diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index ae45b6905..869f5fb75 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ Config.prototype.loadBlockchainConfigFile = function() {
 Config.prototype.loadContractsConfigFile = function() {
   var defaultVersions = {
     "web3": "1.0.0-beta",
-    "solc": "0.4.17"
+    "solc": "0.4.25"
   };
   var versions = utils.recursiveMerge(defaultVersions, this.embarkConfig.versions || {});
 
diff --git a/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js b/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js
index a6e993a4e..97b68aae7 100644
--- a/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const DevFunds = require('./dev_funds.js');
 
 const {defaultHost, dockerHostSwap} = require('../../utils/host');
 
-/*eslint complexity: ["error", 36]*/
+/*eslint complexity: ["error", 37]*/
 var Blockchain = function(options) {
   this.blockchainConfig = options.blockchainConfig;
   this.env = options.env || 'development';
@@ -59,11 +59,18 @@ var Blockchain = function(options) {
     verbosity: this.blockchainConfig.verbosity
   };
 
-  if (this.blockchainConfig === {} || JSON.stringify(this.blockchainConfig) === '{"enabled":true}') {
+  if (this.blockchainConfig === {} || this.blockchainConfig.default) {
     this.config.account = {};
-    this.config.account.password = fs.embarkPath("templates/boilerplate/config/development/password");
-    this.config.genesisBlock = fs.embarkPath("templates/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json");
+    if (this.env === 'development') {
+      this.isDev = true;
+    } else {
+      this.config.account.password = fs.embarkPath("templates/boilerplate/config/privatenet/password");
+      this.config.genesisBlock = fs.embarkPath("templates/boilerplate/config/privatenet/genesis.json");
+    }
     this.config.datadir = fs.dappPath(".embark/development/datadir");
+    this.config.wsOrigins = "http://localhost:8000";
+    this.config.rpcCorsDomain = "http://localhost:8000";
+    this.config.targetGasLimit = 8000000;
   }
 
   const spaceMessage = 'The path for %s in blockchain config contains spaces, please remove them';
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
index 9bd69d26b..7d9c83ad9 100644
--- a/test/config.js
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe('embark.Config', function () {
     it('should load contract config correctly', function () {
       config.loadContractsConfigFile();
       let expectedConfig = {
-        versions: {'web3': '1.0.0-beta', solc: '0.4.17'},
+        versions: {'web3': '1.0.0-beta', solc: '0.4.25'},
         deployment: {host: 'localhost', port: 8545, type: 'rpc'},
         dappConnection: ['$WEB3', 'localhost:8545'],
         "gas": "auto",