diff --git a/dapps/templates/boilerplate/embark.json b/dapps/templates/boilerplate/embark.json
index 19d902845..ec7345cfc 100644
--- a/dapps/templates/boilerplate/embark.json
+++ b/dapps/templates/boilerplate/embark.json
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@
     "solc": "0.6.1"
   },
   "plugins": {
+    "embark-ipfs": {},
+    "embark-swarm": {},
+    "embark-whisper-geth": {},
+    "embark-geth": {},
+    "embark-parity": {},
+    "embark-profiler": {},
+    "embark-graph": {}
   },
   "options": {
     "solc": {
diff --git a/dapps/templates/boilerplate/package.json b/dapps/templates/boilerplate/package.json
index 5ee56459c..d25b61516 100644
--- a/dapps/templates/boilerplate/package.json
+++ b/dapps/templates/boilerplate/package.json
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@
     "embarkjs-swarm": "^5.1.1",
     "embarkjs-web3": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
     "embarkjs-whisper": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-ipfs": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-swarm": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-whisper-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-parity": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-profiler": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-graph": "^5.1.1",
     "rimraf": "3.0.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/dapps/templates/demo/embark.json b/dapps/templates/demo/embark.json
index 082d43b54..09d8a1307 100644
--- a/dapps/templates/demo/embark.json
+++ b/dapps/templates/demo/embark.json
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@
     "solc": "0.6.1"
   },
   "plugins": {
+    "embark-ipfs": {},
+    "embark-swarm": {},
+    "embark-whisper-geth": {},
+    "embark-geth": {},
+    "embark-parity": {},
+    "embark-profiler": {},
+    "embark-graph": {}
   },
   "options": {
     "solc": {
diff --git a/dapps/templates/demo/package.json b/dapps/templates/demo/package.json
index 58d0479c7..770bf6ddf 100644
--- a/dapps/templates/demo/package.json
+++ b/dapps/templates/demo/package.json
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@
     "embarkjs-swarm": "^5.1.1",
     "embarkjs-web3": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
     "embarkjs-whisper": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-ipfs": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-swarm": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-whisper-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-parity": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-profiler": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-graph": "^5.1.1",
     "jquery": "3.4.1",
     "popper.js": "1.15.0",
     "react": "16.12.0",
diff --git a/dapps/templates/simple/embark.json b/dapps/templates/simple/embark.json
index 27b1b6716..9c3ff7a28 100644
--- a/dapps/templates/simple/embark.json
+++ b/dapps/templates/simple/embark.json
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
     "solc": "0.6.1"
   },
   "plugins": {
+    "embark-geth": {},
+    "embark-parity": {},
+    "embark-profiler": {},
+    "embark-graph": {}
   },
   "options": {
     "solc": {
diff --git a/dapps/templates/simple/package.json b/dapps/templates/simple/package.json
index 4f8d786e6..24d7c9f8a 100644
--- a/dapps/templates/simple/package.json
+++ b/dapps/templates/simple/package.json
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@
     "embark-reset": "^5.1.1",
     "embarkjs": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
     "embarkjs-ens": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
-    "embarkjs-ipfs": "^5.1.1",
-    "embarkjs-swarm": "^5.1.1",
     "embarkjs-web3": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
-    "embarkjs-whisper": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
+    "embark-parity": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
+    "embark-profiler": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-graph": "^5.1.1",
     "rimraf": "3.0.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/dapps/tests/app/embark.json b/dapps/tests/app/embark.json
index cef864cbc..976da4024 100644
--- a/dapps/tests/app/embark.json
+++ b/dapps/tests/app/embark.json
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@
     "solc": "0.4.26"
   },
   "plugins": {
+    "embark-ipfs": {},
+    "embark-swarm": {},
+    "embark-whisper-geth": {},
+    "embark-geth": {},
+    "embark-parity": {},
+    "embark-profiler": {},
+    "embark-graph": {},
     "embark-dapp-test-service": {}
   },
   "options": {
diff --git a/dapps/tests/app/package.json b/dapps/tests/app/package.json
index e5e513935..6f219ce44 100644
--- a/dapps/tests/app/package.json
+++ b/dapps/tests/app/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@
     "embarkjs-swarm": "^5.1.1",
     "embarkjs-web3": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
     "embarkjs-whisper": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-ipfs": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-swarm": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-whisper-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-parity": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-profiler": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-graph": "^5.1.1",
     "fs-extra": "8.1.0",
     "haml": "0.4.3",
     "jquery": "3.4.0",
diff --git a/dapps/tests/contracts/embark.json b/dapps/tests/contracts/embark.json
index 2c762516c..89dc71622 100644
--- a/dapps/tests/contracts/embark.json
+++ b/dapps/tests/contracts/embark.json
@@ -15,5 +15,9 @@
     "solc": "0.4.26"
   },
   "plugins": {
+    "embark-geth": {},
+    "embark-parity": {},
+    "embark-profiler": {},
+    "embark-graph": {}
   }
 }
diff --git a/dapps/tests/contracts/package.json b/dapps/tests/contracts/package.json
index 0d21b2d9b..e50a2e2b0 100644
--- a/dapps/tests/contracts/package.json
+++ b/dapps/tests/contracts/package.json
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@
     "embarkjs-swarm": "^5.1.1",
     "embarkjs-web3": "^5.2.0-nightly.2",
     "embarkjs-whisper": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-ipfs": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-swarm": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-whisper-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-geth": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-parity": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
+    "embark-profiler": "^5.1.1",
+    "embark-graph": "^5.1.1",
     "rimraf": "3.0.0"
   },
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/core/core/src/config.ts b/packages/core/core/src/config.ts
index 6fecfa22d..b0e140868 100644
--- a/packages/core/core/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/core/core/src/config.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ export class Config {
 
   buildDir: any;
 
+  client: string;
+
   dappPath = dappPath;
 
   constructor(options) {
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ export class Config {
     this.events = options.events;
     this.context = options.context || [constants.contexts.any];
     this.version = options.version;
+    this.client = options.client;
 
     this.registerEvents();
   }
@@ -194,7 +197,8 @@ export class Config {
       config: this,
       context: this.context,
       env: this.env,
-      version: this.version
+      version: this.version,
+      client: this.client
     });
 
     this.loadEmbarkConfigFile();
diff --git a/packages/core/core/src/plugins.ts b/packages/core/core/src/plugins.ts
index f10244aba..a6fb6c156 100644
--- a/packages/core/core/src/plugins.ts
+++ b/packages/core/core/src/plugins.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as fs from './fs';
 import { Plugin } from './plugin';
 import { EmbarkEmitter as Events } from './events';
 import { Config } from './config';
+import { IPC } from './ipc';
 
 import * as async from 'async';
 import { dappPath, embarkPath } from 'embark-utils';
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ export class Plugins {
 
   version: string;
 
+  client: string;
+
   static deprecated = {
     'embarkjs-connector-web3': '4.1.0'
   };
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ export class Plugins {
     this.fs = fs;
     this.env = options.env;
     this.version = options.version;
+    this.client = options.client;
   }
 
   loadPlugins() {
@@ -85,7 +89,8 @@ export class Plugins {
       plugins: this.plugins,
       fs: this.fs,
       isInternal: true,
-      context: this.context
+      context: this.context,
+      client: this.client
     });
     this.plugins.push(pluginWrapper);
     return pluginWrapper;
@@ -119,7 +124,8 @@ export class Plugins {
       fs: this.fs,
       isInternal: true,
       context: this.context,
-      env: this.env
+      env: this.env,
+      client: this.client
     });
     const pluginInstance = pluginWrapper.loadInternalPlugin();
     this.plugins.push(pluginWrapper);
@@ -149,7 +155,8 @@ export class Plugins {
       fs: this.fs,
       isInternal: false,
       context: this.context,
-      version: this.version
+      version: this.version,
+      client: this.client
     });
     pluginWrapper.loadPlugin();
     this.plugins.push(pluginWrapper);
diff --git a/packages/core/engine/src/index.ts b/packages/core/engine/src/index.ts
index d60ec364f..c91e54b8f 100644
--- a/packages/core/engine/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/engine/src/index.ts
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ export class Engine {
 
   package: any;
 
-  isDev: boolean | undefined;
-
   constructor(options) {
     this.env = options.env;
     this.client = options.client;
@@ -85,6 +83,9 @@ export class Engine {
     const options = _options || {};
     this.events = options.events || this.events || new Events();
     this.logger = this.logger || new Logger({context: this.context, logLevel: options.logLevel || this.logLevel || 'info', events: this.events, logFile: this.logFile});
+
+    this.ipc = new IPC({ logger: this.logger, ipcRole: this.ipcRole });
+
     this.config = new Config({
       env: this.env,
       logger: this.logger,
@@ -93,17 +94,17 @@ export class Engine {
       webServerConfig: this.webServerConfig,
       version: this.version,
       package: this.package,
-      locale: this.locale
+      locale: this.locale,
+      client: this.client,
+      ipc: this.ipc
     });
     this.config.loadConfigFiles({embarkConfig: this.embarkConfig, interceptLogs: this.interceptLogs});
     this.plugins = this.config.plugins;
-    this.isDev = this.config && this.config.blockchainConfig && (this.config.blockchainConfig.isDev || this.config.blockchainConfig.default);
 
     if (this.interceptLogs || this.interceptLogs === undefined) {
       interceptLogs(console, this.logger);
     }
 
-    this.ipc = new IPC({ logger: this.logger, ipcRole: this.ipcRole });
     if (this.ipc.isClient()) {
       return this.ipc.connect((_err) => {
         callback();
@@ -268,20 +269,8 @@ export class Engine {
 
   blockchainComponents() {
     // plugins
-    this.registerModulePackage('embark-geth', {
-      client: this.client,
-      locale: this.locale,
-      isDev: this.isDev,
-      plugins: this.plugins,
-      ipc: this.ipc
-    });
-    this.registerModulePackage('embark-parity', {
-      client: this.client,
-      locale: this.locale,
-      isDev: this.isDev,
-      plugins: this.plugins,
-      ipc: this.ipc
-    });
+    this.registerModulePackage('embark-geth');
+    this.registerModulePackage('embark-parity');
   }
 
   testComponents(options) {
diff --git a/packages/core/utils/src/index.ts b/packages/core/utils/src/index.ts
index 8575f4c9b..a2dec93b3 100644
--- a/packages/core/utils/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/utils/src/index.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@ const clipboardy = require('clipboardy');
 
 import * as Serialize from './serialize';
 export { Serialize };
+import { __ } from 'embark-i18n';
+
 import { canonicalHost } from './host';
+import * as findUp from 'find-up';
+import * as fs from 'fs-extra';
 export { canonicalHost, defaultCorsHost, defaultHost, dockerHostSwap, isDocker } from './host';
 export { downloadFile, findNextPort, getJson, httpGet, httpsGet, httpGetJson, httpsGetJson, pingEndpoint } from './network';
 export { testRpcWithEndpoint, testWsEndpoint } from './check';
@@ -55,6 +59,10 @@ export {
 } from './pathUtils';
 export { setUpEnv } from './env';
 
+import {
+  dappPath
+} from './pathUtils';
+
 const { extendZeroAddressShorthand, replaceZeroAddressShorthand } = AddressUtils;
 
 export { compact, last, recursiveMerge, groupBy } from './collections';
@@ -300,3 +308,25 @@ export function isConstructor(obj) {
 export function isEs6Module(module) {
   return (typeof module === 'function' && isConstructor(module)) || (typeof module === 'object' && typeof module.default === 'function' && module.__esModule);
 }
+
+export function warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally(packageName, warnFunc) {
+  const packageIsResolvable = findUp.sync("node_modules/" + packageName, {cwd: dappPath()});
+  if (!packageIsResolvable) {
+    return warnFunc("== WARNING: "  + packageName + " could not be resolved; ensure it is defined in your dapp's package.json dependencies and then run npm or yarn install; in future versions of embark this package should be a local dependency and configured as a plugin");
+  }
+
+  const dappPackage = fs.readJSONSync(dappPath("package.json"));
+  const { dependencies, devDependencies } = dappPackage;
+  if (!((dependencies && dependencies[packageName]) || (devDependencies && devDependencies[packageName]))) {
+    return warnFunc("== WARNING: it seems "  + packageName + " is not defined in your dapp's package.json dependencies; In future versions of embark this package should be a local dependency and configured as a plugin");
+  }
+
+  const embarkConfig = fs.readJSONSync(dappPath("embark.json"));
+  if (!embarkConfig.plugins[packageName]) {
+    return warnFunc(
+      __("== WARNING: it seems %s is not defined in your Dapp's embark.json plugins;\nIn future versions of Embark, this package should be a local dependency and configured as a plugin", packageName)
+    );
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/packages/plugins/geth/src/index.js b/packages/plugins/geth/src/index.js
index 2539ac08a..4f7968dc4 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/geth/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/plugins/geth/src/index.js
@@ -7,19 +7,19 @@ import DevTxs from "./devtxs";
 const constants = require('embark-core/constants');
 
 class Geth {
-  constructor(embark, options) {
+  constructor(embark) {
     this.embark = embark;
     this.embarkConfig = embark.config.embarkConfig;
     this.blockchainConfig = embark.config.blockchainConfig;
     this.communicationConfig = embark.config.communicationConfig;
     // TODO get options from config instead of options
-    this.locale = options.locale;
+    this.locale = embark.config.locale;
     this.logger = embark.logger;
-    this.client = options.client;
-    this.isDev = options.isDev;
+    this.client = embark.client;
     this.events = embark.events;
-    this.plugins = options.plugins;
+    this.plugins = embark.plugins;
     this.shownNoAccountConfigMsg = false; // flag to ensure "no account config" message is only displayed once to the user
+    this.isDev = (this.blockchainConfig.isDev || this.blockchainConfig.default);
 
     if (!this.shouldInit()) {
       return;
diff --git a/packages/plugins/graph/package.json b/packages/plugins/graph/package.json
index 6ba44b84c..0607ab230 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/graph/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugins/graph/package.json
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@babel/runtime-corejs3": "7.7.4",
     "async": "2.6.1",
+    "embark-utils": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
     "core-js": "3.4.3",
     "viz.js": "1.8.2"
   },
diff --git a/packages/plugins/graph/src/index.js b/packages/plugins/graph/src/index.js
index eea48389f..64280ae6c 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/graph/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/plugins/graph/src/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally } from 'embark-utils';
+
 const async = require('async');
 const Viz = require('viz.js');
 
@@ -7,6 +9,7 @@ class GraphGenerator {
     this.events = embark.events;
 
     this.events.setCommandHandler("graph:create", this.generate.bind(this));
+    warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-graph", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
   }
 
   /*eslint complexity: ["error", 21]*/
diff --git a/packages/plugins/graph/tsconfig.json b/packages/plugins/graph/tsconfig.json
index 2121fd4b1..0dcc4cc43 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/graph/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/plugins/graph/tsconfig.json
@@ -8,5 +8,10 @@
   "extends": "../../../tsconfig.base.json",
   "include": [
     "src/**/*"
+  ],
+  "references": [
+    {
+      "path": "../../core/utils"
+    }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/packages/plugins/parity/src/index.js b/packages/plugins/parity/src/index.js
index 57913c0b9..b5c84beec 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/parity/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/plugins/parity/src/index.js
@@ -7,18 +7,16 @@ const constants = require('embark-core/constants');
 
 class Parity {
 
-  constructor(embark, options) {
+  constructor(embark) {
     this.embark = embark;
     this.embarkConfig = embark.config.embarkConfig;
     this.blockchainConfig = embark.config.blockchainConfig;
     // TODO get options from config instead of options
-    this.locale = options.locale;
+    this.locale = embark.config.locale;
     this.logger = embark.logger;
-    this.client = options.client;
-    this.isDev = options.isDev;
+    this.client = embark.client;
     this.events = embark.events;
-    this.plugins = options.plugins;
-    // let plugin = this.plugins.createPlugin('gethplugin', {});
+    this.isDev = (this.blockchainConfig.isDev || this.blockchainConfig.default);
 
     if (!this.shouldInit()) {
       return;
diff --git a/packages/plugins/profiler/package.json b/packages/plugins/profiler/package.json
index 88c5a77e2..aa6a92bbb 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/profiler/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugins/profiler/package.json
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     "ascii-table": "0.0.9",
     "async": "2.6.1",
     "core-js": "3.4.3",
+    "embark-utils": "^5.2.0-nightly.1",
     "web3": "1.2.6",
     "web3-utils": "1.2.6"
   },
diff --git a/packages/plugins/profiler/src/index.js b/packages/plugins/profiler/src/index.js
index f8d5f6007..691c4c47e 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/profiler/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/plugins/profiler/src/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally } from 'embark-utils';
+
 const asciiTable = require('ascii-table');
 const GasEstimator = require('./gasEstimator.js');
 
@@ -10,6 +12,7 @@ class Profiler {
 
     this.registerConsoleCommand();
     this.registerApi();
+    warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-profiler", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
   }
 
   profileJSON(contractName, returnCb) {
diff --git a/packages/plugins/profiler/tsconfig.json b/packages/plugins/profiler/tsconfig.json
index 2f6e7e52b..e0c6f4a52 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/profiler/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/plugins/profiler/tsconfig.json
@@ -8,5 +8,10 @@
   "extends": "../../../tsconfig.base.json",
   "include": [
     "src/**/*"
+  ],
+  "references": [
+    {
+      "path": "../../core/utils"
+    }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/packages/stack/blockchain/src/index.js b/packages/stack/blockchain/src/index.js
index 6fc6209c7..0c9ccbd68 100644
--- a/packages/stack/blockchain/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/stack/blockchain/src/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import async from 'async';
+import { warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally } from 'embark-utils';
 const { __ } = require('embark-i18n');
 const constants = require('embark-core/constants');
 
@@ -109,6 +110,13 @@ export default class Blockchain {
     });
     this.blockchainApi.registerAPIs("ethereum");
     this.blockchainApi.registerRequests("ethereum");
+
+    if (this.blockchainConfig.enabled && this.blockchainConfig.client === "geth") {
+      warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-geth", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
+    }
+    if (this.blockchainConfig.enabled && this.blockchainConfig.client === "parity") {
+      warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-parity", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
+    }
   }
 
   addArtifactFile(_params, cb) {
diff --git a/packages/stack/communication/src/index.js b/packages/stack/communication/src/index.js
index b66047119..c157c2dc8 100644
--- a/packages/stack/communication/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/stack/communication/src/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { __ } from 'embark-i18n';
-import {canonicalHost, defaultHost} from 'embark-utils';
+import {canonicalHost, defaultHost, warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally} from 'embark-utils';
 
 class Communication {
   constructor(embark, _options){
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class Communication {
 
       client.apply(client, [onStart]);
     });
+
+    if (this.communicationConfig.enabled && this.communicationConfig.available_providers.includes("whisper")) {
+      warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-whisper-geth", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
+    }
   }
 
   addArtifactFile(_params, cb) {
diff --git a/packages/stack/storage/src/index.js b/packages/stack/storage/src/index.js
index 33aaf1374..0f2282141 100644
--- a/packages/stack/storage/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/stack/storage/src/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {__} from 'embark-i18n';
+import { warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally } from 'embark-utils';
 
 class Storage {
   constructor(embark, options) {
@@ -41,6 +42,13 @@ class Storage {
       if (!client) return cb("upload client for  " + clientName + " not found");
       client.apply(client, [cb]);
     });
+
+    if (this.storageConfig.enabled && this.storageConfig.available_providers.includes("ipfs")) {
+      warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-ipfs", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
+    }
+    if (this.storageConfig.enabled && this.storageConfig.available_providers.includes("swarm")) {
+      warnIfPackageNotDefinedLocally("embark-swarm", this.embark.logger.warn.bind(this.embark.logger));
+    }
   }
 
   addArtifactFile(_params, cb) {