diff --git a/lib/contracts/accountParser.js b/lib/contracts/accountParser.js
index e2460bd6c..da2ded9c6 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/accountParser.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/accountParser.js
@@ -21,10 +21,29 @@ class AccountParser {
     return accounts;
   }
 
+  static getHexBalance(balanceString, web3) {
+    if (!balanceString) {
+      return 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF;
+    }
+    if (web3.utils.isHexStrict(balanceString)) {
+      return balanceString;
+    }
+    const match = balanceString.match(/([0-9]+) ?([a-zA-Z]*)/);
+    if (!match[2]) {
+      return web3.utils.toHex(parseInt(match[1], 10));
+    }
+
+    return web3.utils.toHex(web3.utils.toWei(match[1], match[2]));
+  }
+
   static getAccount(accountConfig, web3, logger) {
     if (!logger) {
       logger = console;
     }
+    let hexBalance = null;
+    if (accountConfig.balance) {
+      hexBalance = AccountParser.getHexBalance(accountConfig.balance, web3);
+    }
     if (accountConfig.privateKey) {
       if (!accountConfig.privateKey.startsWith('0x')) {
         accountConfig.privateKey = '0x' + accountConfig.privateKey;
@@ -33,7 +52,7 @@ class AccountParser {
         logger.warn(`Private key ending with ${accountConfig.privateKey.substr(accountConfig.privateKey.length - 5)} is not a HEX string`);
         return null;
       }
-      return web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount(accountConfig.privateKey);
+      return Object.assign(web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount(accountConfig.privateKey), {hexBalance});
     }
     if (accountConfig.privateKeyFile) {
       let fileContent = fs.readFileSync(fs.dappPath(accountConfig.privateKeyFile)).toString();
@@ -46,7 +65,7 @@ class AccountParser {
           logger.warn(`Private key is not a HEX string in file ${accountConfig.privateKeyFile} at index ${index}`);
           return null;
         }
-        return web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount(key);
+        return Object.assign(web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount(key), {hexBalance});
       });
     }
     if (accountConfig.mnemonic) {
@@ -59,7 +78,7 @@ class AccountParser {
       const accounts = [];
       for (let i = addressIndex; i < addressIndex + numAddresses; i++) {
         const wallet = hdwallet.derivePath(wallet_hdpath + i).getWallet();
-        accounts.push(web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount('0x' + wallet.getPrivateKey().toString('hex')));
+        accounts.push(Object.assign(web3.eth.accounts.privateKeyToAccount('0x' + wallet.getPrivateKey().toString('hex')), {hexBalance}));
       }
       return accounts;
     }
diff --git a/lib/tests/test.js b/lib/tests/test.js
index fd9e16a62..86e52ca00 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test.js
+++ b/lib/tests/test.js
@@ -61,29 +61,13 @@ class Test {
     this.engine.startService("codeGenerator");
   }
 
-  getBalance(balanceString) {
-    if (!balanceString) {
-      return 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF;
-    }
-    if (this.web3.utils.isHexStrict(balanceString)) {
-      return balanceString;
-    }
-    const match = balanceString.match(/([0-9]+) ?([a-zA-Z]*)/);
-    if (!match[2]) {
-      return this.web3.utils.toHex(parseInt(match[1], 10));
-    }
-
-    return this.web3.utils.toHex(this.web3.utils.toWei(match[1], match[2]));
-  }
-
   initWeb3Provider() {
     if (this.simOptions.node) {
       this.web3.setProvider(new this.web3.providers.HttpProvider(this.simOptions.node));
     } else {
       if (this.simOptions.accounts) {
-        this.simOptions.accounts = this.simOptions.accounts.map((account, index) => {
-          const balance = this.getBalance(this.options.deployment.accounts[index].balance);
-          return {balance, secretKey: account.privateKey};
+        this.simOptions.accounts = this.simOptions.accounts.map((account) => {
+          return {balance: account.hexBalance, secretKey: account.privateKey};
         });
       }
       this.sim = getSimulator();