console.log('\n' + __('App ready at ').green + fspath);
+    this.installTemplate(fspath, name, (name === 'embark_demo'));
 
     if (name === 'embark_demo') {
       console.log('-------------------'.yellow);
@@ -31,6 +46,47 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
       console.log(__('For more info go to http://embark.status.im').green);
     }
   }
+
+  installTemplate(templatePath, name, installPackages) {
+    utils.cd(templatePath);
+    utils.sed('package.json', '%APP_NAME%', name);
+
+    if (installPackages) {
+      console.log(__('Installing packages...').green);
+      utils.runCmd('npm install');
+    }
+
+    console.log(__('Init complete').green);
+    console.log('\n' + __('App ready at ').green + templatePath);
+  }
+
+  getExternalProject(uri) {
+    let match = uri.match(
+      /\.[a-z]+\/([-a-zA-Z0-9@:%_+.~#?&\/=]+)/
+    );
+
+    let url, folder;
+
+    if (uri.startsWith('http')) {
+      url = uri + "/archive/master.zip";
+      folder = match[1];
+    } else if (uri.startsWith('github')) {
+      url = "https://" + uri + "/archive/master.zip";
+      folder = match[1];
+    } else if (uri.split('/').length === 2) {
+      url = "https://github.com/" + uri + "/archive/master.zip";
+      folder = uri;
+    } else if (uri.indexOf('/') === -1) {
+      url = "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark-" + uri + "-template/archive/master.zip";
+      folder = "embark-framework/embark-" + uri + "-template";
+    }
+
+    return {
+      url,
+      filePath: utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder, "archive.zip")
+    };
+  }
+
 }
 
 module.exports = TemplateGenerator;
diff --git a/lib/core/fs.js b/lib/core/fs.js
index 6dbc12285..4e2e21792 100644
--- a/lib/core/fs.js
+++ b/lib/core/fs.js
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ function createWriteStream() {
   return fs.createWriteStream.apply(fs.createWriteStream, arguments);
 }
 
+function tmpDir() {
+  let os = require('os');
+  return utils.joinPath(os.tmpdir(), ...arguments);
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   mkdirpSync,
   mkdirp,
@@ -105,5 +110,6 @@ module.exports = {
   removeSync,
   embarkPath,
   dappPath,
-  createWriteStream
+  createWriteStream,
+  tmpDir
 };
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index f2dd51002..032287e13 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -53,10 +53,14 @@ class Embark {
     simulator.run(options);
   }
 
-  generateTemplate(templateName, destinationFolder, name) {
+  generateTemplate(templateName, destinationFolder, name, url) {
     this.context = [constants.contexts.templateGeneration];
     let TemplateGenerator = require('./cmds/template_generator.js');
     let templateGenerator = new TemplateGenerator(templateName);
+
+    if (url) {
+      return templateGenerator.downloadAndGenerate(url, destinationFolder, name);
+    }
     templateGenerator.generate(destinationFolder, name);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/utils.js b/lib/utils/utils.js
index 172423d3f..62036d19c 100644
--- a/lib/utils/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/utils.js
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ function joinPath() {
   return path.join.apply(path.join, arguments);
 }
 
+function dirname() {
+  const path = require('path');
+  return path.dirname.apply(path.dirname, arguments);
+}
+
 function filesMatchingPattern(files) {
   const globule = require('globule');
   return globule.find(files, {nonull: true});
@@ -168,6 +173,14 @@ function extractTar(filename, packageDirectory, cb) {
   );
 }
 
+function extractZip(filename, packageDirectory, cb) {
+  const decompress = require('decompress');
+
+  decompress(filename, packageDirectory).then((_files) => {
+    cb();
+  });
+}
+
 function proposeAlternative(word, _dictionary, _exceptions) {
   const propose = require('propose');
   let exceptions = _exceptions || [];
@@ -298,29 +311,31 @@ function buildUrlFromConfig (configObj){
 }
 
 module.exports = {
-  joinPath: joinPath,
-  filesMatchingPattern: filesMatchingPattern,
-  fileMatchesPattern: fileMatchesPattern,
-  recursiveMerge: recursiveMerge,
-  checkIsAvailable: checkIsAvailable,
-  httpGet: httpGet,
-  httpsGet: httpsGet,
-  httpGetJson: httpGetJson,
-  httpsGetJson: httpsGetJson,
-  hexToNumber: hexToNumber,
+  joinPath,
+  dirname,
+  filesMatchingPattern,
+  fileMatchesPattern,
+  recursiveMerge,
+  checkIsAvailable,
+  httpGet,
+  httpsGet,
+  httpGetJson,
+  httpsGetJson,
+  hexToNumber,
   pingEndpoint,
-  decodeParams: decodeParams,
-  runCmd: runCmd,
+  decodeParams,
+  runCmd,
   cd: cd,
   sed: sed,
   exit: exit,
-  downloadFile: downloadFile,
-  extractTar: extractTar,
-  proposeAlternative: proposeAlternative,
+  downloadFile,
+  extractTar,
+  extractZip,
+  proposeAlternative,
   pwd: pwd,
   getExternalContractUrl,
-  toChecksumAddress: toChecksumAddress,
-  sha3: sha3,
+  toChecksumAddress,
+  sha3,
   normalizeInput,
   buildUrl,
   buildUrlFromConfig
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ed38bbe2c..2534ce7e3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     "colors": "^1.1.2",
     "commander": "^2.15.1",
     "css-loader": "^0.28.11",
+    "decompress": "^4.2.0",
     "deep-equal": "^1.0.1",
     "ejs": "^2.5.8",
     "embark-web3-provider-engine": "14.0.7",
diff --git a/test/template.js b/test/template.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3e5e252d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/template.js
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*globals describe, it*/
+const assert = require('assert');
+const TemplateGenerator = require('../lib/cmds/template_generator');
+
+describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
+  describe('getExternalProject', function () {
+    let templateGenerator;
+
+    before(() => {
+      templateGenerator = new TemplateGenerator();
+    });
+
+    describe('with github link', function () {
+
+      it('return correct zip filename for https link', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename for http link', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("http://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "http://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename without protocol specified ', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename without protocol specified ', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename with just username/repo specified', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename with just embark template specified', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("react");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark-react-template/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark-react-template/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+    });
+
+  });
+});
+