diff --git a/lib/blockchain.js b/lib/blockchain.js
index fd07fd5d..5bb67191 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ var wrench = require('wrench');
 var colors = require('colors');
 var GethCommands = require('./geth_commands.js');
 var utils = require('./utils.js');
+var shelljs = require('shelljs');
 
 var Blockchain = function(blockchainConfig, Client) {
   this.blockchainConfig = blockchainConfig;
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ var Blockchain = function(blockchainConfig, Client) {
 
 Blockchain.prototype.runCommand = function(cmd) {
   console.log(("running: " + cmd.underline).green);
-  return exec(cmd);
+  return shelljs.exec(cmd);
 };
 
 Blockchain.prototype.run = function() {
diff --git a/lib/cmd.js b/lib/cmd.js
index e175baea..9ab1050b 100644
--- a/lib/cmd.js
+++ b/lib/cmd.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var program = require('commander');
 var colors = require('colors');
+var shelljs = require('shelljs');
 
 var Cmd = function(Embark) {
   this.Embark = Embark;
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ Cmd.prototype.newApp = function() {
       console.log("please specify your app Name".red);
       console.log("e.g embark new MyApp".green);
       console.log("e.g embark new --help for more information".green);
-      exit();
+      process.exit(code);
     }
     self.Embark.generateTemplate('boilerplate', './', name);
   });
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ Cmd.prototype.test = function() {
   .command('test')
   .description('run tests')
   .action(function() {
-    exec('mocha test/ --no-timeouts');
+    shelljs.exec('mocha test/ --no-timeouts');
   });
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/console.js b/lib/console.js
index c9cd02bd..973950a3 100644
--- a/lib/console.js
+++ b/lib/console.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var Web3 = require('web3');
+var utils = require('./utils.js');
 
 var Console = function(options) {
   this.plugins = options.plugins;
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ Console.prototype.executeCmd = function(cmd, callback) {
     ];
     return callback(helpText.join('\n'));
   } else if (cmd === 'quit') {
-    exit();
+    utils.exit();
   }
 
   try {
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index a07364b4..827c112d 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -216,7 +216,10 @@ var Embark = {
         if (!web3.isConnected()) {
           console.log(("Couldn't connect to " + web3Endpoint.underline + " are you sure it's on?").red);
           console.log("make sure you have an ethereum node or simulator running. e.g 'embark blockchain'".magenta);
-          exit();
+          //  ===================================
+          // TODO: should throw exception instead
+          //  ===================================
+          process.exit();
         }
 
         web3.eth.getAccounts(function(err, accounts) {
diff --git a/lib/ipfs.js b/lib/ipfs.js
index 3beecc5d..09da3cf4 100644
--- a/lib/ipfs.js
+++ b/lib/ipfs.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var colors = require('colors');
 var async = require('async');
+var shelljs = require('shelljs');
 
 var IPFS = function(options) {
   this.options = options;
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ IPFS.prototype.deploy = function() {
   var self = this;
   async.waterfall([
     function findBinary(callback) {
-      var ipfs_bin = exec('which ' + self.configIpfsBin).output.split("\n")[0];
+      var ipfs_bin = shelljs.exec('which ' + self.configIpfsBin).output.split("\n")[0];
 
       if (ipfs_bin === 'ipfs not found' || ipfs_bin === ''){
         console.log(('=== WARNING: ' + self.configIpfsBin + ' not found or not in the path. Guessing ~/go/bin/ipfs for path').yellow);
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ IPFS.prototype.deploy = function() {
       var cmd = ipfs_bin + " add -r " + self.buildDir;
       console.log(("=== adding " + self.buildDir + " to ipfs").green);
       console.log(cmd.green);
-      var result = exec(cmd);
+      var result = shelljs.exec(cmd);
 
       return callback(null, result);
     },
diff --git a/lib/simulator.js b/lib/simulator.js
index daf10bfc..47554c12 100644
--- a/lib/simulator.js
+++ b/lib/simulator.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var shelljs = require('shelljs');
 
 var Simulator = function(options) {
   this.blockchainConfig = options.blockchainConfig;
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ Simulator.prototype.run = function(options) {
   cmds.push("-h " + (this.blockchainConfig.rpcHost || options.host || 'localhost'));
   cmds.push("-a " + (options.num || 10));
 
-  exec('testrpc ' + cmds.join(' '));
+  shelljs.exec('testrpc ' + cmds.join(' '));
 };
 
 module.exports = Simulator;
diff --git a/lib/swarm.js b/lib/swarm.js
index 1ebb36bb..667e0e6c 100644
--- a/lib/swarm.js
+++ b/lib/swarm.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var colors = require('colors');
 var async = require('async');
+var shelljs = require('shelljs');
 
 var Swarm = function(options) {
   this.options = options;
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ Swarm.prototype.deploy = function() {
   var self = this;
   async.waterfall([
     function findBinary(callback) {
-      var swarm_bin = exec('which swarm').output.split("\n")[0];
+      var swarm_bin = shelljs.exec('which swarm').output.split("\n")[0];
 
       if (swarm_bin==='swarm not found' || swarm_bin === ''){
         console.log('=== WARNING: Swarm not in an executable path. Guessing ~/go/bin/swarm for path'.yellow);
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ Swarm.prototype.deploy = function() {
       var cmd = swarm_bin + " --defaultpath " + self.buildDir + "index.html --recursive up " + self.buildDir;
       console.log(("=== adding " + self.buildDir + " to swarm").green);
       console.log(cmd.green);
-      var result = exec(cmd);
+      var result = shelljs.exec(cmd);
 
       return callback(null, result);
     },
diff --git a/lib/template_generator.js b/lib/template_generator.js
index 3c35ddeb..8e4448ed 100644
--- a/lib/template_generator.js
+++ b/lib/template_generator.js
@@ -1,20 +1,7 @@
 // TODO: replace with something else more native to node
-require('shelljs/global');
 var wrench = require('wrench');
 var utils = require('./utils.js');
 
-var run = function(cmd) {
-  var result = exec(cmd, {silent: true});
-  if (result.code !== 0) {
-    console.log("error doing.. " + cmd);
-    console.log(result.output);
-    if (result.stderr !== undefined) {
-      console.log(result.stderr);
-    }
-    exit();
-  }
-};
-
 var TemplateGenerator = function(templateName) {
   this.templateName = templateName;
 };
@@ -24,10 +11,10 @@ TemplateGenerator.prototype.generate = function(destinationFolder, name) {
   console.log('Initializing Embark Template....'.green);
 
   wrench.copyDirSyncRecursive(templatePath, destinationFolder + name);
-  cd(destinationFolder + name);
+  utils.cd(destinationFolder + name);
 
   console.log('Installing packages.. this can take a few seconds'.green);
-  run('npm install');
+  utils.runCmd('npm install');
   console.log('Init complete'.green);
   console.log('\nApp ready at '.green + destinationFolder + name);
 
diff --git a/lib/test.js b/lib/test.js
index 1538c4ab..9728b7b1 100644
--- a/lib/test.js
+++ b/lib/test.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ var Test = function(_options) {
       console.log('Simulator not found; Please install it with "npm install ethereumjs-testrpc --save"');
       console.log('IMPORTANT: if you using a NodeJS version older than 6.9.1 then you need to install an older version of testrpc "npm install ethereumjs-testrpc@2.0 --save"');
       console.log('For more information see https://github.com/ethereumjs/testrpc');
-      exit();
+      // TODO: should throw exception instead
+      process.exit();
     } else {
       console.log("==============");
       console.log("Tried to load testrpc but an error occurred. This is a problem with testrpc");
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index df0e2162..f1b032dd 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+/*global exit */
 var path = require('path');
 var grunt = require('grunt');
 var merge = require('merge');
 var request = require('request');
+var shelljs = require('shelljs');
 
 function joinPath() {
   return path.join.apply(path.join, arguments);
@@ -25,11 +27,34 @@ function checkIsAvailable(url, callback) {
   });
 }
 
+function runCmd(cmd, options) {
+  var result = shelljs.exec(cmd, options || {silent: true});
+  if (result.code !== 0) {
+    console.log("error doing.. " + cmd);
+    console.log(result.output);
+    if (result.stderr !== undefined) {
+      console.log(result.stderr);
+    }
+    exit();
+  }
+}
+
+function cd(folder) {
+  shelljs.cd(folder);
+}
+
+function exit(code) {
+  process.exit(code);
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   joinPath: joinPath,
   filesMatchingPattern: filesMatchingPattern,
   fileMatchesPattern: fileMatchesPattern,
   recursiveMerge: recursiveMerge,
-  checkIsAvailable: checkIsAvailable
+  checkIsAvailable: checkIsAvailable,
+  runCmd: runCmd,
+  cd: cd,
+  exit: exit
 };