diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index efef0f3a..c167b5f8 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class Engine {
       compiler.compile_contracts(contractFiles, cb);
     });
 
-    this.registerModule('solidity');
+    this.registerModule('solidity', {useIpc: options.useIpc});
     this.registerModule('vyper');
     this.registerModule('profiler');
     this.registerModule('deploytracker');
diff --git a/lib/modules/solidity/index.js b/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
index c0d77188..3bfc7583 100644
--- a/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ let SolcW = require('./solcW.js');
 
 class Solidity {
 
-  constructor(embark, _options) {
+  constructor(embark, options) {
     this.logger = embark.logger;
     this.events = embark.events;
     this.contractDirectories = embark.config.contractDirectories;
     this.solcAlreadyLoaded = false;
     this.solcW = null;
+    this.useIpc = options.useIpc;
 
     embark.registerCompiler(".sol", this.compile_solidity.bind(this));
   }
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class Solidity {
         if (self.solcAlreadyLoaded) {
           return callback();
         }
-        self.solcW = new SolcW({logger: self.logger, events: self.events});
+        self.solcW = new SolcW({logger: self.logger, events: self.events, useIpc: self.useIpc});
 
         self.logger.info(__("loading solc compiler") + "..");
         self.solcW.load_compiler(function (err) {
diff --git a/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js b/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
index f13d2490..95ca8f5c 100644
--- a/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
+++ b/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
@@ -3,18 +3,37 @@ let fs = require('../../core/fs.js');
 let currentSolcVersion = require('../../../package.json').dependencies.solc;
 const ProcessLauncher = require('../../process/processLauncher');
 const uuid = require('uuid/v1');
+let ipc = require('node-ipc')
+let socketPath = "/tmp/embark.sock"
 
 class SolcW {
 
   constructor(options) {
     this.logger = options.logger;
     this.events = options.events;
+    this.useIpc = options.useIpc;
     this.compilerLoaded = false;
     this.solcProcess = null;
   }
 
   load_compiler(done) {
     const self = this;
+    if (self.useIpc) {
+      // try to connect, if it can't then continue
+      self.compilerLoaded = true;
+
+      ipc.config.silent = true;
+
+      function connecting(socket) {
+        ipc.of['embark'].on('connect',function() {
+          done();
+        });
+      }
+
+      ipc.connectTo('embark', socketPath, connecting);
+
+      return;
+    }
     if (this.compilerLoaded) {
       return done();
     }
@@ -30,6 +49,23 @@ class SolcW {
       done();
     });
 
+    ipc.config.silent = true;
+
+    function _connecting() {
+      ipc.server.on(
+        'message',
+        function(data, socket) {
+           self.compile(data.message, (result) => {
+             ipc.server.emit(socket, 'message', {action: 'compilation', message: result});
+           });
+        }
+      );
+    }
+
+    ipc.serve(socketPath, _connecting)
+    ipc.server.start()
+    this.logger.info(`pid ${process.pid} listening on ${socketPath}`);
+
     this.events.request("version:get:solc", function(solcVersion) {
       if (solcVersion === currentSolcVersion) {
         self.solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', requirePath: 'solc'});
@@ -51,6 +87,18 @@ class SolcW {
 
   compile(jsonObj,  done) {
     const id = uuid();
+    let a = new Date();
+    console.dir("doing compile");
+
+    if (this.useIpc) {
+      ipc.of['embark'].once('message', function(msg) {
+        done(msg.message);
+      });
+
+      ipc.of['embark'].emit('message', {action: 'compile', message: jsonObj});
+      return;
+    }
+
     this.solcProcess.once('result', 'compilation-' + id, (msg) => {
       done(JSON.parse(msg.output));
     });
diff --git a/lib/tests/test.js b/lib/tests/test.js
index a935327f..d75cddce 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test.js
+++ b/lib/tests/test.js
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ class Test {
       web3: this.web3
     });
     this.engine.startService("deployment", {
-      trackContracts: false
+      trackContracts: false,
+      useIpc: true
     });
     this.engine.startService("codeGenerator");
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6d013652..cd660c0a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
     "ipfs-api": "17.2.4",
     "live-plugin-manager": "https://github.com/iurimatias/live-plugin-manager.git",
     "merge": "^1.2.0",
+    "node-ipc": "^9.1.1",
     "os-locale": "^2.1.0",
     "p-iteration": "^1.1.7",
     "parse-json": "^4.0.0",
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/storage.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/storage.json
index 2209629d..51677b6c 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/config/storage.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/config/storage.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "enabled": true,
     "ipfs_bin": "ipfs",
 
-    "available_providers": ["ipfs", "swarm"],
+    "available_providers": ["ipfs"],
 
     "upload": {
       "provider": "ipfs",
@@ -18,13 +18,6 @@
     ]
   },
   "development": {
-    "enabled": true,
-    "upload": {
-      "provider": "swarm",
-      "host": "localhost",
-      "port": 8500,
-      "getUrl": "http://localhost:8500/bzzr:/"
-    }
   },
   "livenet": {
     "enabled": true,