diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index ad4f4d5b..3db31a9a 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -95,7 +95,18 @@ Config.prototype.loadContractsConfigFile = function() {
 
 
 Config.prototype.loadStorageConfigFile = function() {
-  var configObject = {};
+  var configObject = {
+    "default": {
+      "enabled": true,
+      "available_providers": ["ipfs"],
+      "ipfs_bin": "ipfs",
+      "provider": "ipfs",
+      "host": "localhost",
+      "port": 5001
+    },
+    "development": {
+    }
+  };
 
   //var configPlugins = this.plugins.getPluginsFor('storageConfig');
   //if (configPlugins.length > 0) {
@@ -106,8 +117,12 @@ Config.prototype.loadStorageConfigFile = function() {
   //  });
   //}
 
-  var storageConfig = fs.readJSONSync(this.configDir + "storage.json");
-  configObject = utils.recursiveMerge(configObject, storageConfig);
+  var storageConfig;
+  if (fs.existsSync(this.configDir + "storage.json")) {
+    storageConfig = fs.readJSONSync(this.configDir + "storage.json");
+    configObject = utils.recursiveMerge(configObject, storageConfig);
+  }
+
   var defaultStorageConfig = configObject['default'];
   var envStorageConfig = configObject[this.env];
 
@@ -123,7 +138,13 @@ Config.prototype.loadStorageConfigFile = function() {
 };
 
 Config.prototype.loadCommunicationConfigFile = function() {
-  var configObject = {};
+  var configObject = {
+    "default": {
+      "enabled": true,
+      "provider": "whisper",
+      "available_providers": ["whisper", "orbit"]
+    }
+  };
 
   //var configPlugins = this.plugins.getPluginsFor('communicationConfig');
   //if (configPlugins.length > 0) {
@@ -134,14 +155,20 @@ Config.prototype.loadCommunicationConfigFile = function() {
   //  });
   //}
 
-  var communicationConfig = fs.readJSONSync(this.configDir + "communication.json");
-  configObject = utils.recursiveMerge(configObject, communicationConfig);
+  var communicationConfig;
+
+  if (fs.existsSync(this.configDir + "communication.json")) {
+    communicationConfig = fs.readJSONSync(this.configDir + "communication.json");
+    configObject = utils.recursiveMerge(configObject, communicationConfig);
+  }
+
   var defaultCommunicationConfig = configObject['default'];
   var envCommunicationConfig = configObject[this.env];
 
   var mergedConfig = utils.recursiveMerge(defaultCommunicationConfig, envCommunicationConfig);
   this.communicationConfig = mergedConfig || {};
 
+  // TODO: probably not necessary if the default object is done right
   if (this.communicationConfig.enabled === undefined) {
     this.communicationConfig.enabled = true;
   }
@@ -151,7 +178,12 @@ Config.prototype.loadCommunicationConfigFile = function() {
 };
 
 Config.prototype.loadWebServerConfigFile = function() {
-  var webServerConfigJSON = fs.readJSONSync(this.configDir + "webserver.json");
+  var webServerConfigJSON;
+  if (fs.existsSync(this.configDir + "webserver.json")) {
+    webServerConfigJSON = fs.readJSONSync(this.configDir + "webserver.json");
+  } else {
+    webServerConfigJSON = {};
+  }
   var defaultWebConfig = {
     "enabled": true,
     "host": "localhost",