diff --git a/lib/core/fs.js b/lib/core/fs.js
index 81e8e725..84fb6bdf 100644
--- a/lib/core/fs.js
+++ b/lib/core/fs.js
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ function writeJSONSync() {
   return fs.writeJSONSync.apply(fs.writeJSONSync, arguments);
 }
 
+function writeJson() {
+  return fs.writeJson.apply(fs.writeJson, arguments);
+}
+
 function existsSync() {
   return fs.existsSync.apply(fs.existsSync, arguments);
 }
@@ -89,6 +93,7 @@ module.exports = {
   writeFile,
   writeFileSync,
   readJSONSync,
+  writeJson,
   writeJSONSync,
   access,
   existsSync,
diff --git a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
index d8c66f47..6807c414 100644
--- a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
@@ -53,146 +53,146 @@ class Pipeline {
 
   build(abi, contractsJSON, path, callback) {
     let self = this;
+    const importsList = {};
 
-    this.buildContracts(contractsJSON);
+    async.waterfall([
+      function buildTheContracts(next) {
+        self.buildContracts(contractsJSON, next);
+      },
+      function buildWeb3(next) {
+        self.buildWeb3JS(next);
+      },
+      function createImportList(next) {
+        importsList["Embark/EmbarkJS"] = fs.dappPath(".embark", 'embark.js');
+        importsList["Embark/web3"] = fs.dappPath(".embark", 'web3_instance.js');
 
-    self.buildWeb3JS(function (err) {
-      if (err) {
-        return callback(err);
-      }
+        self.pluginImports.forEach(function (importObject) {
+          let [importName, importLocation] = importObject;
+          importsList[importName] = importLocation;
+        });
 
-      let importsList = {};
+        next();
+      },
+      function writeContracts(next) {
+        async.each(Object.keys(contractsJSON), (contractName, eachCb) => {
+          let contractCode = self.buildContractJS(contractName);
+          let filePath = fs.dappPath(".embark", contractName + '.js');
+          importsList["Embark/contracts/" + contractName] = filePath;
+          fs.writeFile(filePath, contractCode, eachCb);
+        }, next);
+      },
+      function assetFileWrite(next) {
+        // limit:1 due to issues when downloading required files such as web3.js
+        async.eachOfLimit(self.assetFiles, 1, function (files, targetFile, cb) {
+            // limit:1 due to issues when downloading required files such as web3.js
+            async.mapLimit(files, 1,
+              function (file, fileCb) {
+                file = new File(file); // Re-instantiate a File as through the process, we lose its prototype
+                self.log("reading " + file.filename);
 
-      importsList["Embark/EmbarkJS"] = fs.dappPath(".embark", 'embark.js');
-      importsList["Embark/web3"] = fs.dappPath(".embark", 'web3_instance.js');
-
-      self.pluginImports.forEach(function (importObject) {
-        let [importName, importLocation] = importObject;
-        importsList[importName] = importLocation;
-      });
-
-      async.waterfall([
-        function writeContracts(next) {
-          async.each(Object.keys(contractsJSON), (contractName, eachCb) => {
-            let contractCode = self.buildContractJS(contractName);
-            let filePath = fs.dappPath(".embark", contractName + '.js');
-            importsList["Embark/contracts/" + contractName] = filePath;
-            fs.writeFile(filePath, contractCode, eachCb);
-          }, next);
-        },
-        function assetFileWrite(next) {
-          // limit:1 due to issues when downloading required files such as web3.js
-          async.eachOfLimit(self.assetFiles, 1, function (files, targetFile, cb) {
-              // limit:1 due to issues when downloading required files such as web3.js
-              async.mapLimit(files, 1,
-                function (file, fileCb) {
-                  file = new File(file); // Re-instantiate a File as through the process, we lose its prototype
-                  self.log("reading " + file.filename);
-
-                  if (file.filename.indexOf('.js') < 0) {
-                    return file.content(function (fileContent) {
-                      self.runPlugins(file, fileContent, fileCb);
-                    });
-                  }
-
-                  // JS files
-                  let realCwd;
-
-                  async.waterfall([
-
-                    function findImports(next) {
-                      self.webpackRun(file.filename, {}, false, importsList, false, next);
-                    },
-
-                    function changeCwd(next) {
-                      realCwd = utils.pwd();
-                      process.chdir(fs.embarkPath(''));
-                      next();
-                    },
-
-                    function runWebpack(next) {
-                      self.webpackRun(file.filename, {}, true, importsList, true, next);
-                    },
-
-                    function changeCwdBack(next) {
-                      process.chdir(realCwd);
-                      next();
-                    },
-
-                    function checkFile(next) {
-                      fs.access('./.embark/' + file.filename, (err) => {
-                        if (err) {
-                          self.log("couldn't find file: " + file.filename);
-                          return next("couldn't find file: " + file.filename);
-                        }
-                        next();
-                      });
-                    },
-
-                    function readFile(next) {
-                      fs.readFile('./.embark/' + file.filename, (err, data) => {
-                        if (err) {
-                          return next(err);
-                        }
-                        next(null, data.toString());
-                      });
-                    },
-
-                    function runPluginsOnContent(fileContent, next) {
-                      self.runPlugins(file, fileContent, next);
-                    }
-
-                  ], function (err, contentFile) {
-                    if (err) {
-                      process.chdir(realCwd);
-                      self.log(err);
-                      return fileCb(err);
-                    }
-
-                    fileCb(null, contentFile);
+                if (file.filename.indexOf('.js') < 0) {
+                  return file.content(function (fileContent) {
+                    self.runPlugins(file, fileContent, fileCb);
                   });
-                },
-                function (err, contentFiles) {
-                  if (err) {
-                    self.log('errors found while generating ' + targetFile);
-                  }
-                  let dir = targetFile.split('/').slice(0, -1).join('/');
-                  self.log("creating dir " + self.buildDir + dir);
-                  fs.mkdirpSync(self.buildDir + dir);
-
-                  // if it's a directory
-                  if (targetFile.slice(-1) === '/' || targetFile.indexOf('.') === -1) {
-                    let targetDir = targetFile;
-
-                    if (targetDir.slice(-1) !== '/') {
-                      targetDir = targetDir + '/';
-                    }
-
-                    async.each(contentFiles, function (file, mapCb) {
-                      let filename = file.filename.replace(file.basedir + '/', '');
-                      self.log("writing file " + (self.buildDir + targetDir + filename).bold.dim);
-
-                      fs.copy(file.path, self.buildDir + targetDir + filename, {overwrite: true}, mapCb);
-                    }, cb);
-                    return;
-                  }
-
-                  let content = contentFiles.map(function (file) {
-                    if (file === undefined) {
-                      return "";
-                    }
-                    return file.content;
-                  }).join("\n");
-
-                  self.log("writing file " + (self.buildDir + targetFile).bold.dim);
-                  fs.writeFile(self.buildDir + targetFile, content, cb);
                 }
-              );
-            },
-            next);
-        }
-      ], callback);
-    });
+
+                // JS files
+                let realCwd;
+
+                async.waterfall([
+
+                  function findImports(next) {
+                    self.webpackRun(file.filename, {}, false, importsList, false, next);
+                  },
+
+                  function changeCwd(next) {
+                    realCwd = utils.pwd();
+                    process.chdir(fs.embarkPath(''));
+                    next();
+                  },
+
+                  function runWebpack(next) {
+                    self.webpackRun(file.filename, {}, true, importsList, true, next);
+                  },
+
+                  function changeCwdBack(next) {
+                    process.chdir(realCwd);
+                    next();
+                  },
+
+                  function checkFile(next) {
+                    fs.access('./.embark/' + file.filename, (err) => {
+                      if (err) {
+                        self.log("couldn't find file: " + file.filename);
+                        return next("couldn't find file: " + file.filename);
+                      }
+                      next();
+                    });
+                  },
+
+                  function readFile(next) {
+                    fs.readFile('./.embark/' + file.filename, (err, data) => {
+                      if (err) {
+                        return next(err);
+                      }
+                      next(null, data.toString());
+                    });
+                  },
+
+                  function runPluginsOnContent(fileContent, next) {
+                    self.runPlugins(file, fileContent, next);
+                  }
+
+                ], function (err, contentFile) {
+                  if (err) {
+                    process.chdir(realCwd);
+                    self.log(err);
+                    return fileCb(err);
+                  }
+
+                  fileCb(null, contentFile);
+                });
+              },
+              function (err, contentFiles) {
+                if (err) {
+                  self.log('errors found while generating ' + targetFile);
+                }
+                let dir = targetFile.split('/').slice(0, -1).join('/');
+                self.log("creating dir " + self.buildDir + dir);
+                fs.mkdirpSync(self.buildDir + dir);
+
+                // if it's a directory
+                if (targetFile.slice(-1) === '/' || targetFile.indexOf('.') === -1) {
+                  let targetDir = targetFile;
+
+                  if (targetDir.slice(-1) !== '/') {
+                    targetDir = targetDir + '/';
+                  }
+
+                  async.each(contentFiles, function (file, mapCb) {
+                    let filename = file.filename.replace(file.basedir + '/', '');
+                    self.log("writing file " + (self.buildDir + targetDir + filename).bold.dim);
+
+                    fs.copy(file.path, self.buildDir + targetDir + filename, {overwrite: true}, mapCb);
+                  }, cb);
+                  return;
+                }
+
+                let content = contentFiles.map(function (file) {
+                  if (file === undefined) {
+                    return "";
+                  }
+                  return file.content;
+                }).join("\n");
+
+                self.log("writing file " + (self.buildDir + targetFile).bold.dim);
+                fs.writeFile(self.buildDir + targetFile, content, cb);
+              }
+            );
+          },
+          next);
+      }
+    ], callback);
   }
 
   runPlugins(file, fileContent, fileCb) {
@@ -298,13 +298,16 @@ class Pipeline {
     });
   }
 
-  buildContracts(contractsJSON) {
-    fs.mkdirpSync(fs.dappPath(this.buildDir, 'contracts'));
-
-    for (let className in contractsJSON) {
-      let contract = contractsJSON[className];
-      fs.writeJSONSync(fs.dappPath(this.buildDir, 'contracts', className + ".json"), contract, {spaces: 2});
-    }
+  buildContracts(contractsJSON, callback) {
+    fs.mkdirp(fs.dappPath(this.buildDir, 'contracts'), (err) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return callback(err);
+      }
+      async.each(Object.keys(contractsJSON), (className, eachCb) => {
+        let contract = contractsJSON[className];
+        fs.writeJson(fs.dappPath(this.buildDir, 'contracts', className + ".json"), contract, {spaces: 2}, eachCb);
+      }, callback);
+    });
   }
 
   buildContractJS(contractName) {