diff --git a/lib/contracts/code_generator.js b/lib/contracts/code_generator.js
index 964a54ff..9a02f519 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/code_generator.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/code_generator.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class CodeGenerator {
 
     // new events
     this.events.setCommandHandler('code-vanila', function(cb) {
-      self.events.request("contracts:list", (contractsList) => {
+      self.events.request("contracts:list", (_err, contractsList) => {
         let vanillaABI = self.generateABI(contractsList, {useEmbarkJS: false});
         let contractsJSON = self.generateContractsJSON(contractsList);
         cb(vanillaABI, contractsJSON);
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class CodeGenerator {
     });
 
     this.events.setCommandHandler('code', function(cb) {
-      self.events.request("contracts:list", (contractsList) => {
+      self.events.request("contracts:list", (_err, contractsList) => {
         let embarkJSABI = self.generateABI(contractsList, {useEmbarkJS: true});
         let contractsJSON = self.generateContractsJSON(contractsList);
         cb(embarkJSABI, contractsJSON);
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class CodeGenerator {
     });
 
     this.events.setCommandHandler('code-contracts-vanila', function(cb) {
-      self.events.request("contracts:list", (contractsList) => {
+      self.events.request("contracts:list", (_err, contractsList) => {
         let vanillaContractsABI = self.generateContracts(contractsList, false, true, false);
         let contractsJSON = self.generateContractsJSON(contractsList);
         cb(vanillaContractsABI, contractsJSON);
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class CodeGenerator {
     });
 
     this.events.setCommandHandler('code-vanila-deployment', function(cb) {
-      self.events.request("contracts:list", (contractsList) => {
+      self.events.request("contracts:list", (_err, contractsList) => {
         let vanillaABI = self.generateABI(contractsList, {useEmbarkJS: false, deployment: true});
         let contractsJSON = self.generateContractsJSON(contractsList);
         cb(vanillaABI, contractsJSON);
diff --git a/lib/contracts/contract_deployer.js b/lib/contracts/contract_deployer.js
index 7ffce6d9..546012c8 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/contract_deployer.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/contract_deployer.js
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ class ContractDeployer {
         });
       },
       function doLinking(next) {
-        self.events.request('contracts:list', (contracts) => {
+        self.events.request('contracts:list', (_err, contracts) => {
           for (let contractObj of contracts) {
             let filename = contractObj.filename;
             let deployedAddress = contractObj.deployedAddress;
diff --git a/lib/contracts/contracts.js b/lib/contracts/contracts.js
index 5c389723..b74b7f55 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/contracts.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/contracts.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class ContractsManager {
     this.gasLimit = options.gasLimit;
     this.deployOnlyOnConfig = false;
     this.events = options.events;
+    this.compileError = false;
 
     self.events.on(constants.events.contractFilesChanged, (newContractFiles) => {
       self.contractFiles = newContractFiles;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ class ContractsManager {
     });
 
     self.events.setCommandHandler('contracts:list', (cb) => {
-      cb(self.listContracts());
+      cb(self.compileError, self.listContracts());
     });
 
     self.events.setCommandHandler("contracts:contract", (contractName, cb) => {
@@ -36,8 +37,8 @@ class ContractsManager {
 
     self.events.setCommandHandler("contracts:build", (configOnly, cb) => {
       self.deployOnlyOnConfig = configOnly; // temporary, should refactor
-      self.build(() => {
-        cb();
+      self.build((err) => {
+        cb(err);
       });
     });
 
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ class ContractsManager {
     let self = this;
     async.waterfall([
       function compileContracts(callback) {
+        self.events.emit("status", __("Compiling..."));
         if (process.env.isTest && self.compiledContracts && Object.keys(self.compiledContracts).length) {
           // Only compile once for tests
           return callback();
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ class ContractsManager {
         });
       },
       function prepareContractsFromConfig(callback) {
+        self.events.emit("status", __("Building..."));
         let className, contract;
         for (className in self.contractsConfig.contracts) {
           contract = self.contractsConfig.contracts[className];
@@ -247,6 +250,8 @@ class ContractsManager {
       }
     ], function (err, _result) {
       if (err) {
+        self.compileError = true;
+        self.events.emit("status", __("Compile/Build error"));
         self.logger.error(__("Error Compiling/Building contracts: ") + err);
       }
       self.logger.trace("finished".underline);
diff --git a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
index 7f69e9e6..7f63a4d4 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/deploy_manager.js
@@ -22,10 +22,15 @@ class DeployManager {
 
   deployAll(done) {
     let self = this;
-    this.logger.info(__("deploying contracts"));
-    this.events.emit("deploy:beforeAll");
 
-    self.events.request('contracts:list', (contracts) => {
+    self.events.request('contracts:list', (err, contracts) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return done(err);
+      }
+
+      self.logger.info(__("deploying contracts"));
+      self.events.emit("deploy:beforeAll");
+
       async.eachOfSeries(contracts,
         function (contract, key, callback) {
           contract._gasLimit = self.gasLimit;
@@ -61,8 +66,8 @@ class DeployManager {
 
     async.waterfall([
       function buildContracts(callback) {
-        self.events.request("contracts:build", self.deployOnlyOnConfig, () => {
-          callback();
+        self.events.request("contracts:build", self.deployOnlyOnConfig, (err) => {
+          callback(err);
         });
       },
 
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index bc5410df..338ee7fc 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -121,11 +121,14 @@ class Embark {
         engine.startService("storage");
         engine.startService("codeGenerator");
         engine.startService("namingSystem");
-        
+
         engine.events.on('check:backOnline:Ethereum', function () {
           engine.logger.info(__('Ethereum node detected') + '..');
           engine.config.reloadConfig();
-          engine.events.request('deploy:contracts', function() {
+          engine.events.request('deploy:contracts', function(err) {
+            if (err) {
+              return;
+            }
             engine.logger.info(__('Deployment Done'));
           });
         });
diff --git a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
index db50770e..544e1d26 100644
--- a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Pipeline {
         next();
       },
       function writeContracts(next) {        
-        self.events.request('contracts:list', (contracts) => {
+        self.events.request('contracts:list', (_err, contracts) => {
           // ensure the .embark/contracts directory exists (create if not exists)
           fs.mkdirp(fs.dappPath(".embark/contracts", ''), (err) => {
             if(err) return next(err);
@@ -224,8 +224,8 @@ class Pipeline {
         });
       },
       function getContracts(next) {
-        self.events.request('contracts:list', (contracts) => {
-          next(null, contracts);
+        self.events.request('contracts:list', (err, contracts) => {
+          next(err, contracts);
         });
       },
       function writeContractsJSON(contracts, next) {