diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index 419e194d5..5f6576c14 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class Cmd {
       .description(__('New Application'))
       .option('--simple', __('create a barebones project meant only for contract development'))
       .option('--locale [locale]', __('language to use (default: en)'))
+      .option('--template [url]', __('download template'))
       .action(function (name, options) {
         i18n.setOrDetectLocale(options.locale);
         if (name === undefined) {
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ class Cmd {
               if (options.simple) {
                 embark.generateTemplate('simple', './', inputvalue);
               } else {
-                embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', inputvalue);
+                embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', inputvalue, options.template);
               }
             }
           });
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ class Cmd {
           if (options.simple) {
             embark.generateTemplate('simple', './', name);
           } else {
-            embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', name);
+            embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', name, options.template);
           }
         }
       });
diff --git a/lib/cmds/template_generator.js b/lib/cmds/template_generator.js
index aa6720371..fec599418 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/template_generator.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/template_generator.js
@@ -6,6 +6,26 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
     this.templateName = templateName;
   }
 
+  downloadAndGenerate(uri, destinationFolder, name) {
+    let {url, filePath} = this.getExternalProject(uri);
+    let tmpFilePath = fs.tmpDir(filePath);
+
+    fs.mkdirpSync(utils.dirname(tmpFilePath));
+    utils.downloadFile(url, tmpFilePath, () => {
+      let fspath = utils.joinPath(destinationFolder, name);
+      const decompress = require('decompress');
+
+      decompress(tmpFilePath, fspath, {
+        map: file => {
+          let fixed_path = file.path.split('/');
+          fixed_path.shift(); // remove first directory
+          file.path = utils.joinPath(...fixed_path);
+          return file;
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
   generate(destinationFolder, name) {
     let templatePath = fs.embarkPath(utils.joinPath('templates', this.templateName));
     console.log(__('Initializing Embark Template....').green);
@@ -34,6 +54,37 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
       console.log(__('For more info go to http://embark.status.im').green);
     }
   }
+
+  getExternalProject(uri) {
+    const constants = require('../constants');
+    const RAW_URL = 'https://github.com/';
+
+    let match = uri.match(
+      /\.[a-z]+\/([-a-zA-Z0-9@:%_+.~#?&\/=]+)/
+    );
+
+    let url, folder;
+
+    if (uri.startsWith('http')) {
+      url = uri + "/archive/master.zip"
+      folder = match[1]
+    } else if (uri.startsWith('github')) {
+      url = "https://" + uri + "/archive/master.zip"
+      folder = match[1]
+    } else if (uri.split('/').length === 2) {
+      url = "https://github.com/" + uri + "/archive/master.zip"
+      folder = uri
+    } else if (uri.indexOf('/') === -1) {
+      url = "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark-" + uri + "-template/archive/master.zip"
+      folder = "embark-framework/embark-" + uri + "-template"
+    }
+
+    return {
+      url,
+      filePath: utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder, "archive.zip")
+    };
+  }
+
 }
 
 module.exports = TemplateGenerator;
diff --git a/lib/core/fs.js b/lib/core/fs.js
index bd6c4be5b..927632c73 100644
--- a/lib/core/fs.js
+++ b/lib/core/fs.js
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ function createWriteStream() {
   return fs.createWriteStream.apply(fs.createWriteStream, arguments);
 }
 
+function tmpDir() {
+  let os = require('os');
+  return utils.joinPath(os.tmpdir(), ...arguments);
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   mkdirpSync,
   mkdirp,
@@ -110,5 +115,6 @@ module.exports = {
   removeSync,
   embarkPath,
   dappPath,
-  createWriteStream
+  createWriteStream,
+  tmpDir
 };
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 86b07bacf..558ee8022 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -49,10 +49,14 @@ class Embark {
     simulator.run(options);
   }
 
-  generateTemplate(templateName, destinationFolder, name) {
+  generateTemplate(templateName, destinationFolder, name, url) {
     this.context = [constants.contexts.templateGeneration];
     let TemplateGenerator = require('./cmds/template_generator.js');
     let templateGenerator = new TemplateGenerator(templateName);
+
+    if (url) {
+      return templateGenerator.downloadAndGenerate(url, destinationFolder, name);
+    }
     templateGenerator.generate(destinationFolder, name);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/utils.js b/lib/utils/utils.js
index 193b142d1..c9d710104 100644
--- a/lib/utils/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/utils.js
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ function joinPath() {
   return path.join.apply(path.join, arguments);
 }
 
+function dirname() {
+  const path = require('path');
+  return path.dirname.apply(path.dirname, arguments);
+}
+
 function filesMatchingPattern(files) {
   const globule = require('globule');
   return globule.find(files, {nonull: true});
@@ -171,6 +176,15 @@ function extractTar(filename, packageDirectory, cb) {
   );
 }
 
+function extractZip(filename, packageDirectory, cb) {
+  const decompress = require('decompress');
+
+  decompress(filename, packageDirectory).then(files => {
+    console.log('done!');
+    cb();
+  });
+}
+
 function proposeAlternative(word, _dictionary, _exceptions) {
   const propose = require('propose');
   let exceptions = _exceptions || [];
@@ -341,6 +355,7 @@ function getHexBalanceFromString(balanceString, web3) {
 
 module.exports = {
   joinPath: joinPath,
+  dirname: dirname,
   filesMatchingPattern: filesMatchingPattern,
   fileMatchesPattern: fileMatchesPattern,
   recursiveMerge: recursiveMerge,
@@ -358,6 +373,7 @@ module.exports = {
   exit: exit,
   downloadFile: downloadFile,
   extractTar: extractTar,
+  extractZip: extractZip,
   proposeAlternative: proposeAlternative,
   pwd: pwd,
   getExternalContractUrl,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index defcf7158..b5154031a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     "colors": "^1.1.2",
     "commander": "^2.15.1",
     "css-loader": "^0.28.11",
+    "decompress": "^4.2.0",
     "deep-equal": "^1.0.1",
     "ejs": "^2.5.8",
     "eth-ens-namehash": "^2.0.8",
diff --git a/test/template.js b/test/template.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b539e7c9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/template.js
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+/*globals describe, it*/
+const assert = require('assert');
+const TemplateGenerator = require('../lib/cmds/template_generator');
+
+describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
+  describe('getExternalProject', function () {
+    let templateGenerator;
+
+    before(() => {
+      templateGenerator = new TemplateGenerator();
+    });
+
+    describe('with github link', function () {
+
+      it('return correct zip filename for https link', function (done) {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        done();
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename for http link', function (done) {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("http://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.url, "http://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        done();
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename without protocol specified ', function (done) {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        done();
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename without protocol specified ', function (done) {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        done();
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename with just username/repo specified', function (done) {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        done();
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename with just embark template specified', function (done) {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("react");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark-react-template/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.deepEqual(result.filePath, ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark-react-template/archive.zip");
+        done();
+      });
+
+    });
+
+  });
+});
+