diff --git a/lib/contracts/code_generator.js b/lib/contracts/code_generator.js
index 7fba4b5be..e7adc4c92 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/code_generator.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/code_generator.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class CodeGenerator {
     this.storageConfig = options.storageConfig || {};
     this.communicationConfig = options.communicationConfig || {};
     this.namesystemConfig = options.namesystemConfig || {};
+    this.env = options.env || 'development';
     // TODO: this should also be removed and use events instead
     this.contractsManager = options.contractsManager;
     this.plugins = options.plugins;
@@ -159,7 +160,11 @@ class CodeGenerator {
         web3Load = Templates.define_web3_simple({url: connection, done: 'done();'});
       } else {
         let connectionList = "[" + this.contractsConfig.dappConnection.map((x) => '"' + x + '"').join(',') + "]";
-        web3Load = Templates.web3_connector({connectionList: connectionList, done: 'done();'});
+        if (self.env === 'development') {
+          web3Load = Templates.web3_connector({connectionList: connectionList, done: 'done();', warnAboutMetamask: true});
+        } else {
+          web3Load = Templates.web3_connector({connectionList: connectionList, done: 'done();'});
+        }
       }
 
       result += Templates.do_when_loaded({block: web3Load});
diff --git a/lib/contracts/code_templates/web3-connector.js.ejs b/lib/contracts/code_templates/web3-connector.js.ejs
index be3e33519..f44368db3 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/code_templates/web3-connector.js.ejs
+++ b/lib/contracts/code_templates/web3-connector.js.ejs
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ __reduce(<%- connectionList %>,function(prev, value, next) {
 }, function(err, _result) {
   __getAccounts(function(err, accounts) {
     web3.eth.defaultAccount = accounts[0];
+    <% if (warnAboutMetamask) { %>
+    if (web3.eth.currentProvider.isMetaMask) {
+      console.log("Note: Embark has detected you are in the development environment and using Metamask, please make sure Metamask is connected to your local node");
+    }
+    <% } %>
     <%- done  %>
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 4a84b234d..66d5f579b 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ class Engine {
       storageConfig: self.config.storageConfig,
       namesystemConfig: self.config.namesystemConfig,
       communicationConfig: self.config.communicationConfig,
-      events: self.events
+      events: self.events,
+      env: self.env
     });
     this.codeGenerator.listenToCommands();
 
diff --git a/test/code_generator.js b/test/code_generator.js
index 3331a0824..c74149c20 100644
--- a/test/code_generator.js
+++ b/test/code_generator.js
@@ -10,15 +10,6 @@ function replaceCRLF(string) {
 // and check the generate code interacts as expected
 describe('embark.CodeGenerator', function() {
   this.timeout(0);
-  describe('#generateProvider', function() {
-    let generator = new CodeGenerator({contractsConfig: {"dappConnection": [ "$WEB3", "http://somehost:1234" ] }, contractsManager: {}});
-
-    it('should generate code to connect to a provider', function() {
-      var providerCode = 'function __reduce(arr, memo, iteratee, cb) {\n  if (typeof cb !== \'function\') {\n    if (typeof memo === \'function\' && typeof iteratee === \'function\') {\n      cb = iteratee;\n      iteratee = memo;\n      memo = [];\n    } else {\n      throw new TypeError(\'expected callback to be a function\');\n    }\n  }\n\n  if (!Array.isArray(arr)) {\n    cb(new TypeError(\'expected an array\'));\n    return;\n  }\n\n  if (typeof iteratee !== \'function\') {\n    cb(new TypeError(\'expected iteratee to be a function\'));\n    return;\n  }\n\n  (function next(i, acc) {\n    if (i === arr.length) {\n      cb(null, acc);\n      return;\n    }\n\n    iteratee(acc, arr[i], function(err, val) {\n      if (err) {\n        cb(err);\n        return;\n      }\n      next(i + 1, val);\n    });\n  })(0, memo);\n};\n\nfunction __isNewWeb3_1() {\n  return (typeof(web3.version) === \"string\");\n};\n\nfunction __getAccounts(cb) {\n  if (__isNewWeb3_1()) {\n    web3.eth.getAccounts().then(function(accounts) {\n      cb(null, accounts);\n      return null;\n    }).catch(function(err) {\n      cb(err);\n      return null;\n    });\n    return;\n  }\n  web3.eth.getAccounts(cb);\n};\n\nvar __mainContext = __mainContext || this;\n__mainContext.__LoadManager = function() { this.list = []; this.done = false; }\n__mainContext.__LoadManager.prototype.execWhenReady = function(cb) { if (this.done) { cb(); } else { this.list.push(cb) } }\n__mainContext.__LoadManager.prototype.doFirst = function(todo) { var self = this; todo(function() { self.done = true; self.list.map((x) => x.apply()) }) }\n__mainContext.__loadManagerInstance = new __mainContext.__LoadManager();\nvar whenEnvIsLoaded = function(cb) {\n  if (typeof document !== \'undefined\' && document !== null && !/comp|inter|loaded/.test(document.readyState)) {\n      document.addEventListener(\'DOMContentLoaded\', cb);\n  } else {\n    cb();\n  }\n}\nwhenEnvIsLoaded(function(){\n  __mainContext.__loadManagerInstance.doFirst(function(done) {\n    __mainContext.web3 = undefined;\n__reduce([\"$WEB3\",\"http://somehost:1234\"],function(prev, value, next) {\n  if (prev === false) {\n    return next(null, false);\n  }\n\n  if (value === \'$WEB3\' && (typeof web3 !== \'undefined\' && typeof Web3 !== \'undefined\')) {\n    web3.setProvider(web3.givenProvider);\n  } else if (value !== \'$WEB3\' && (typeof Web3 !== \'undefined\' && ((typeof web3 === \'undefined\') || (typeof web3 !== \'undefined\' && (!web3.isConnected || (web3.isConnected && !web3.isConnected())))))) {\n    if (value.indexOf(\'ws://\') >= 0) {\n      web3.setProvider(new Web3.providers.WebsocketProvider(value));\n    } else {\n      web3.setProvider(new Web3.providers.HttpProvider(value));\n    }\n  } else if (value === \'$WEB3\') {\n    return next(null, \'\');\n  }\n\n  __getAccounts(function(err, account) {\n    if (err) {\n      next(null, true)\n    } else {\n      next(null, false)\n    }\n  });\n}, function(err, _result) {\n  __getAccounts(function(err, accounts) {\n    web3.eth.defaultAccount = accounts[0];\n    done();\n  });\n});\n\n  })\n});\n\n'
-
-      assert.strictEqual(replaceCRLF(generator.generateProvider()), providerCode);
-    });
-  });
 
   describe('#generateContracts', function() {
     let generator = new CodeGenerator({blockchainConfig: {}, contractsManager: {