diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index fb648f2c..53bb03b9 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ class Engine {
     let self = this;
 
     this.registerModule('solidity', {
-      solcVersion: self.config.contractsConfig.versions.solc,
       contractDirectories: self.config.contractDirectories
     });
 
diff --git a/lib/modules/solidity/index.js b/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
index 0270214a..6860bab5 100644
--- a/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ class Solidity {
 
   constructor(embark, options) {
     this.logger = embark.logger;
-    this.solcVersion = options.solcVersion;
+    this.events = embark.events;
     this.contractDirectories = options.contractDirectories;
 
     embark.registerCompiler(".sol", this.compile_solidity.bind(this));
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class Solidity {
       },
       function loadCompiler(callback) {
         // TODO: there ino need to load this twice
-        solcW = new SolcW({logger: self.logger, solcVersion: self.solcVersion});
+        solcW = new SolcW({logger: self.logger, events: self.events});
         if (solcW.isCompilerLoaded()) {
           return callback();
         }
diff --git a/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js b/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
index aecf6674..a7c1d6eb 100644
--- a/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
+++ b/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ let currentSolcVersion = require('../../../package.json').dependencies.solc;
 class SolcW {
 
   constructor(options) {
-    this.solcVersion = options.solcVersion;
     this.logger = options.logger;
+    this.events = options.events;
   }
 
   load_compiler(done) {
+    const self = this;
     if (compilerLoaded) {
       done();
     }
@@ -24,19 +25,21 @@ class SolcW {
       done();
     });
 
-    if (this.solcVersion === currentSolcVersion) {
-      solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', solcLocation: 'solc'});
-    } else {
-      let npm = new Npm({logger: this.logger});
-      npm.getPackageVersion('solc', this.solcVersion, false, false, function(err, location) {
-        if (err) {
-          return done(err);
-        }
-        let requirePath = utils.joinPath(process.env.PWD, location);
-        solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', solcLocation: requirePath});
-      });
-    }
-
+    this.events.request("version:get:solc", function(solcVersion) {
+      self.logger.info("detected version is " + solcVersion);
+      if (self.solcVersion === currentSolcVersion) {
+        solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', solcLocation: 'solc'});
+      } else {
+        let npm = new Npm({logger: self.logger});
+        npm.getPackageVersion('solc', solcVersion, false, false, function(err, location) {
+          if (err) {
+            return done(err);
+          }
+          let requirePath = utils.joinPath(process.env.PWD, location);
+          solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', solcLocation: requirePath});
+        });
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   isCompilerLoaded() {
diff --git a/lib/versions/library_manager.js b/lib/versions/library_manager.js
index 507ba323..ad6f6b23 100644
--- a/lib/versions/library_manager.js
+++ b/lib/versions/library_manager.js
@@ -8,30 +8,48 @@ class LibraryManager {
 
     this.embark = this.plugins.createPlugin('libraryManager', {});
 
+    this.determineVersions();
+
     this.registerCommands();
+    this.listenToCommands();
+  }
+
+  determineVersions() {
+    this.versions = {};
+
+    let solcVersionInConfig = this.contractsConfig.versions.solc;
+    let web3VersionInConfig = this.contractsConfig.versions["web3.js"];
+    let ipfsApiVersion = require('../../package.json').dependencies["ipfs-api"];
+
+    this.versions['solc'] = solcVersionInConfig;
+    this.versions['web3'] = web3VersionInConfig;
+    this.versions['ipfs-api'] = ipfsApiVersion;
   }
 
   registerCommands() {
     const self = this;
     this.embark.registerConsoleCommand((cmd, _options) => {
       if (cmd === "versions") {
-        let solcVersionInConfig = self.contractsConfig.versions.solc;
-        let web3VersionInConfig = self.contractsConfig.versions["web3.js"];
-        let ipfsApiVersion = require('../../package.json').dependencies["ipfs-api"];
-
-        let text = [
-          'versions in use:',
-          'solc: ' + solcVersionInConfig,
-          'web3.js: ' + web3VersionInConfig,
-          'ipfs-api: ' + ipfsApiVersion
-        ];
-
+        let text = ['versions in use:'];
+        for (let lib in self.versions) {
+          text.push(lib + ": " + self.versions[lib]);
+        }
         return text.join('\n');
       }
       return false;
     });
   }
 
+  listenToCommands() {
+    const self = this;
+    for (let libName in this.versions) {
+      let lib = self.versions[libName];
+      this.embark.events.setCommandHandler('version:get:' + libName, (cb) => {
+        cb(lib);
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
 }
 
 module.exports = LibraryManager;