diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js b/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js
index af0808fb..5a1b13eb 100644
--- a/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js
+++ b/templates/boilerplate/config/blockchain.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ module.exports = {
     networkType: "custom", // Can be: testnet, rinkeby, livenet or custom, in which case, it will use the specified networkId
     networkId: "1337", // Network id used when networkType is custom
     isDev: true, // Uses and ephemeral proof-of-authority network with a pre-funded developer account, mining enabled
-    genesisBlock: "config/development/genesis.json", // Genesis block to initiate on first creation of a development node
     datadir: ".embark/development/datadir", // Data directory for the databases and keystore
     mineWhenNeeded: true, // Uses our custom script (if isDev is false) to mine only when needed
     nodiscover: true, // Disables the peer discovery mechanism (manual peer addition)
@@ -14,10 +13,6 @@ module.exports = {
     rpcCorsDomain: "auto",  // Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)
                             // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
     proxy: true, // Proxy is used to present meaningful information about transactions
-    account: {
-      // "address": "", // When specified, uses that address instead of the default one for the network
-      password: "config/development/password" // Password to unlock the account
-    },
     targetGasLimit: 8000000, // Target gas limit sets the artificial target gas floor for the blocks to mine
     wsRPC: true, // Enable the WS-RPC server
     wsOrigins: "auto",  // Origins from which to accept websockets requests
@@ -27,6 +22,32 @@ module.exports = {
     simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm", // Mnemonic  used by the simulator to generate a wallet
     simulatorBlocktime: 0 // Specify blockTime in seconds for automatic mining. Default is 0 and no auto-mining.
   },
+  privatenet: {
+    enabled: true,
+    networkType: "custom",
+    networkId: "1337",
+    isDev: false,
+    genesisBlock: "config/privatenet/genesis.json", // Genesis block to initiate on first creation of a development node
+    datadir: ".embark/privatenet/datadir",
+    mineWhenNeeded: true,
+    nodiscover: true,
+    maxpeers: 0,
+    rpcHost: "localhost",
+    rpcPort: 8545,
+    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",
+    proxy: true,
+    account: {
+      // "address": "", // When specified, uses that address instead of the default one for the network
+      password: "config/privatenet/password" // Password to unlock the account
+    },
+    targetGasLimit: 8000000,
+    wsRPC: true,
+    wsOrigins: "auto",
+    wsHost: "localhost",
+    wsPort: 8546,
+    simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm",
+    simulatorBlocktime: 0
+  },
   testnet: {
     enabled: true,
     networkType: "testnet",
@@ -48,15 +69,5 @@ module.exports = {
     account: {
       password: "config/livenet/password"
     }
-  },
-  privatenet: {
-    enabled: true,
-    networkType: "custom",
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
-    rpcCorsDomain: "http://localhost:8000",
-    datadir: "yourdatadir",
-    networkId: "123",
-    bootnodes: ""
   }
 };
diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json b/templates/boilerplate/config/privatenet/genesis.json
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/boilerplate/config/development/genesis.json
rename to templates/boilerplate/config/privatenet/genesis.json
diff --git a/templates/boilerplate/config/development/password b/templates/boilerplate/config/privatenet/password
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/boilerplate/config/development/password
rename to templates/boilerplate/config/privatenet/password
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js b/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js
index af0808fb..5a1b13eb 100644
--- a/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js
+++ b/templates/demo/config/blockchain.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ module.exports = {
     networkType: "custom", // Can be: testnet, rinkeby, livenet or custom, in which case, it will use the specified networkId
     networkId: "1337", // Network id used when networkType is custom
     isDev: true, // Uses and ephemeral proof-of-authority network with a pre-funded developer account, mining enabled
-    genesisBlock: "config/development/genesis.json", // Genesis block to initiate on first creation of a development node
     datadir: ".embark/development/datadir", // Data directory for the databases and keystore
     mineWhenNeeded: true, // Uses our custom script (if isDev is false) to mine only when needed
     nodiscover: true, // Disables the peer discovery mechanism (manual peer addition)
@@ -14,10 +13,6 @@ module.exports = {
     rpcCorsDomain: "auto",  // Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)
                             // When set to "auto", Embark will automatically set the cors to the address of the webserver
     proxy: true, // Proxy is used to present meaningful information about transactions
-    account: {
-      // "address": "", // When specified, uses that address instead of the default one for the network
-      password: "config/development/password" // Password to unlock the account
-    },
     targetGasLimit: 8000000, // Target gas limit sets the artificial target gas floor for the blocks to mine
     wsRPC: true, // Enable the WS-RPC server
     wsOrigins: "auto",  // Origins from which to accept websockets requests
@@ -27,6 +22,32 @@ module.exports = {
     simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm", // Mnemonic  used by the simulator to generate a wallet
     simulatorBlocktime: 0 // Specify blockTime in seconds for automatic mining. Default is 0 and no auto-mining.
   },
+  privatenet: {
+    enabled: true,
+    networkType: "custom",
+    networkId: "1337",
+    isDev: false,
+    genesisBlock: "config/privatenet/genesis.json", // Genesis block to initiate on first creation of a development node
+    datadir: ".embark/privatenet/datadir",
+    mineWhenNeeded: true,
+    nodiscover: true,
+    maxpeers: 0,
+    rpcHost: "localhost",
+    rpcPort: 8545,
+    rpcCorsDomain: "auto",
+    proxy: true,
+    account: {
+      // "address": "", // When specified, uses that address instead of the default one for the network
+      password: "config/privatenet/password" // Password to unlock the account
+    },
+    targetGasLimit: 8000000,
+    wsRPC: true,
+    wsOrigins: "auto",
+    wsHost: "localhost",
+    wsPort: 8546,
+    simulatorMnemonic: "example exile argue silk regular smile grass bomb merge arm assist farm",
+    simulatorBlocktime: 0
+  },
   testnet: {
     enabled: true,
     networkType: "testnet",
@@ -48,15 +69,5 @@ module.exports = {
     account: {
       password: "config/livenet/password"
     }
-  },
-  privatenet: {
-    enabled: true,
-    networkType: "custom",
-    rpcHost: "localhost",
-    rpcPort: 8545,
-    rpcCorsDomain: "http://localhost:8000",
-    datadir: "yourdatadir",
-    networkId: "123",
-    bootnodes: ""
   }
 };
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/development/genesis.json b/templates/demo/config/privatenet/genesis.json
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/demo/config/development/genesis.json
rename to templates/demo/config/privatenet/genesis.json
diff --git a/templates/demo/config/development/password b/templates/demo/config/privatenet/password
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/demo/config/development/password
rename to templates/demo/config/privatenet/password
diff --git a/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json b/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json
index 1aa1a83b..a24efdbc 100644
--- a/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/contracts_app/blockchain.json
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
     "enabled": true,
     "networkType": "custom",
     "networkId": "1337",
-    "isDev": false,
-    "genesisBlock": "development/genesis.json",
+    "isDev": true,
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
@@ -12,15 +11,32 @@
     "rpcHost": "localhost",
     "rpcPort": 8545,
     "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
+    "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
+    "wsOrigins": "auto",
+    "wsRPC": true,
+    "wsHost": "localhost",
+    "wsPort": 8546
+  },
+  "privateNet": {
+    "networkType": "custom",
+    "networkId": "1337",
+    "isDev": false,
+    "genesisBlock": "privateNet/genesis.json",
+    "datadir": ".embark/privateNet/datadir",
+    "mineWhenNeeded": true,
+    "nodiscover": true,
+    "maxpeers": 0,
+    "rpcHost": "localhost",
+    "rpcPort": 8545,
+    "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
     "account": {
-      "password": "development/password"
+      "password": "privateNet/password"
     },
     "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
     "wsOrigins": "auto",
     "wsRPC": true,
     "wsHost": "localhost",
     "wsPort": 8546
-
   },
   "testnet": {
     "networkType": "testnet",
diff --git a/test_apps/contracts_app/development/genesis.json b/test_apps/contracts_app/privatenet/genesis.json
similarity index 100%
rename from test_apps/contracts_app/development/genesis.json
rename to test_apps/contracts_app/privatenet/genesis.json
diff --git a/test_apps/contracts_app/development/password b/test_apps/contracts_app/privatenet/password
similarity index 100%
rename from test_apps/contracts_app/development/password
rename to test_apps/contracts_app/privatenet/password
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
index b61dcc9d..5b67552c 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
     "enabled": true,
     "networkType": "custom",
     "networkId": "1337",
-    "isDev": false,
-    "genesisBlock": "config/development/genesis.json",
+    "isDev": true,
     "datadir": ".embark/development/datadir",
     "mineWhenNeeded": true,
     "nodiscover": true,
@@ -12,10 +11,30 @@
     "rpcHost": "localhost",
     "rpcPort": 8545,
     "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
+    "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
+    "wsOrigins": "auto",
+    "wsRPC": true,
+    "wsHost": "localhost",
+    "wsPort": 8546,
+    "proxy": true
+  },
+  "privateNet": {
+    "enabled": true,
+    "networkType": "custom",
+    "networkId": "1337",
+    "isDev": false,
+    "genesisBlock": "config/privateNet/genesis.json",
+    "datadir": ".embark/privateNet/datadir",
+    "mineWhenNeeded": true,
+    "nodiscover": true,
+    "maxpeers": 0,
+    "rpcHost": "localhost",
+    "rpcPort": 8545,
+    "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
     "account": {
       "numAccounts": 3,
       "balance": "5 ether",
-      "password": "config/development/password"
+      "password": "config/privateNet/password"
     },
     "targetGasLimit": 8000000,
     "wsOrigins": "auto",
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/development/genesis.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/privatenet/genesis.json
similarity index 100%
rename from test_apps/test_app/config/development/genesis.json
rename to test_apps/test_app/config/privatenet/genesis.json
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/development/password b/test_apps/test_app/config/privatenet/password
similarity index 100%
rename from test_apps/test_app/config/development/password
rename to test_apps/test_app/config/privatenet/password