diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
index 9ee2533f2..d0fa21372 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
@@ -50,7 +50,15 @@ var Blockchain = function(options) {
     this.config.datadir = fs.embarkPath(".embark/development/datadir");
   }
 
-  this.client = new options.client({config: this.config, env: this.env});
+  if (this.blockchainConfig.isDev) {
+    this.isDev = true;
+  } else if (this.blockchainConfig.isDev === false) {
+    this.isDev = false;
+  } else {
+    this.isDev = this.env === 'development';
+  }
+
+  this.client = new options.client({config: this.config, env: this.env, isDev: this.isDev});
 };
 
 Blockchain.prototype.runCommand = function(cmd, options) {
@@ -76,7 +84,7 @@ Blockchain.prototype.run = function() {
     return;
   }
   let address = '';
-  if (self.env !== "development") {
+  if (!this.isDev) {
     address = this.initChainAndGetAddress();
   }
   this.client.mainCommand(address, function(cmd) {
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
index c7e7dd2c6..84d28dcf0 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ class GethCommands {
   constructor(options) {
     this.config = options && options.hasOwnProperty('config') ? options.config : {};
     this.env = options && options.hasOwnProperty('env') ? options.env : 'development';
+    this.isDev = options && options.hasOwnProperty('isDev') ? options.isDev : (this.env === 'development');
     this.name = "Go-Ethereum (https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum)";
     this.geth_bin = this.config.geth_bin || "geth";
   }
@@ -123,7 +124,6 @@ class GethCommands {
     let config = this.config;
     let rpc_api = (this.config.rpcApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net']);
     let ws_api = (this.config.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net']);
-    const isDev = self.env === 'development';
 
     async.series([
       function commonOptions(callback) {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class GethCommands {
         } else {
           accountAddress = address;
         }
-        if (accountAddress && !isDev) {
+        if (accountAddress && !self.isDev) {
           return callback(null, "--unlock=" + accountAddress);
         }
         callback(null, "");
@@ -201,13 +201,13 @@ class GethCommands {
         callback(null, "");
       },
       function mineWhenNeeded(callback) {
-        if (config.mineWhenNeeded && !isDev) {
+        if (config.mineWhenNeeded && !self.isDev) {
           return callback(null, "js .embark/" + self.env + "/js/mine.js");
         }
         callback(null, "");
       },
       function isDev(callback) {
-        if (isDev) {
+        if (self.isDev) {
           return callback(null, '--dev');
         }
         callback(null, '');
diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json b/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json
index afff2072c..a7f318786 100644
--- a/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     "networkType": "custom",
     "genesisBlock": "config/development/genesis.json",
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
+    "isDev": true,
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "maxpeers": 0,
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/blockchain.json b/templates/demo/config/blockchain.json
index 638c81673..5743c38dd 100644
--- a/templates/demo/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/templates/demo/config/blockchain.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     "networkType": "custom",
     "genesisBlock": "config/development/genesis.json",
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
+    "isDev": true,
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "maxpeers": 0,
diff --git a/test/test1/config/blockchain.json b/test/test1/config/blockchain.json
index 090f40788..fc0ba5e1f 100644
--- a/test/test1/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test/test1/config/blockchain.json
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     "networkType": "custom",
     "genesisBlock": "config/development/genesis.json",
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
+    "isDev": true,
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "rpcHost": "localhost",
diff --git a/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json b/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json
index 35edfb43f..a574d4006 100644
--- a/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     "networkType": "custom",
     "genesisBlock": "development/genesis.json",
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
+    "isDev": true,
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "maxpeers": 0,
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
index 6acbdfd54..2b9baa50d 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     "networkType": "custom",
     "genesisBlock": "config/development/genesis.json",
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
+    "isDev": true,
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
     "maxpeers": 0,