diff --git a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
index e01b8632..0293b97c 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ DeployManager.prototype.deployContracts = function(done) {
       if (err) {
         return callback(new Error(err));
       }
-      var selectedAccount = self.config.blockchainConfig.account.address;
+      var accountConfig = self.config.blockchainConfig.account;
+      var selectedAccount = accountConfig && accountConfig.address;
       web3.eth.defaultAccount = (selectedAccount || accounts[0]);
       callback(null, contractsManager, web3);
     });
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 41b44e88..582f615b 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ Engine.prototype.startService = function(serviceName, _options) {
     throw new Error("unknown service: " + serviceName);
   }
 
-  this.logger.trace("calling: " + serviceName + "(" + JSON.stringify(options) + ")");
+  // need to be careful with circular references due to passing the web3 object
+  //this.logger.trace("calling: " + serviceName + "(" + JSON.stringify(options) + ")");
   return service.apply(this, [options]);
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/core/test.js b/lib/core/test.js
index 71855931..ac1b5e37 100644
--- a/lib/core/test.js
+++ b/lib/core/test.js
@@ -74,13 +74,20 @@ Test.prototype.deployAll = function(contractsConfig, cb) {
         self.engine.events.on('abi-contracts-vanila', function(vanillaABI) {
           callback(null, vanillaABI);
         });
-        self.engine.deployManager.deployContracts(function() {
+        self.engine.deployManager.deployContracts(function(err, result) {
+          if (err) {
+            console.log(err);
+            callback(err);
+          }
         });
       }
   ], function(err, result) {
     if (err) {
-      throw new Error(err);
+      console.log("got error");
+      process.exit();
     }
+    // this should be part of the waterfall and not just something done at the
+    // end
     self.web3.eth.getAccounts(function(err, accounts) { 
       if (err) {
         throw new Error(err);