diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index cdccb309a..c6857095f 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class Engine {
     this.registerModule('solidity', {ipc: self.ipc, useDashboard: this.useDashboard});
     this.registerModule('vyper');
     this.registerModule('profiler');
-    this.registerModule('deploytracker');
+    this.registerModule('deploytracker', {trackContracts: options.trackContracts});
     this.registerModule('specialconfigs');
     this.registerModule('console_listener', {ipc: self.ipc});
     this.registerModule('contracts_manager');
diff --git a/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js b/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js
index 8f2d54afb..cde53b810 100644
--- a/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/contracts_manager/index.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ let utils = require('../../utils/utils.js');
 // TODO: create a contract object
 
 class ContractsManager {
-  constructor(embark) {
+  constructor(embark, options) {
     const self = this;
     this.logger = embark.logger;
     this.events = embark.events;
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class ContractsManager {
     this.contractDependencies = {};
     this.deployOnlyOnConfig = false;
     this.compileError = false;
+    this.compileOnceOnly = options.compileOnceOnly;
 
     self.events.setCommandHandler('contracts:list', (cb) => {
       cb(self.compileError, self.listContracts());
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ class ContractsManager {
       },
       function compileContracts(callback) {
         self.events.emit("status", __("Compiling..."));
-        if (process.env.isTest && self.compiledContracts && Object.keys(self.compiledContracts).length) {
+        if (self.compileOnceOnly && self.compiledContracts && Object.keys(self.compiledContracts).length) {
           // Only compile once for tests
           return callback();
         }
diff --git a/lib/modules/deploytracker/index.js b/lib/modules/deploytracker/index.js
index da74ca586..54b17aed7 100644
--- a/lib/modules/deploytracker/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/deploytracker/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class DeployTracker {
     this.logger = embark.logger;
     this.events = embark.events;
     this.embark = embark;
+    this.trackContracts = (options.trackContracts !== false);
 
     // TODO: unclear where it comes from
     this.env = options.env;
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ class DeployTracker {
     });
 
     self.embark.registerActionForEvent("deploy:contract:shouldDeploy", (params, cb) => {
-      if (process.env.isTest) {
+      if (!self.trackContracts) {
         return cb(params);
       }
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/run_tests.js b/lib/tests/run_tests.js
index 97af4f24f..febb06be1 100644
--- a/lib/tests/run_tests.js
+++ b/lib/tests/run_tests.js
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ function getFilesFromDir(filePath, cb) {
 
 module.exports = {
   run: function (options) {
-    process.env.isTest = true;
     let failures = 0;
     let filePath = options.file;
     const loglevel = options.loglevel || 'warn';
diff --git a/lib/tests/test.js b/lib/tests/test.js
index 2bc7e133b..6646ee140 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test.js
+++ b/lib/tests/test.js
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ class Test {
       web3: this.web3
     });
     this.engine.startService("deployment", {
-      trackContracts: false
+      trackContracts: false,
+      compileOnceOnly: true
     });
     this.events.request('deploy:setGasLimit', 6000000);
     this.engine.startService("codeCoverage");