diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index a0c33099..63276131 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ class Cmd {
     this.demo();
     this.build();
     this.run();
+    this.console();
     this.blockchain();
     this.simulator();
     this.test();
@@ -138,6 +139,26 @@ class Cmd {
       });
   }
 
+  console() {
+    program
+      .command('console [environment]')
+      .option('-c, --client [client]', __('Use a specific ethereum client or simulator (supported: %s)', 'geth, testrpc'))
+      .option('--logfile [logfile]', __('filename to output logs (default: %s)', 'none'))
+      .option('--loglevel [loglevel]', __('level of logging to display') + ' ["error", "warn", "info", "debug", "trace"]', /^(error|warn|info|debug|trace)$/i, 'debug')
+      .option('--locale [locale]', __('language to use (default: en)'))
+      .description(__('Start the Embark console'))
+      .action(function (env, options) {
+        i18n.setOrDetectLocale(options.locale);
+        embark.console({
+          env: env || 'development',
+          client: options.client || 'geth',
+          locale: options.locale,
+          logFile: options.logfile,
+          logLevel: options.loglevel
+        });
+      });
+  }
+
   blockchain() {
     program
       .command('blockchain [environment]')
diff --git a/lib/constants.json b/lib/constants.json
index caf92da9..31b77984 100644
--- a/lib/constants.json
+++ b/lib/constants.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     "run": "run",
     "upload": "upload",
     "build": "build",
+    "console": "console",
     "graph": "graph",
     "test": "test",
     "reset": "reset",
diff --git a/lib/dashboard/monitor.js b/lib/dashboard/monitor.js
index 9965c9f6..c437599d 100644
--- a/lib/dashboard/monitor.js
+++ b/lib/dashboard/monitor.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 let blessed = require("neo-blessed");
 let CommandHistory = require('./command_history.js');
 
-class Dashboard {
+class Monitor {
   constructor(_options) {
     let options = _options || {};
     this.env = options.env;
@@ -378,4 +378,4 @@ class Dashboard {
 
 }
 
-module.exports = Dashboard;
+module.exports = Monitor;
diff --git a/lib/dashboard/repl.js b/lib/dashboard/repl.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd5442fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/dashboard/repl.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+const repl = require("repl");
+const util = require("util");
+
+const Console = require('./console.js');
+
+class REPL {
+  constructor(options) {
+    this.env = options.env;
+    this.plugins = options.plugins;
+    this.events = options.events;
+    this.console = new Console({
+      events: this.events,
+      plugins: this.plugins,
+      version: options.version
+    });
+  }
+
+  enhancedEval(cmd, context, filename, callback) {
+    this.console.executeCmd(cmd.trim(), (result) => {
+      callback(null, result);
+    });
+  }
+
+  enhancedWriter(output) {
+    if ((typeof output) === "string") {
+      return output;
+    } else {
+      return util.inspect(output, {colors: true});
+    }
+  }
+
+  start(done) {
+    this.replServer = repl.start({
+      prompt: "Embark (" + this.env + ") > ",
+      useGlobal: true,
+      eval: this.enhancedEval.bind(this),
+      writer: this.enhancedWriter.bind(this)
+    });
+
+    this.replServer.on("exit", () => {
+      process.exit();
+    });
+
+    done();
+  }
+
+}
+
+module.exports = REPL;
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 860cd3dd..455deeb6 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -65,16 +65,16 @@ class Embark {
     self.context = options.context || [constants.contexts.run, constants.contexts.build];
     let Dashboard = require('./dashboard/dashboard.js');
 
-      let webServerConfig = {
-          enabled: options.runWebserver
-      };
+    let webServerConfig = {
+      enabled: options.runWebserver
+    };
 
-      if (options.serverHost) {
-          webServerConfig.host = options.serverHost;
-      }
-      if (options.serverPort) {
-          webServerConfig.port = options.serverPort;
-      }
+    if (options.serverHost) {
+      webServerConfig.host = options.serverHost;
+    }
+    if (options.serverPort) {
+      webServerConfig.port = options.serverPort;
+    }
 
     const Engine = require('./core/engine.js');
     const engine = new Engine({
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ class Embark {
         engine.startService("deployment", {onlyCompile: options.onlyCompile});
         engine.startService("storage");
         engine.startService("codeGenerator");
+
         callback();
       },
       function deploy(callback) {
@@ -237,6 +238,70 @@ class Embark {
     });
   }
 
+  console(options) {
+    this.context = options.context || [constants.contexts.run, constants.contexts.console];
+    const REPL = require('./dashboard/repl.js');
+    const Engine = require('./core/engine.js');
+    const engine = new Engine({
+      env: options.env,
+      client: options.client,
+      locale: options.locale,
+      version: this.version,
+      embarkConfig: options.embarkConfig || 'embark.json',
+      logFile: options.logFile,
+      logLevel: options.logLevel,
+      context: this.context
+    });
+    engine.init();
+    async.waterfall([
+      function startServices(callback) {
+        let pluginList = engine.plugins.listPlugins();
+        if (pluginList.length > 0) {
+          engine.logger.info(__("loaded plugins") + ": " + pluginList.join(", "));
+        }
+
+        engine.startService("libraryManager");
+        engine.startService("codeRunner");
+        engine.startService("web3");
+        engine.startService("pipeline");
+        engine.startService("deployment", {onlyCompile: false});
+        engine.startService("storage");
+        engine.startService("codeGenerator");
+        engine.startService("fileWatcher");
+
+        callback();
+      },
+      function deploy(callback) {
+        engine.events.request('deploy:contracts', function (err) {
+          callback(err);
+        });
+      },
+      function waitForWriteFinish(callback) {
+        engine.logger.info("Finished deploying".underline);
+        engine.events.once('outputDone', (err) => {
+          engine.logger.info(__("finished building").underline);
+          callback(err);
+        });
+      },
+      function startREPL(callback) {
+        let repl = new REPL({
+          env: engine.env,
+          plugins: engine.plugins,
+          version: engine.version,
+          events: engine.events
+        });
+        repl.start(callback);
+      }
+    ], function (err, _result) {
+      if (err) {
+        engine.logger.error(err.message);
+        engine.logger.info(err.stack);
+      } else {
+        engine.events.emit('firstDeploymentDone');
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   graph(options) {
     this.context = options.context || [constants.contexts.graph];
     options.onlyCompile = true;