diff --git a/lib/modules/whisper/index.js b/lib/modules/whisper/index.js
index 727fe0ab9..0b688971d 100644
--- a/lib/modules/whisper/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/whisper/index.js
@@ -71,12 +71,14 @@ class Whisper {
 
   addSetProvider() {
     let connection = this.communicationConfig.connection || {};
+    
     // todo: make the add code a function as well
     let config = JSON.stringify({
       server: connection.host || 'localhost',
       port: connection.port || '8546',
       type: connection.type || 'ws'
     });
+
     let code = "\nEmbarkJS.Messages.setProvider('whisper'," + config + ");";
 
     let shouldInit = (communicationConfig) => {
diff --git a/lib/modules/whisper/js/embarkjs.js b/lib/modules/whisper/js/embarkjs.js
index 4cfa98fea..ea72b9d0e 100644
--- a/lib/modules/whisper/js/embarkjs.js
+++ b/lib/modules/whisper/js/embarkjs.js
@@ -32,53 +32,86 @@ __embarkWhisperNewWeb3.setProvider = function (options) {
 
 __embarkWhisperNewWeb3.sendMessage = function (options) {
   var topics, data, ttl, payload;
-  topics = options.topic || options.topics;
+  topics = options.topic;
   data = options.data || options.payload;
   ttl = options.ttl || 100;
   var powTime = options.powTime || 3;
   var powTarget = options.powTarget || 0.5;
 
-  if (topics === undefined) {
-    throw new Error("missing option: topic");
-  }
-
   if (data === undefined) {
     throw new Error("missing option: data");
   }
 
-  topics = this.web3.utils.toHex(topics).slice(0, 10);
+  if (topics) {
+    topics = this.web3.utils.toHex(topics).slice(0, 10);
+  }
 
   payload = JSON.stringify(data);
 
   let message = {
-    symKeyID: this.symKeyID, // encrypts using the sym key ID
     sig: this.sig, // signs the message using the keyPair ID
     ttl: ttl,
-    topic: topics,
     payload: EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(payload),
     powTime: powTime,
     powTarget: powTarget
   };
 
+  if (topics) {
+    message.topic = topics;
+  }
+
+  if (options.pubKey) {
+    message.pubKey = options.pubKey; // encrypt using a given pubKey
+  } else if(options.symKeyID) {
+    message.symKeyID = options.symKeyID; // encrypts using given sym key ID
+  } else {
+    message.symKeyID = this.symKeyID; // encrypts using the sym key ID
+  }
+
+  if (topics === undefined && message.symKeyID && !message.pubKey) {
+    throw new Error("missing option: topic");
+  }
+
   this.web3.shh.post(message, function () {
   });
 };
 
 __embarkWhisperNewWeb3.listenTo = function (options, callback) {
-  var topics = options.topic || options.topics;
+  var topics = options.topic;
 
   let promise = new __MessageEvents();
 
-  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-    topics = [this.web3.utils.toHex(topics).slice(0, 10)];
-  } else {
-    topics = topics.map((t) => this.web3.utils.toHex(t).slice(0, 10));
+  let subOptions = {};
+
+  if(topics){
+    if (typeof topics === 'string') {
+      topics = [this.web3.utils.toHex(topics).slice(0, 10)];
+    } else {
+      topics = topics.map((t) => this.web3.utils.toHex(t).slice(0, 10));
+    }
+    subOptions.topics = topics;
   }
 
-  let filter = this.web3.shh.subscribe("messages", {
-    symKeyID: this.symKeyID,
-    topics: topics
-  }).on('data', function (result) {
+  if (options.minPow) {
+    subOptions.minPow = options.minPow;
+  }
+
+  if (options.usePrivateKey === true) {
+    if (options.privateKeyID) {
+      subOptions.privateKeyID = options.privateKeyID;
+    } else {
+      subOptions.privateKeyID = this.sig;
+    }
+  } else {
+    if (options.symKeyID) {
+      subOptions.symKeyID = options.symKeyID;
+    } else {
+      subOptions.symKeyID = this.symKeyID;
+    }
+  }
+
+  let filter = this.web3.shh.subscribe("messages", subOptions)
+  .on('data', function (result) {
     var payload = JSON.parse(EmbarkJS.Utils.toAscii(result.payload));
     var data;
     data = {