diff --git a/packages/core/typings/src/logger.d.ts b/packages/core/typings/src/logger.d.ts
index a27920016..7e3225fb5 100644
--- a/packages/core/typings/src/logger.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/typings/src/logger.d.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 export interface Logger {
   info(text: string): void;
   warn(text: string): void;
-  debug(text: string): void;
   trace(text: string): void;
   error(text: string, ...args: Array<string | Error>): void;
 }
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/cmd/cmd.js b/packages/embark/src/cmd/cmd.js
index b914b2a61..d0a7dc6ad 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/cmd/cmd.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/cmd/cmd.js
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class Cmd {
       .option('--contracts', 'only compile contracts into Embark wrappers')
       .option('--logfile [logfile]', __('filename to output logs (default: none)'))
       .option('-c, --client [client]', __('Use a specific ethereum client [%s] (default: %s)', 'geth, parity', 'geth'))
-      .option('--loglevel [loglevel]', __('level of logging to display') + ' ["error", "warn", "info", "debug", "trace"]', /^(error|warn|info|debug|trace)$/i, 'info')
+      .option('--loglevel [loglevel]', __('level of logging to display') + ' ["error", "warn", "info", "debug", "trace"]', /^(error|warn|info|debug|trace)$/i, 'debug')
       .option('--locale [locale]', __('language to use (default: en)'))
       .option('--pipeline [pipeline]', __('webpack config to use (default: production)'))
       .description(__('deploy and build dapp at ') + 'dist/ (default: development)')
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class Cmd {
       .option('--nobrowser', __('prevent the development webserver from automatically opening a web browser'))
       .option('--no-color', __('no colors in case it\'s needed for compatbility purposes'))
       .option('--logfile [logfile]', __('filename to output logs (default: %s)', 'none'))
-      .option('--loglevel [loglevel]', __('level of logging to display') + ' ["error", "warn", "info", "debug", "trace"]', /^(error|warn|info|debug|trace)$/i, 'info')
+      .option('--loglevel [loglevel]', __('level of logging to display') + ' ["error", "warn", "info", "debug", "trace"]', /^(error|warn|info|debug|trace)$/i, 'debug')
       .option('--locale [locale]', __('language to use (default: en)'))
       .option('--pipeline [pipeline]', __('webpack config to use (default: development)'))
       .option('--no-single-use-auth-token', __('disable the single use of token in cockpit'))
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js
index 77387d983..42901cb10 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Engine {
 
     let options = _options || {};
     this.events = options.events || this.events || new Events();
-    this.logger = options.logger || new Logger({context: this.context, logLevel: options.logLevel || this.logLevel || 'info', events: this.events, logFile: this.logFile});
+    this.logger = options.logger || new Logger({context: this.context, logLevel: options.logLevel || this.logLevel || 'debug', events: this.events, logFile: this.logFile});
     this.config = new Config({env: this.env, logger: this.logger, events: this.events, context: this.context, webServerConfig: this.webServerConfig, version: this.version});
     this.config.loadConfigFiles({embarkConfig: this.embarkConfig, interceptLogs: this.interceptLogs});
     this.plugins = this.config.plugins;
diff --git a/packages/stack/proxy/src/index.ts b/packages/stack/proxy/src/index.ts
index a34b0f5f1..b9bc668c0 100644
--- a/packages/stack/proxy/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/stack/proxy/src/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import { Embark, Events, Logger } /* supplied by @types/embark in packages/embark-typings */ from "embark";
-import { __ } from "embark-i18n";
-import { buildUrl, findNextPort } from "embark-utils";
-import { Proxy } from "./proxy";
+import {Embark, Events, Logger} /* supplied by @types/embark in packages/embark-typings */ from "embark";
+import {__} from "embark-i18n";
+import {buildUrl, findNextPort} from "embark-utils";
+import {Proxy} from "./proxy";
 
 const constants = require("embark-core/constants");
 
@@ -26,15 +26,9 @@ export default class ProxyManager {
     this.host = "localhost";
 
     this.events.on("blockchain:started", async (clientName: string) => {
-      try {
-        await this.setupProxy(clientName);
-
-        this.ready = true;
-        this.events.emit("proxy:ready");
-      } catch (error) {
-        this.logger.error(`Error during proxy setup: ${error.message}. Use '--loglevel debug' for more detailed information.`);
-        this.logger.debug(`Error during proxy setup:\n${error.stack}`);
-      }
+      await this.setupProxy(clientName);
+      this.ready = true;
+      this.events.emit("proxy:ready");
     });
     this.events.on("blockchain:stopped", async (clientName: string, node?: string) => {
       this.ready = false;
@@ -87,18 +81,13 @@ export default class ProxyManager {
     this.wsPort = port + 1;
     this.isWs = clientName === constants.blockchain.vm || (/wss?/).test(this.embark.config.blockchainConfig.endpoint);
 
-    this.proxy = await new Proxy({
-      endpoint: clientName === constants.blockchain.vm ? constants.blockchain.vm : this.embark.config.blockchainConfig.endpoint,
-      events: this.events,
-      isWs: this.isWs,
-      logger: this.logger,
-      plugins: this.plugins,
-      vms: this.vms,
-    });
+    this.proxy = await new Proxy({events: this.events, plugins: this.plugins, logger: this.logger, vms: this.vms});
 
     await this.proxy.serve(
+      clientName === constants.blockchain.vm ? constants.blockchain.vm : this.embark.config.blockchainConfig.endpoint,
       this.host,
       this.isWs ? this.wsPort : this.rpcPort,
+      this.isWs,
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/stack/proxy/src/proxy.js b/packages/stack/proxy/src/proxy.js
index 1146d5d25..db03d475a 100644
--- a/packages/stack/proxy/src/proxy.js
+++ b/packages/stack/proxy/src/proxy.js
@@ -18,51 +18,46 @@ export class Proxy {
     this.logger = options.logger;
     this.vms = options.vms;
     this.app = null;
-    this.endpoint = options.endpoint;
-    if (options.endpoint === constants.blockchain.vm) {
-      this.endpoint = this.vms[this.vms.length - 1]();
-    }
-    this.isWs = options.isWs;
-    // used to service all non-long-living WS connections, including any
-    // request that is not WS and any WS request that is not an `eth_subscribe`
-    // RPC request
-    this.requestManager = new Web3RequestManager.Manager(this.endpoint);
-    this.nodeSubscriptions = {};
+    this.requestManager;
   }
 
-  async nodeReady() {
+  async serve(endpoint, localHost, localPort, ws) {
+    if (endpoint === constants.blockchain.vm) {
+      endpoint = this.vms[this.vms.length - 1]();
+    }
+    this.requestManager = new Web3RequestManager.Manager(endpoint);
+
     try {
       await this.requestManager.send({ method: 'eth_accounts' });
     } catch (e) {
-      throw new Error(__(`Unable to connect to the blockchain endpoint on ${this.endpoint}`));
+      throw new Error(__('Unable to connect to the blockchain endpoint'));
     }
-  }
-
-  async serve(localHost, localPort) {
-
-    await this.nodeReady();
 
     this.app = express();
-    if (this.isWs) {
+    if (ws) {
       expressWs(this.app);
     }
 
     this.app.use(cors());
     this.app.use(express.json());
-    this.app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
+    this.app.use(express.urlencoded({extended: true}));
 
-    if (this.isWs) {
-      this.app.ws('/', async (conn, wsReq) => {
+    if (ws) {
+      this.app.ws('/', async (ws, _wsReq) => {
+        // Watch from subscription data for events
+        this.requestManager.provider.on('data', (result, deprecatedResult) => {
+          this.respondWs(ws, result || deprecatedResult);
+        });
 
-        conn.on('message', async (msg) => {
+        ws.on('message', async (msg) => {
           try {
             const jsonMsg = JSON.parse(msg);
-            await this.processRequest(jsonMsg, conn);
+            await this.processRequest(jsonMsg, ws, true);
           }
           catch (err) {
             const error = __('Error processing request: %s', err.message);
             this.logger.error(error);
-            this.respondWs(conn, error);
+            this.respondWs(ws, error);
           }
         });
       });
@@ -71,7 +66,7 @@ export class Proxy {
       this.app.use(async (req, res) => {
         // Modify request
         try {
-          await this.processRequest(req, res);
+          await this.processRequest(req, res, false);
         }
         catch (err) {
           const error = __('Error processing request: %s', err.message);
@@ -89,7 +84,7 @@ export class Proxy {
     });
   }
 
-  async processRequest(request, transport) {
+  async processRequest(request, transport, isWs) {
     // Modify request
     let modifiedRequest;
     const rpcRequest = request.method === "POST" ? request.body : request;
@@ -101,88 +96,42 @@ export class Proxy {
       this.logger.error(__(`Error executing request actions: ${error}`));
       // TODO: Change error code to be more specific. Codes in section 5.1 of the JSON-RPC spec: https://www.jsonrpc.org/specification
       const rpcErrorObj = { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "error": { "code": -32603, "message": error }, "id": request.id };
-      return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj);
+      return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj, isWs);
     }
 
     // Send the possibly modified request to the Node
     const respData = { jsonrpc: "2.0", id: modifiedRequest.reqData.id };
     if (modifiedRequest.sendToNode !== false) {
-
-      // kill our manually created long-living connection for eth_subscribe if we have one
-      if (this.isWs && modifiedRequest.reqData.method === 'eth_unsubscribe') {
-        const id = modifiedRequest.reqData.params[0];
-        this.nodeSubscriptions[id] && this.nodeSubscriptions[id].provider.disconnect();
-      }
-      // create a long-living WS connection to the node
-      if (this.isWs && modifiedRequest.reqData.method === 'eth_subscribe') {
-
-        // creates a new long-living connection to the node
-        const currentReqManager = new Web3RequestManager.Manager(this.endpoint);
-
-        // kill WS connetion to the node when the client connection closes
-        transport.on('close', () => currentReqManager.provider.disconnect());
-
-        // do the actual forward request to the node
-        currentReqManager.send(modifiedRequest.reqData, (error, result) => {
-          if (error) {
-            const rpcErrorObj = { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "error": { "code": -32603, "message": error }, "id": modifiedRequest.reqData.id };
-            return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj);
-          }
-          // `result` contains our initial response from the node, ie
-          // subscription id. Any FUTURE data from the node that needs
-          // to be forwarded to the client connection will be handled
-          // in the `.on('data')` event below.
-          this.logger.debug(`Created subscription: ${result}`);
-          this.nodeSubscriptions[result] = currentReqManager;
-          respData.result = result;
-          // TODO: Kick off emitAcitonsForResponse here
-          this.respondWs(transport, respData);
-        });
-
-        // Watch for `eth_subscribe` subscription data coming from the node.
-        // Send the subscription data back across the originating client
-        // connection.
-        currentReqManager.provider.on('data', (result, deprecatedResult) => {
-          result = result || deprecatedResult;
-          this.logger.debug(`Subscription data received from node and forwarded to originating socket client connection: ${JSON.stringify(result)}`);
-          // TODO: Kick off emitAcitonsForResponse here
-          this.respondWs(transport, result);
-        });
-
-        return;
-      }
-
       try {
         const result = await this.forwardRequestToNode(modifiedRequest.reqData);
         respData.result = result;
-      } catch (fwdReqErr) {
-        // The node responded with an error. Set up the error so that it can be
+      }
+      catch (fwdReqErr) {
+        // the node responded with an error. Set up the error so that it can be
         // stripped out by modifying the response (via actions for blockchain:proxy:response)
         respData.error = fwdReqErr.message || fwdReqErr;
       }
-
-      try {
-        const modifiedResp = await this.emitActionsForResponse(modifiedRequest.reqData, respData);
-        // Send back to the client
-        if (modifiedResp && modifiedResp.respData && modifiedResp.respData.error) {
-          // error returned from the node and it wasn't stripped by our response actions
-          const error = modifiedResp.respData.error.message || modifiedResp.respData.error;
-          this.logger.error(__(`Error returned from the node: ${error}`));
-          const rpcErrorObj = { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "error": { "code": -32603, "message": error }, "id": modifiedResp.respData.id };
-          return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj);
-        }
-        this.respondOK(transport, modifiedResp.respData);
-      }
-      catch (resError) {
-        // if was an error in response actions (resError), send the error in the response
-        const error = resError.message || resError;
-        this.logger.error(__(`Error executing response actions: ${error}`));
-        const rpcErrorObj = { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "error": { "code": -32603, "message": error }, "id": modifiedRequest.reqData.id };
-        return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj);
-      }
     }
 
-
+    try {
+      const modifiedResp = await this.emitActionsForResponse(modifiedRequest.reqData, respData);
+      // Send back to the caller (web3)
+      if (modifiedResp && modifiedResp.respData && modifiedResp.respData.error) {
+        // error returned from the node and it wasn't stripped by our response actions
+        const error = modifiedResp.respData.error.message || modifiedResp.respData.error;
+        this.logger.error(__(`Error returned from the node: ${error}`));
+        const rpcErrorObj = { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "error": { "code": -32603, "message": error }, "id": modifiedResp.respData.id };
+        return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj, isWs);
+      }
+      this.respondOK(transport, modifiedResp.respData, isWs);
+    }
+    catch (resError) {
+      // if was an error in response actions (resError), send the error in the response
+      const error = resError.message || resError;
+      this.logger.error(__(`Error executing response actions: ${error}`));
+      const rpcErrorObj = { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "error": { "code": -32603, "message": error }, "id": modifiedRequest.reqData.id };
+      return this.respondError(transport, rpcErrorObj, isWs);
+    }
   }
 
   forwardRequestToNode(reqData) {
@@ -215,12 +164,12 @@ export class Proxy {
     res.status(statusCode).send(response);
   }
 
-  respondError(transport, error) {
-    return this.isWs ? this.respondWs(transport, error) : this.respondHttp(transport, 500, error)
+  respondError(transport, error, isWs) {
+    return isWs ? this.respondWs(transport, error) : this.respondHttp(transport, 500, error)
   }
 
-  respondOK(transport, response) {
-    return this.isWs ? this.respondWs(transport, response) : this.respondHttp(transport, 200, response)
+  respondOK(transport, response, isWs) {
+    return isWs ? this.respondWs(transport, response) : this.respondHttp(transport, 200, response)
   }
 
   emitActionsForRequest(body) {