diff --git a/lib/contracts/provider.js b/lib/contracts/provider.js
index 7d9b088d..a485b09a 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/provider.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/provider.js
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 const ProviderEngine = require('embark-web3-provider-engine');
 const RpcSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/rpc');
 const WsSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/websocket');
+const CacheSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/cache.js');
+const FixtureSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/fixture.js');
+const FilterSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/filters.js');
+const VmSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/vm.js');
+const NonceSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/nonce-tracker.js');
+const SubscriptionSubprovider = require('embark-web3-provider-engine/subproviders/subscriptions');
 const async = require('async');
 const AccountParser = require('./accountParser');
 const fundAccount = require('./fundAccount');
@@ -23,12 +29,20 @@ class Provider {
   startWeb3Provider(callback) {
     const self = this;
 
+// cache layer
+//     self.addProvider(new CacheSubprovider())
+
+    // self.addProvider(new NonceSubprovider())
+
     if (this.type === 'rpc') {
       self.engine.addProvider(new RpcSubprovider({
         rpcUrl: self.web3Endpoint
       }));
     } else if (this.type === 'ws') {
-      self.engine.addProvider(new WsSubprovider({
+      //self.engine.addProvider(new WsSubprovider({
+      console.log('USing ws');
+      self.addProvider(new SubscriptionSubprovider());
+      self.addProvider(new WsSubprovider({
         rpcUrl: self.web3Endpoint,
         origin: this.blockchainConfig.wsOrigins.split(',')[0]
       }));
@@ -37,6 +51,7 @@ class Provider {
     }
 
 
+
     // network connectivity error
     self.engine.on('error', (err) => {
       // report connectivity errors
@@ -44,7 +59,18 @@ class Provider {
     });
 
     self.engine.start();
-  self.web3.setProvider(self);
+    //self.on('error', (err) => {
+    //  console.log('ERR', JSON.stringify(err));
+    //  // report connectivity errors as trace due to polling
+    //  self.logger.trace('web3 provider error: ', err);
+    //  self.logger.trace('stopping web3 provider due to error');
+
+    //  // prevent continuous polling errors
+    //  self.stop();
+    //});
+
+    //self.web3.setProvider(self);
+    //self.start();
 
     self.accounts = AccountParser.parseAccountsConfig(self.accountsConfig, self.web3, self.logger);
     self.addresses = [];
diff --git a/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js b/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js
index a6e993a4..74665cf7 100644
--- a/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/modules/blockchain_process/blockchain.js
@@ -46,12 +46,13 @@ var Blockchain = function(options) {
     whisper: (this.blockchainConfig.whisper === undefined) || this.blockchainConfig.whisper,
     maxpeers: ((this.blockchainConfig.maxpeers === 0) ? 0 : (this.blockchainConfig.maxpeers || 25)),
     bootnodes: this.blockchainConfig.bootnodes || "",
-    rpcApi: (this.blockchainConfig.rpcApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'debug']),
+    rpcApi: (this.blockchainConfig.rpcApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'debug', 'pubsub']),
     wsRPC: (this.blockchainConfig.wsRPC === undefined) || this.blockchainConfig.wsRPC,
     wsHost: dockerHostSwap(this.blockchainConfig.wsHost) || defaultHost,
     wsPort: this.blockchainConfig.wsPort || 8546,
     wsOrigins: this.blockchainConfig.wsOrigins || false,
     wsApi: (this.blockchainConfig.wsApi || defaultWsApi),
+    // wsApi: (this.blockchainConfig.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'shh', 'debug']),
     vmdebug: this.blockchainConfig.vmdebug || false,
     targetGasLimit: this.blockchainConfig.targetGasLimit || false,
     syncMode: this.blockchainConfig.syncMode,
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
index 8f55b6da..a3247a56 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{
+
   "default": {
     "enabled": true,
     "rpcHost": "localhost",
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js b/test_apps/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js
index 3ee31b10..d723cb52 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/test/simple_storage_spec.js
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ let accounts;
 const Utils = require('embarkjs').Utils;
 
 config({
+  deployment: {
+    type: 'ws',
+    host: 'localhost',
+    port: '8546'
+  },
   contracts: {
     "SimpleStorage": {
       args: [100],