diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js b/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f768afdc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+module.exports = {
+  // default applies to all enviroments
+  default: {
+    // rpc to deploy the contracts
+    deployment: {
+      host: "localhost",
+      port: 8545,
+      type: "rpc"
+    },
+    // order of connections the dapp should connect to
+    dappConnection: [
+      "$WEB3",  // uses pre existing web3 object if available (e.g in Mist)
+      "http://localhost:8545"
+    ],
+    gas: "auto",
+    contracts: {
+      // example:
+      //SimpleStorage: {
+      //  args: [ 100 ]
+      //}
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.json b/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 8ea794ea4..000000000
--- a/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "default": {
-    "deployment": {
-      "host": "localhost",
-      "port": 8545,
-      "type": "rpc"
-    },
-    "dappConnection": [
-      "$WEB3",
-      "http://localhost:8545"
-    ],
-    "gas": "auto",
-    "contracts": {
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/contracts.js b/templates/demo/config/contracts.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d8c5b237
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/demo/config/contracts.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+module.exports = {
+  // default applies to all enviroments
+  default: {
+    // rpc to deploy the contracts
+    deployment: {
+      host: "localhost",
+      port: 8545,
+      type: "rpc"
+    },
+    // order of connections the dapp should connect to
+    dappConnection: [
+      "$WEB3",  // uses pre existing web3 object if available (e.g in Mist)
+      "http://localhost:8545"
+    ],
+    gas: "auto",
+    contracts: {
+      SimpleStorage: {
+        fromIndex: 0,
+        args: [ 100 ]
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/contracts.json b/templates/demo/config/contracts.json
deleted file mode 100644
index da7463900..000000000
--- a/templates/demo/config/contracts.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "default": {
-    "deployment": {
-      "host": "localhost",
-      "port": 8545,
-      "type": "rpc"
-    },
-    "dappConnection": [
-      "$WEB3",
-      "http://localhost:8545"
-    ],
-    "gas": "auto",
-    "contracts": {
-      "SimpleStorage": {
-        "fromIndex": 0,
-        "args": [
-          100
-        ]
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/templates/simple/contracts.js b/templates/simple/contracts.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f768afdc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/simple/contracts.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+module.exports = {
+  // default applies to all enviroments
+  default: {
+    // rpc to deploy the contracts
+    deployment: {
+      host: "localhost",
+      port: 8545,
+      type: "rpc"
+    },
+    // order of connections the dapp should connect to
+    dappConnection: [
+      "$WEB3",  // uses pre existing web3 object if available (e.g in Mist)
+      "http://localhost:8545"
+    ],
+    gas: "auto",
+    contracts: {
+      // example:
+      //SimpleStorage: {
+      //  args: [ 100 ]
+      //}
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/templates/simple/contracts.json b/templates/simple/contracts.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 8ea794ea4..000000000
--- a/templates/simple/contracts.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "default": {
-    "deployment": {
-      "host": "localhost",
-      "port": 8545,
-      "type": "rpc"
-    },
-    "dappConnection": [
-      "$WEB3",
-      "http://localhost:8545"
-    ],
-    "gas": "auto",
-    "contracts": {
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/templates/simple/embark.json b/templates/simple/embark.json
index 35edb5397..812324905 100644
--- a/templates/simple/embark.json
+++ b/templates/simple/embark.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "app": {},
   "buildDir": "build/",
   "config": {
-    "contracts": "contracts.json",
+    "contracts": "contracts.js",
     "blockchain": false,
     "storage": false,
     "communication": false,