diff --git a/bin/embark b/bin/embark
index 1d9846809..98fd67e3b 100644
--- a/bin/embark
+++ b/bin/embark
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ var deploy = function(env, embarkConfig) {
 }
 
 program
-  .version('0.8.1')
+  .version('0.8.4')
 
 program.command('new [name]').description('New application').action(function(name) {
   if (name === undefined) {
diff --git a/boilerplate/package.json b/boilerplate/package.json
index 09bde0130..770769863 100644
--- a/boilerplate/package.json
+++ b/boilerplate/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   "license": "ISC",
   "homepage": "",
   "devDependencies": {
-    "embark-framework": "^0.8.1",
+    "embark-framework": "^0.8.4",
     "grunt-embark": "^0.3.0",
     "grunt-contrib-clean": "^0.6.0",
     "grunt-contrib-coffee": "^0.13.0",
diff --git a/lib/chain_manager.js b/lib/chain_manager.js
index 157d6423a..d63c8b850 100644
--- a/lib/chain_manager.js
+++ b/lib/chain_manager.js
@@ -3,17 +3,18 @@ var web3 = require('web3');
 var sha3_256 = require('js-sha3').sha3_256;
 
 ChainManager = function() {
+  this.chainManagerConfig = {};
   this.currentChain = {};
   this.file = "";
 }
 
 ChainManager.prototype.loadConfigFile = function(filename) {
+  this.file = filename;
   try {
     var obj = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(filename));
-    this.file = filename;
     this.chainManagerConfig = obj;
   } catch (e) {
-    throw new Error("error reading " + filename);
+    console.warn("error reading " + filename + "; defaulting to empty set");
   }
   return this;
 };
@@ -35,15 +36,15 @@ ChainManager.prototype.init = function(env, config) {
   this.currentChain = this.chainManagerConfig[chainId];
 }
 
-ChainManager.prototype.addContract = function(contractName, code, address) {
-  this.currentChain.contracts[sha3_256(code)] = {
+ChainManager.prototype.addContract = function(contractName, code, args, address) {
+  this.currentChain.contracts[sha3_256(code + contractName + args.join(','))] = {
     name: contractName,
     address: address
   }
 }
 
-ChainManager.prototype.getContract = function(code) {
-  return this.currentChain.contracts[sha3_256(code)];
+ChainManager.prototype.getContract = function(contractName, code, args) {
+  return this.currentChain.contracts[sha3_256(code + contractName + args.join(','))];
 }
 
 ChainManager.prototype.save = function() {
@@ -51,4 +52,3 @@ ChainManager.prototype.save = function() {
 }
 
 module.exports = ChainManager;
-
diff --git a/lib/deploy.js b/lib/deploy.js
index 81fcf08a4..899a88229 100644
--- a/lib/deploy.js
+++ b/lib/deploy.js
@@ -58,6 +58,15 @@ Deploy.prototype.deploy_contracts = function(env) {
     className = all_contracts[k];
     contract = this.contractDB[className];
 
+    var realArgs = [];
+    for (var l = 0; l < contract.args.length; l++) {
+      arg = contract.args[l];
+      if (arg[0] === "$") {
+        realArgs.push(this.deployedContracts[arg.substr(1)]);
+      } else {
+        realArgs.push(arg);
+      }
+    }
 
     if (contract.address !== undefined) {
       this.deployedContracts[className] = contract.address;
@@ -66,26 +75,18 @@ Deploy.prototype.deploy_contracts = function(env) {
       console.log("contract " + className + " at " + contract.address);
     }
     else {
-      var chainContract = this.chainManager.getContract(contract.compiled.code);
+      var chainContract = this.chainManager.getContract(className, contract.compiled.code, realArgs);
 
       if (chainContract != undefined) {
         console.log("contract " + className + " is unchanged and already deployed at " + chainContract.address);
+        this.deployedContracts[className] = chainContract.address;
+        this.execute_cmds(contract.onDeploy);
       }
       else {
 
         contractObject = web3.eth.contract(contract.compiled.info.abiDefinition);
 
-        realArgs = [];
-        for (var l = 0; l < contract.args.length; l++) {
-          arg = contract.args[l];
-          if (arg[0] === "$") {
-            realArgs.push(this.deployedContracts[arg.substr(1)]);
-          } else {
-            realArgs.push(arg);
-          }
-        }
-
-        contractParams = realArgs;
+        contractParams = realArgs.slice();
         contractParams.push({
           from: primaryAddress,
           data: contract.compiled.code,
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ Deploy.prototype.deploy_contracts = function(env) {
         }
 
         this.deployedContracts[className] = contractAddress;
-        this.chainManager.addContract(className, contract.compiled.code, contractAddress);
+        this.chainManager.addContract(className, contract.compiled.code, realArgs, contractAddress);
         this.chainManager.save();
 
         console.log("deployed " + className + " at " + contractAddress);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 09a01ebc0..cf0d25141 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "embark-framework",
-  "version": "0.8.1",
+  "version": "0.8.4",
   "description": "",
   "scripts": {
     "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
diff --git a/test/chain_manager.js b/test/chain_manager.js
index 26dcd13dd..e2add352a 100644
--- a/test/chain_manager.js
+++ b/test/chain_manager.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe('embark.chain_manager', function() {
     chainManager.init('development', blockchainConfig);
 
     it('should initialize chain', function() {
-      var chain = chainManager.chainManagerConfig['0x629e768beb87dc8c54a475d310a7196e86c97d0006e5a6d34a8217726c90223f']
+      var chain = chainManager.chainManagerConfig['0xcd9c11da1e46f86ce40a38b6ef84cfdfa6ea92598a27538f0e87da6d7a5c73d5']
       assert.equal(chain != undefined, true);
     });
   });
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ describe('embark.chain_manager', function() {
   describe('#addContract', function() {
 
     it('should register a contract in the chain', function() {
-      chainManager.addContract("Foo", "123456", "0x123");
+      chainManager.addContract("Foo", "123456", [], "0x123");
 
-      var chain = chainManager.chainManagerConfig['0x629e768beb87dc8c54a475d310a7196e86c97d0006e5a6d34a8217726c90223f']
-      var contract = chain.contracts["d7190eb194ff9494625514b6d178c87f99c5973e28c398969d2233f2960a573e"]
+      console.log(chainManager.chainManagerConfig);
+      var chain = chainManager.chainManagerConfig['0xcd9c11da1e46f86ce40a38b6ef84cfdfa6ea92598a27538f0e87da6d7a5c73d5']
+      var contract = chain.contracts["d5d91a8825c5c253dff531ddda2354c4014f5699b7bcbea70207cfdcb37b6c8b"]
 
       assert.equal(contract.name, "Foo");
       assert.equal(contract.address, "0x123");
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ describe('embark.chain_manager', function() {
   describe('#getContract', function() {
 
     it('should a contract in the chain', function() {
-      var contract = chainManager.getContract("123456");
+      var contract = chainManager.getContract("Foo", "123456", []);
 
       assert.equal(contract.name, "Foo");
       assert.equal(contract.address, "0x123");
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ describe('embark.chain_manager', function() {
 
       var chainFile = './test/support/chain_manager.json';
       var content = fs.readFileSync(chainFile).toString();
-      assert.equal(content, '{"0x629e768beb87dc8c54a475d310a7196e86c97d0006e5a6d34a8217726c90223f":{"contracts":{"d7190eb194ff9494625514b6d178c87f99c5973e28c398969d2233f2960a573e":{"name":"Foo","address":"0x123"}}}}');
+      assert.equal(content, '{"0xcd9c11da1e46f86ce40a38b6ef84cfdfa6ea92598a27538f0e87da6d7a5c73d5":{"contracts":{"d5d91a8825c5c253dff531ddda2354c4014f5699b7bcbea70207cfdcb37b6c8b\":{"name":"Foo","address":"0x123"}}}}');
     });
 
   });
diff --git a/test/deploy.js b/test/deploy.js
index c5df8511e..7e7fd6b22 100644
--- a/test/deploy.js
+++ b/test/deploy.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var Config = require('../lib/config/config.js');
 var Deploy = require('../lib/deploy.js');
 var Compiler = require('../lib/compiler.js');
+var ChainManager = require('../lib/chain_manager.js');
 var assert = require('assert');
 var web3 = require('web3');
 
diff --git a/test/support/chain_manager.json b/test/support/chain_manager.json
index ccb1943fb..0b027530b 100644
--- a/test/support/chain_manager.json
+++ b/test/support/chain_manager.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"0x629e768beb87dc8c54a475d310a7196e86c97d0006e5a6d34a8217726c90223f":{"contracts":{"d7190eb194ff9494625514b6d178c87f99c5973e28c398969d2233f2960a573e":{"name":"Foo","address":"0x123"}}}}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"0xcd9c11da1e46f86ce40a38b6ef84cfdfa6ea92598a27538f0e87da6d7a5c73d5":{"contracts":{"d5d91a8825c5c253dff531ddda2354c4014f5699b7bcbea70207cfdcb37b6c8b":{"name":"Foo","address":"0x123"}}}}
\ No newline at end of file