diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index 05bcd33a..b7dbf71d 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -103,13 +103,18 @@ Cmd.prototype.blockchain = function() {
 };
 
 Cmd.prototype.simulator = function() {
+  var self = this;
   program
-  .command('simulator')
+  .command('simulator [environment]')
   .description('run a fast ethereum rpc simulator')
   .option('--testrpc', 'use testrpc as the rpc simulator [default]')
-  .action(function(options) {
-    //console.log('TestRPC not found; Please install it with "npm install -g ethereumjs-testrpc');
-    exec('testrpc');
+  .option('-p, --port [port]', 'port to run the rpc simulator (default: 8000)')
+  .option('-h, --host [host]', 'host to run the rpc simulator (default: localhost)')
+  .action(function(env, options) {
+    self.Embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
+        embarkConfig: 'embark.json'
+    });
+    self.Embark.simulator({port: options.port, host: options.host});
   });
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 8cc7063b..86229ca7 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var ServicesMonitor = require('./services.js');
 var Console = require('./console.js');
 var IPFS = require('./ipfs.js');
 var Swarm = require('./swarm.js');
+var Simulator = require('./simulator.js');
 
 var Embark = {
 
@@ -337,6 +338,11 @@ var Embark = {
     }
   },
 
+  simulator: function(options) {
+    var simulator = new Simulator({blockchainConfig: this.config.blockchainConfig});
+    simulator.run(options);
+  }
+
 };
 
 module.exports = Embark;
diff --git a/lib/simulator.js b/lib/simulator.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..daf10bfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/simulator.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+
+var Simulator = function(options) {
+  this.blockchainConfig = options.blockchainConfig;
+};
+
+Simulator.prototype.run = function(options) {
+  var cmds = [];
+
+  cmds.push("-p " + (this.blockchainConfig.rpcPort || options.port || 8545));
+  cmds.push("-h " + (this.blockchainConfig.rpcHost || options.host || 'localhost'));
+  cmds.push("-a " + (options.num || 10));
+
+  exec('testrpc ' + cmds.join(' '));
+};
+
+module.exports = Simulator;
+