diff --git a/lib/contracts/blockchain.js b/lib/contracts/blockchain.js
index 1d0f0c958..e2403c0c3 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/blockchain.js
@@ -54,26 +54,34 @@ class Blockchain {
       };
       provider = new Provider(providerOptions);
 
-      provider.startWeb3Provider(() => {
-        self.assertNodeConnection(true, (err) => {
-          if (err && self.web3StartedInProcess) {
-            // Already started blockchain in another node, we really have a node problem
-            self.logger.error(__('Unable to start the blockchain process. Is Geth installed?').red);
-            return cb(err);
-          }
-          if (!err) {
-            self.isWeb3Ready = true;
-            self.events.emit(WEB3_READY);
-            return cb();
-          }
-          self.web3StartedInProcess = true;
-          self.startBlockchainNode(() => {
-            // Need to re-initialize web3 to connect to the new blockchain node
-            provider.stop();
-            self.initWeb3(cb);
+      async.waterfall([
+        function startProvider(next) {
+          provider.startWeb3Provider(next);
+        },
+        function checkNode(next) {
+          self.assertNodeConnection(true, (err) => {
+            if (err && self.web3StartedInProcess) {
+              // Already started blockchain in another node, we really have a node problem
+              self.logger.error(__('Unable to start the blockchain process. Is Geth installed?').red);
+              return next(err);
+            }
+            if (!err) {
+              self.isWeb3Ready = true;
+              self.events.emit(WEB3_READY);
+              return next();
+            }
+            self.web3StartedInProcess = true;
+            self.startBlockchainNode(() => {
+              // Need to re-initialize web3 to connect to the new blockchain node
+              provider.stop();
+              self.initWeb3(cb);
+            });
           });
-        });
-      });
+        },
+        function fundAccountsIfNeeded(next) {
+          provider.fundAccounts(next);
+        }
+      ], cb);
     } else {
       throw new Error("contracts config error: unknown deployment type " + this.contractsConfig.deployment.type);
     }
diff --git a/lib/contracts/provider.js b/lib/contracts/provider.js
index 2614e3845..f93379627 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/provider.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/provider.js
@@ -35,18 +35,10 @@ class Provider {
     self.accounts = AccountParser.parseAccountsConfig(self.accountsConfig, self.web3, self.logger);
     self.addresses = [];
     async.waterfall([
-      function fundAccounts(next) {
+      function populateWeb3Wallet(next) {
         if (!self.accounts.length) {
           return next(NO_ACCOUNTS);
         }
-        if (!self.isDev) {
-          return next();
-        }
-        async.each(self.accounts, (account, eachCb) => {
-          fundAccount(self.web3, account.address, eachCb);
-        }, next);
-      },
-      function populateWeb3Wallet(next) {
         self.accounts.forEach(account => {
           self.addresses.push(account.address);
           self.web3.eth.accounts.wallet.add(account);
@@ -64,6 +56,19 @@ class Provider {
     });
   }
 
+  fundAccounts(callback) {
+    const self = this;
+    if (!self.accounts.length) {
+      return callback();
+    }
+    if (!self.isDev) {
+      return callback();
+    }
+    async.each(self.accounts, (account, eachCb) => {
+      fundAccount(self.web3, account.address, eachCb);
+    }, callback);
+  }
+
   stop() {
     this.engine.stop();
   }