diff --git a/lib/constants.json b/lib/constants.json
index 8971600ec..344a5128e 100644
--- a/lib/constants.json
+++ b/lib/constants.json
@@ -56,5 +56,9 @@
   "logs": {
     "logPath": ".embark/logs/",
     "maxLogLength": 1500
+  },
+  "deploymentStrategy": {
+    "implicit": "implicit",
+    "explicit": "explicit"
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index b653812d6..c74ad16f6 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ Config.prototype.loadContractsConfigFile = function() {
         "$WEB3",
         "localhost:8545"
       ],
+      "strategy": constants.deploymentStrategy.implicit,
       "gas": "auto",
       "contracts": {
       }
diff --git a/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js b/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js
index d2f29ac99..49be163cb 100644
--- a/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const cloneDeep = require('clone-deep');
 
 const utils = require('../../utils/utils.js');
 const fs = require('../../core/fs');
+const constants = require('../../constants');
 
 // TODO: create a contract object
 
@@ -307,6 +308,10 @@ class ContractsManager {
             contract.deploy = false;
           }
 
+          if (!self.contractsConfig.contracts[className] && self.contractsConfig.strategy === constants.deploymentStrategy.explicit) {
+            contract.deploy = false;
+          }
+
           if (contract.code === "") {
             const message = __("assuming %s to be an interface", className);
             if (contract.silent) {
diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js b/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js
index 29828c2ba..ad42e14e3 100644
--- a/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js
+++ b/templates/boilerplate/config/contracts.js
@@ -31,7 +31,17 @@ module.exports = {
       "ws://localhost:8546",
       "http://localhost:8545"
     ],
+
     gas: "auto",
+
+    // Strategy for the deployment of the contracts:
+    // - implicit will try to deploy all the contracts located inside the contracts directory
+    //            or the directory configured for the location of the contracts. This is default one
+    //            when not specified
+    // - explicit will only attempt to deploy the contracts that are explicity specified inside the
+    //            contracts section.
+    //strategy: 'implicit',
+
     contracts: {
       // example:
       //SimpleStorage: {
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/contracts.js b/templates/demo/config/contracts.js
index 4fdd08f7d..9e4cb3c2d 100644
--- a/templates/demo/config/contracts.js
+++ b/templates/demo/config/contracts.js
@@ -31,7 +31,17 @@ module.exports = {
       "ws://localhost:8546",
       "http://localhost:8545"
     ],
+
     gas: "auto",
+
+    // Strategy for the deployment of the contracts:
+    // - implicit will try to deploy all the contracts located inside the contracts directory
+    //            or the directory configured for the location of the contracts. This is default one
+    //            when not specified
+    // - explicit will only attempt to deploy the contracts that are explicity specified inside the
+    //            contracts section.
+    //strategy: 'implicit',
+
     contracts: {
       SimpleStorage: {
         fromIndex: 0,
diff --git a/templates/simple/contracts.js b/templates/simple/contracts.js
index 29828c2ba..ad42e14e3 100644
--- a/templates/simple/contracts.js
+++ b/templates/simple/contracts.js
@@ -31,7 +31,17 @@ module.exports = {
       "ws://localhost:8546",
       "http://localhost:8545"
     ],
+
     gas: "auto",
+
+    // Strategy for the deployment of the contracts:
+    // - implicit will try to deploy all the contracts located inside the contracts directory
+    //            or the directory configured for the location of the contracts. This is default one
+    //            when not specified
+    // - explicit will only attempt to deploy the contracts that are explicity specified inside the
+    //            contracts section.
+    //strategy: 'implicit',
+
     contracts: {
       // example:
       //SimpleStorage: {
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
index ca7202aeb..04d1ffa92 100644
--- a/test/config.js
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ describe('embark.Config', function () {
         deployment: {host: 'localhost', port: 8545, type: 'rpc', "accounts": [{"mnemonic": "12 word mnemonic", "balance": "5000000000"}]},
         dappConnection: ['$WEB3', 'localhost:8545'],
         "gas": "400000",
+        "strategy": "implicit",
         "contracts": {
           "SimpleStorage": {
             "args": [100],