diff --git a/lib/core/run_tests.js b/lib/core/run_tests.js
index 9d3010fbb..5ac47a005 100644
--- a/lib/core/run_tests.js
+++ b/lib/core/run_tests.js
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ module.exports = {
     };
     // TODO: check how to pass the options
     //global.EmbarkSpec = new Test(options);
+
+    // TODO: this global here might not be necessary at all
     global.EmbarkSpec = new Test({});
     global.web3 = global.EmbarkSpec.web3;
 
diff --git a/lib/core/test.js b/lib/core/test.js
index 3ff9bc767..dd53cb585 100644
--- a/lib/core/test.js
+++ b/lib/core/test.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ var getSimulator = function() {
 
 var Test = function(options) {
   this.options = options || {};
-  var simOptions = this.options.simulatorOptions || {};
+  this.simOptions = this.options.simulatorOptions || {};
 
   this.engine = new Engine({
     env: this.options.env || 'test',
@@ -42,14 +42,19 @@ var Test = function(options) {
     logger: new TestLogger({logLevel: 'debug'})
   });
 
-  this.sim = getSimulator();
   this.web3 = new Web3();
-  this.web3.setProvider(this.sim.provider(simOptions));
 };
 
 Test.prototype.deployAll = function(contractsConfig, cb) {
   var self = this;
 
+  if (this.simOptions.node) {
+    this.web3.setProvider(new this.web3.providers.HttpProvider(this.simOptions.node));
+  } else {
+    this.sim = getSimulator();
+    this.web3.setProvider(this.sim.provider(this.simOptions));
+  }
+
   async.waterfall([
       function getConfig(callback) {
         let _versions_default = self.engine.config.contractsConfig.versions;
diff --git a/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js b/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js
index 9459cfa42..4e990431a 100644
--- a/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js
+++ b/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
+
 contract("SimpleStorage", function() {
+
   this.timeout(0);
   before(function(done) {
     this.timeout(0);
+
+    config({
+      node: "http://localhost:8545"
+    });
+
     var contractsConfig = {
       "SimpleStorage": {
         args: [100]
diff --git a/test_app/test/token_spec.js b/test_app/test/token_spec.js
index 4f5c64176..9974dbabf 100644
--- a/test_app/test/token_spec.js
+++ b/test_app/test/token_spec.js
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
+
 describe("Token", function() {
+
   this.timeout(0);
   before(function(done) {
     this.timeout(0);
+
+    //config({
+    //  node: "http://localhost:8545"
+    //});
+
     var contractsConfig = {
       "SimpleStorage": {
         args: [100]