diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 6d7af0fb..9b1795c3 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class Engine {
 
     this.servicesMonitor = new ServicesMonitor({events: this.events, logger: this.logger});
     this.servicesMonitor.addCheck('embarkVersion', function (cb) {
-      return cb({name: 'Embark ' + self.version, status: 'green'});
+      return cb({name: 'Embark ' + self.version, status: 'on'});
     }, 0);
   }
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class Engine {
 
     self.servicesMonitor.addCheck('Webserver', function (cb) {
       let devServer = 'Webserver (http://' + host + ':' + port + ')';
-      return cb({name: devServer, status: 'green'});
+      return cb({name: devServer, status: 'on'});
     });
 
     server.start(function () {
@@ -190,24 +190,24 @@ class Engine {
               try {
                 let parsed = JSON.parse(body);
                 if (parsed.Version) {
-                  return cb({name: ("IPFS " + parsed.Version), status: 'green'});
+                  return cb({name: ("IPFS " + parsed.Version), status: 'on'});
                 }
                 else {
-                  return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'green'});
+                  return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'on'});
                 }
               }
               catch (e) {
-                return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'red'});
+                return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'off'});
               }
             });
             res.on('error', function (err) {
               self.logger.trace("Check IPFS version error: " + err);
-              return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'red'});
+              return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'off'});
             });
           });
         }
         else {
-          return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'red'});
+          return cb({name: "IPFS ", status: 'off'});
         }
       });
     });
@@ -226,19 +226,19 @@ class Engine {
       if (self.web3.isConnected()) {
         return cb({
           name: (self.web3.version.node.split("/")[0] + " " + self.web3.version.node.split("/")[1].split("-")[0] + " (Ethereum)"),
-          status: 'green'
+          status: 'on'
         });
       } else {
-        return cb({name: "No Blockchain node found", status: 'red'});
+        return cb({name: "No Blockchain node found", status: 'off'});
       }
     });
 
     self.servicesMonitor.addCheck('Whisper', function (cb) {
       self.web3.version.getWhisper(function (err, res) {
         if (err) {
-          return cb({name: 'Whisper', status: 'red'});
+          return cb({name: 'Whisper', status: 'off'});
         } else {
-          return cb({name: 'Whisper', status: 'green'});
+          return cb({name: 'Whisper', status: 'on'});
         }
       });
     });
diff --git a/lib/core/services_monitor.js b/lib/core/services_monitor.js
index a8ab2723..e0abfb1a 100644
--- a/lib/core/services_monitor.js
+++ b/lib/core/services_monitor.js
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 let async = require('../utils/async_extend.js');
 
-// TODO: need to separate colors from states
-// i.e use status: /on|off|warn/ not /red|green/
-// it's up to the logger or console to determine the color
 class ServicesMonitor {
   constructor(options) {
     this.events = options.events;
@@ -23,14 +20,13 @@ ServicesMonitor.prototype.initCheck = function (checkName) {
   }
 
   self.events.on('check:' + checkName, function (obj) {
-    // TODO: see todo above
-    if (check && check.status === 'red' && obj.status === 'green') {
+    if (check && check.status === 'off' && obj.status === 'on') {
       self.events.emit('check:backOnline:' + checkName);
     }
-    if (check && check.status === 'green' && obj.status === 'red') {
+    if (check && check.status === 'on' && obj.status === 'off') {
       self.events.emit('check:wentOffline:' + checkName);
     }
-    self.checkState[checkName] = obj.name[obj.status];
+    self.checkState[checkName] = {name: obj.name, status: obj.status};
     check.status = obj.status;
     self.events.emit("servicesState", self.checkState);
   });
diff --git a/lib/dashboard/monitor.js b/lib/dashboard/monitor.js
index 15fa5698..0e0f1e5e 100644
--- a/lib/dashboard/monitor.js
+++ b/lib/dashboard/monitor.js
@@ -43,9 +43,16 @@ class Dashboard {
 
   availableServices(_services) {
     let services = [];
-    let checkName;
-    for (checkName in _services) {
-      services.push(_services[checkName]);
+    let check;
+    for (check in _services) {
+      let checkObj = _services[check];
+      if (checkObj.status === 'on') {
+        services.push(checkObj.name.green);
+      } else if (checkObj.status === 'off') {
+        services.push(checkObj.name.red);
+      } else {
+        services.push(checkObj.name);
+      }
     }
 
     this.progress.setContent(services.join('\n'));
diff --git a/test_app/extensions/embark-service/index.js b/test_app/extensions/embark-service/index.js
index 27f58c84..1108dacb 100644
--- a/test_app/extensions/embark-service/index.js
+++ b/test_app/extensions/embark-service/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 module.exports = function(embark) {
   embark.registerServiceCheck('PluginService', function(cb) {
-    cb({name: "ServiceName", status: "green"});
+    cb({name: "ServiceName", status: "on"});
   });
 };