diff --git a/lib/dashboard/dashboard.js b/lib/dashboard/dashboard.js
index bc8c0c2a..0bf7a7a5 100644
--- a/lib/dashboard/dashboard.js
+++ b/lib/dashboard/dashboard.js
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ class Dashboard {
     this.plugins = options.plugins;
     this.version = options.version;
     this.env = options.env;
-    this.contractsConfig = options.contractsConfig;
 
     this.events.on('firstDeploymentDone', this.checkWindowSize.bind(this));
     this.events.on('outputDone', this.checkWindowSize.bind(this));
@@ -33,8 +32,7 @@ class Dashboard {
         console = new Console({
           events: self.events,
           plugins: self.plugins,
-          version: self.version,
-          contractsConfig: self.contractsConfig
+          version: self.version
         });
         callback();
       },
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 032287e1..1ed62bfc 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@ class Embark {
           logger: engine.logger,
           plugins: engine.plugins,
           version: self.version,
-          env: engine.env,
-          contractsConfig: engine.config.contractsConfig
+          env: engine.env
         });
         dashboard.start(function () {
           engine.logger.info(__('dashboard start'));
@@ -212,9 +211,6 @@ class Embark {
           return callback(null, true);
         }
         engine.logger.info("Finished deploying".underline);
-        if (!engine.config.assetFiles || !Object.keys(engine.config.assetFiles).length) {
-          return callback();
-        }
         engine.events.on('outputDone', (err) => {
           engine.logger.info(__("finished building").underline);
           callback(err, true);
@@ -226,6 +222,7 @@ class Embark {
         engine.logger.debug(err.stack);
       }
 
+      // TODO: this should be moved out and determined somewhere else
       if (canExit || !engine.config.contractsConfig.afterDeploy || !engine.config.contractsConfig.afterDeploy.length) {
         process.exit();
       }
diff --git a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
index 7d7a0e54..16d37f6a 100644
--- a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const ProcessLauncher = require('../process/processLauncher');
 const utils = require('../utils/utils.js');
 const constants = require('../constants');
 
-
 require("babel-preset-react");
 require("babel-preset-es2015");
 require("babel-preset-es2016");
@@ -27,6 +26,10 @@ class Pipeline {
     const importsList = {};
     let placeholderPage;
 
+    if (!this.assetFiles || !Object.keys(this.assetFiles).length) {
+      return callback();
+    }
+
     async.waterfall([
       function createPlaceholderPage(next){
         self.events.request('embark-building-placeholder', (html) => {