diff --git a/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs.js b/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs.js
index a5886973..2199bb06 100644
--- a/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs.js
+++ b/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs.js
@@ -1,128 +1,5 @@
 /*global EmbarkJS, Web3 */
 
-// for the old version of whisper and web3.js
-let __embarkWhisperOld = {};
-
-__embarkWhisperOld.setProvider = function(options) {
-  const self = this;
-  let provider;
-  if (options === undefined) {
-    provider = "localhost:8546";
-  } else {
-    provider = options.server + ':' + options.port;
-  }
-  self.web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.HttpProvider("http://" + provider));
-  self.getWhisperVersion(function(err, version) {
-    if (err) {
-      console.log("whisper not available");
-    } else if (version >= 5) {
-      throw new Error("whisper 5 not supported with this version of web3.js");
-    } else {
-      self.identity = self.web3.shh.newIdentity();
-    }
-    self.whisperVersion = self.web3.version.whisper;
-  });
-};
-
-__embarkWhisperOld.sendMessage = function(options) {
-  var topics, data, ttl, priority, payload;
-  topics = options.topic || options.topics;
-  data = options.data || options.payload;
-  ttl = options.ttl || 100;
-  priority = options.priority || 1000;
-  var identity = options.identity || this.identity || this.web3.shh.newIdentity();
-  var _topics;
-
-  if (topics === undefined) {
-    throw new Error("missing option: topic");
-  }
-
-  if (data === undefined) {
-    throw new Error("missing option: data");
-  }
-
-  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-    _topics = [EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(topics)];
-  } else {
-    _topics = topics.map((t) => EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(t));
-  }
-  topics = _topics;
-
-  payload = JSON.stringify(data);
-
-  var message;
-  message = {
-    from: identity,
-    topics: topics,
-    payload: EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(payload),
-    ttl: ttl,
-    priority: priority
-  };
-
-  return this.web3.shh.post(message, function() { });
-};
-
-__embarkWhisperOld.listenTo = function(options) {
-  var topics, _topics, messageEvents;
-  topics = options.topic || options.topics;
-  _topics = [];
-
-  messageEvents = function() {
-    this.cb = function() {};
-  };
-
-  messageEvents.prototype.then = function(cb) {
-    this.cb = cb;
-  };
-
-  messageEvents.prototype.error = function(err) {
-    return err;
-  };
-
-  messageEvents.prototype.stop = function() {
-    this.filter.stopWatching();
-  };
-
-  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-    _topics = [topics];
-  } else {
-    _topics = topics.map((t) => EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(t));
-  }
-  topics = _topics;
-
-  var filterOptions = {
-    topics: topics
-  };
-
-  let promise = new messageEvents();
-
-  let filter = this.web3.shh.filter(filterOptions, function(err, result) {
-    var payload = JSON.parse(EmbarkJS.Utils.toAscii(result.payload));
-    var data;
-    if (err) {
-      promise.error(err);
-    } else {
-      data = {
-        topic: topics,
-        data: payload,
-        from: result.from,
-        time: (new Date(result.sent * 1000))
-      };
-      promise.cb(payload, data, result);
-    }
-  });
-
-  promise.filter = filter;
-
-  return promise;
-};
-
-__embarkWhisperOld.getWhisperVersion = function(cb) {
-  this.web3.version.getWhisper(function(err, _res) {
-    cb(err, self.web3.version.whisper);
-  });
-};
-
 // for the whisper v5 and web3.js 1.0
 let __embarkWhisperNewWeb3 = {};
 
@@ -237,9 +114,3 @@ __embarkWhisperNewWeb3.getWhisperVersion = function(cb) {
   });
 };
 
-if (EmbarkJS.isNewWeb3()) {
-  EmbarkJS.Messages.registerProvider('whisper', __embarkWhisperNewWeb3);
-} else {
-  EmbarkJS.Messages.registerProvider('whisper', __embarkWhisperOld);
-}
-
diff --git a/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs_old_web3.js b/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs_old_web3.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2f52a4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/modules/whisper/embarkjs_old_web3.js
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+/*global EmbarkJS, Web3 */
+
+// for the old version of whisper and web3.js
+let __embarkWhisperOld = {};
+
+__embarkWhisperOld.setProvider = function(options) {
+  const self = this;
+  let provider;
+  if (options === undefined) {
+    provider = "localhost:8546";
+  } else {
+    provider = options.server + ':' + options.port;
+  }
+  self.web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.HttpProvider("http://" + provider));
+  self.getWhisperVersion(function(err, version) {
+    if (err) {
+      console.log("whisper not available");
+    } else if (version >= 5) {
+      throw new Error("whisper 5 not supported with this version of web3.js");
+    } else {
+      self.identity = self.web3.shh.newIdentity();
+    }
+    self.whisperVersion = self.web3.version.whisper;
+  });
+};
+
+__embarkWhisperOld.sendMessage = function(options) {
+  var topics, data, ttl, priority, payload;
+  topics = options.topic || options.topics;
+  data = options.data || options.payload;
+  ttl = options.ttl || 100;
+  priority = options.priority || 1000;
+  var identity = options.identity || this.identity || this.web3.shh.newIdentity();
+  var _topics;
+
+  if (topics === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("missing option: topic");
+  }
+
+  if (data === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("missing option: data");
+  }
+
+  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
+    _topics = [EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(topics)];
+  } else {
+    _topics = topics.map((t) => EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(t));
+  }
+  topics = _topics;
+
+  payload = JSON.stringify(data);
+
+  var message;
+  message = {
+    from: identity,
+    topics: topics,
+    payload: EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(payload),
+    ttl: ttl,
+    priority: priority
+  };
+
+  return this.web3.shh.post(message, function() { });
+};
+
+__embarkWhisperOld.listenTo = function(options) {
+  var topics, _topics, messageEvents;
+  topics = options.topic || options.topics;
+  _topics = [];
+
+  messageEvents = function() {
+    this.cb = function() {};
+  };
+
+  messageEvents.prototype.then = function(cb) {
+    this.cb = cb;
+  };
+
+  messageEvents.prototype.error = function(err) {
+    return err;
+  };
+
+  messageEvents.prototype.stop = function() {
+    this.filter.stopWatching();
+  };
+
+  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
+    _topics = [topics];
+  } else {
+    _topics = topics.map((t) => EmbarkJS.Utils.fromAscii(t));
+  }
+  topics = _topics;
+
+  var filterOptions = {
+    topics: topics
+  };
+
+  let promise = new messageEvents();
+
+  let filter = this.web3.shh.filter(filterOptions, function(err, result) {
+    var payload = JSON.parse(EmbarkJS.Utils.toAscii(result.payload));
+    var data;
+    if (err) {
+      promise.error(err);
+    } else {
+      data = {
+        topic: topics,
+        data: payload,
+        from: result.from,
+        time: (new Date(result.sent * 1000))
+      };
+      promise.cb(payload, data, result);
+    }
+  });
+
+  promise.filter = filter;
+
+  return promise;
+};
+
+__embarkWhisperOld.getWhisperVersion = function(cb) {
+  this.web3.version.getWhisper(function(err, _res) {
+    cb(err, self.web3.version.whisper);
+  });
+};
+
diff --git a/lib/modules/whisper/index.js b/lib/modules/whisper/index.js
index 087c73fc..d1a3b80f 100644
--- a/lib/modules/whisper/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/whisper/index.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class Whisper {
   }
 
   addWhisperToEmbarkJS() {
+    const self = this;
     // TODO: make this a shouldAdd condition
     if (this.communicationConfig === {}) {
       return;
@@ -38,12 +39,19 @@ class Whisper {
       return;
     }
 
-    let code = "";
+    // TODO: possible race condition could be a concern
+    this.events.request("version:get:web3", function(web3Version) {
+      let code = "";
 
-    code += "\n" + fs.readFileSync(utils.joinPath(__dirname, 'embarkjs.js')).toString();
-    //code += "\nEmbarkJS.Storage.registerProvider('whisper', __embarkWhisper);";
-
-    this.embark.addCodeToEmbarkJS(code);
+      if (web3Version[0] === "0") {
+        code += "\n" + fs.readFileSync(utils.joinPath(__dirname, 'embarkjs_old_web3.js')).toString();
+        code += "\nEmbarkJS.Messages.registerProvider('whisper', __embarkWhisperOld);";
+      } else {
+        code += "\n" + fs.readFileSync(utils.joinPath(__dirname, 'embarkjs.js')).toString();
+        code += "\nEmbarkJS.Messages.registerProvider('whisper', __embarkWhisperNewWeb3);";
+      }
+      self.embark.addCodeToEmbarkJS(code);
+    });
   }
 
   addSetProvider() {