diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index 2399d2e1..a0c33099 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -105,10 +105,6 @@ class Cmd {
         _options.logLevel = _options.loglevel; // fix casing
         _options.onlyCompile = _options.contracts;
         _options.client = _options.client || 'geth';
-        embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
-          embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
-          interceptLogs: false
-        });
         embark.build(_options);
       });
   }
@@ -128,10 +124,6 @@ class Cmd {
       .description(__('run dapp (default: %s)', 'development'))
       .action(function (env, options) {
         i18n.setOrDetectLocale(options.locale);
-        embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
-          embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
-          interceptLogs: false
-        });
         embark.run({
           env: env || 'development',
           serverPort: options.port,
@@ -221,10 +213,6 @@ class Cmd {
         _options.logFile = _options.logfile; // fix casing
         _options.logLevel = _options.loglevel; // fix casing
         _options.client = _options.client || 'geth';
-        embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
-          embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
-          interceptLogs: false
-        });
         embark.upload(_options);
       });
   }
@@ -239,10 +227,6 @@ class Cmd {
       .description(__('generates documentation based on the smart contracts configured'))
       .action(function (env, options) {
         i18n.setOrDetectLocale(options.locale);
-        embark.initConfig(env || 'development', {
-          embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
-          interceptLogs: false
-        });
         embark.graph({
           env: env || 'development',
           logFile: options.logfile,
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
index 50e7ac49..bc51f2c4 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
@@ -301,7 +301,8 @@ Blockchain.prototype.initChainAndGetAddress = function(callback) {
   });
 };
 
-var BlockchainClient = function(blockchainConfig, client, env, isDev, onReadyCallback, onExitCallback) {
+var BlockchainClient = function(blockchainConfig, client, env, onReadyCallback, onExitCallback) {
+  const isDev = blockchainConfig.isDev || blockchainConfig.default;
   // TODO add other clients at some point
   if (client === 'geth') {
     return new Blockchain({blockchainConfig, client: GethCommands, env, isDev, onReadyCallback, onExitCallback});
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchainProcess.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchainProcess.js
index 01317421..abd879d4 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchainProcess.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchainProcess.js
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ class BlockchainProcess extends ProcessWrapper {
       this.blockchainConfig,
       this.client,
       this.env,
-      this.isDev,
       this.blockchainReady.bind(this),
       this.blockchainExit.bind(this)
     );
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index b95f58f9..86c970e3 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ const IPC = require('./ipc');
 class Engine {
   constructor(options) {
     this.env = options.env;
-    this.isDev = options.isDev;
     this.client = options.client;
     this.locale = options.locale;
     this.embarkConfig = options.embarkConfig;
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ class Engine {
     this.config = new Config({env: this.env, logger: this.logger, events: this.events, context: this.context});
     this.config.loadConfigFiles({embarkConfig: this.embarkConfig, interceptLogs: this.interceptLogs});
     this.plugins = this.config.plugins;
+    this.isDev = this.config && this.config.blockchainConfig && (this.config.blockchainConfig.isDev || this.config.blockchainConfig.default);
 
     if (this.interceptLogs || this.interceptLogs === undefined) {
       this.doInterceptLogs();
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index b1e291d3..f0f80d4d 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ class Embark {
     this.plugins = this.config.plugins;
   }
 
-  isDev() {
-    return this.config && this.config.blockchainConfig && (this.config.blockchainConfig.isDev || this.config.blockchainConfig.default);
-  }
-
   blockchain(env, client) {
     this.context = [constants.contexts.blockchain];
     return require('./cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js')(this.config.blockchainConfig, client, env, this.isDev(env), () => {}).run();
@@ -70,7 +66,6 @@ class Embark {
       env: options.env,
       client: options.client,
       locale: options.locale,
-      isDev: this.isDev(),
       version: this.version,
       embarkConfig: options.embarkConfig || 'embark.json',
       logFile: options.logFile,
@@ -165,7 +160,6 @@ class Embark {
       env: options.env,
       client: options.client,
       locale: options.locale,
-      isDev: this.isDev(),
       version: this.version,
       embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
       interceptLogs: false,
@@ -235,7 +229,6 @@ class Embark {
     const Engine = require('./core/engine.js');
     const engine = new Engine({
       env: options.env,
-      isDev: this.isDev(),
       version: this.version,
       embarkConfig: options.embarkConfig || 'embark.json',
       logFile: options.logFile,
@@ -290,7 +283,6 @@ class Embark {
       env: options.env,
       client: options.client,
       locale: options.locale,
-      isDev: this.isDev(),
       version: this.version,
       embarkConfig: 'embark.json',
       interceptLogs: false,