diff --git a/cmd/cmd_controller.js b/cmd/cmd_controller.js
index 12b35c899..6aeb514ff 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_controller.js
+++ b/cmd/cmd_controller.js
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ class EmbarkController {
       context: self.context,
       useDashboard: options.useDashboard,
       webServerConfig: webServerConfig,
-      webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName
+      webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName,
+      ipcRole: 'server'
     });
     engine.init();
 
@@ -247,7 +248,6 @@ class EmbarkController {
       logFile: options.logFile,
       logLevel: options.logLevel,
       context: this.context,
-      ipcRole: 'client',
       webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName
     });
     engine.init();
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 49eb645d4..37706cd22 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -38,10 +38,23 @@ class Engine {
       utils.interceptLogs(console, this.logger);
     }
 
-    this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: this.ipcRole});
-    if (this.ipc.isServer()) {
-      this.ipc.serve();
+    if (this.ipcRole) {
+      this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: this.ipcRole});
+
+      if(this.ipc.isServer()) {
+        this.ipc.serve();
+      }
+
+      return;
     }
+
+    this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: 'client'});
+    this.ipc.connect((err) => {
+      if(err) {
+        this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: 'server'});
+        this.ipc.serve();
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   registerModule(moduleName, options) {