diff --git a/cmd/cmd_controller.js b/cmd/cmd_controller.js
index 6aeb514f..ba337313 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_controller.js
+++ b/cmd/cmd_controller.js
@@ -79,18 +79,20 @@ class EmbarkController {
       context: self.context,
       useDashboard: options.useDashboard,
       webServerConfig: webServerConfig,
-      webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName,
-      ipcRole: 'server'
+      webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName
     });
-    engine.init();
 
-    if (!options.useDashboard) {
-      engine.logger.info('========================'.bold.green);
-      engine.logger.info((__('Welcome to Embark') + ' ' + this.version).yellow.bold);
-      engine.logger.info('========================'.bold.green);
-    }
-
-    async.parallel([
+    async.waterfall([
+      function initEngine(callback) {
+        engine.init({}, () => {
+          if (!options.useDashboard) {
+            engine.logger.info('========================'.bold.green);
+            engine.logger.info((__('Welcome to Embark') + ' ' + engine.version).yellow.bold);
+            engine.logger.info('========================'.bold.green);
+          }
+          callback();
+        });
+      },
       function startDashboard(callback) {
         if (!options.useDashboard) {
           return callback();
@@ -182,9 +184,12 @@ class EmbarkController {
       context: this.context,
       webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName
     });
-    engine.init();
+
 
     async.waterfall([
+      function initEngine(callback) {
+        engine.init({}, callback);
+      },
       function startServices(callback) {
         let pluginList = engine.plugins.listPlugins();
         if (pluginList.length > 0) {
@@ -250,8 +255,11 @@ class EmbarkController {
       context: this.context,
       webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName
     });
-    engine.init();
+
     async.waterfall([
+      function initEngine(callback) {
+        engine.init({}, callback);
+      },
       function startServices(callback) {
         let pluginList = engine.plugins.listPlugins();
         if (pluginList.length > 0) {
@@ -350,9 +358,12 @@ class EmbarkController {
       logFile: options.logFile,
       context: this.context
     });
-    engine.init();
+
 
     async.waterfall([
+      function (callback) {
+        engine.init({}, callback);
+      },
       function (callback) {
         let pluginList = engine.plugins.listPlugins();
         if (pluginList.length > 0) {
@@ -436,12 +447,17 @@ class EmbarkController {
       context: this.context,
       webpackConfigName: options.webpackConfigName
     });
-    engine.init();
 
-    let platform = engine.config.storageConfig.upload.provider;
+
+    let platform;
 
     async.waterfall([
-
+      function initEngine(callback) {
+        engine.init({}, () => {
+          platform = engine.config.storageConfig.upload.provider;
+          callback();
+        });
+      },
       function startServices(callback) {
 
         engine.startService("processManager");
diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index 822ddf6d..7554d43f 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ class Engine {
     this.context = options.context;
     this.useDashboard = options.useDashboard;
     this.webServerConfig = options.webServerConfig;
-    this.ipcRole = options.ipcRole;
     this.webpackConfigName = options.webpackConfigName;
   }
 
-  init(_options) {
+  init(_options, callback) {
+    callback = callback || function() {};
     const Events = require('./events.js');
     const Logger = require('./logger.js');
     const Config = require('./config.js');
@@ -38,22 +38,13 @@ class Engine {
       utils.interceptLogs(console, this.logger);
     }
 
-    if (this.ipcRole) {
-      this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: this.ipcRole});
-
-      if(this.ipc.isServer()) {
-        this.ipc.serve();
-      }
-
-      return;
-    }
-
     this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: 'client'});
     this.ipc.connect((err) => {
       if(err) {
         this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: 'server'});
         this.ipc.serve();
       }
+      callback();
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/core/ipc.js b/lib/core/ipc.js
index 49b0c6a3..a046817c 100644
--- a/lib/core/ipc.js
+++ b/lib/core/ipc.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class IPC {
   constructor(options) {
     this.logger = options.logger;
     this.socketPath = options.socketPath || fs.dappPath(".embark/embark.ipc");
-    this.ipcRole = options.ipcRole || "server";
+    this.ipcRole = options.ipcRole;
     ipc.config.silent = true;
     this.connected = false;
   }
diff --git a/lib/tests/test.js b/lib/tests/test.js
index c9d621a3..8c61b15a 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test.js
+++ b/lib/tests/test.js
@@ -116,48 +116,52 @@ class Test {
   }
 
   init(callback) {
+    let self = this;
     this.engine = new Engine({
       env: this.options.env || 'test',
       // TODO: config will need to detect if this is a obj
       embarkConfig: this.options.embarkConfig || 'embark.json',
-      interceptLogs: false,
-      ipcRole: 'client'
+      interceptLogs: false
     });
+    async.waterfall([
+      function initEngine(cb) {
+        self.engine.init({
+          logger: new TestLogger({logLevel: self.options.loglevel})
+        }, cb);
+      },
+      function startServices(cb) {
+        self.versions_default = self.engine.config.contractsConfig.versions;
+        // Reset contract config to nothing to make sure we deploy only what we want
+        self.engine.config.contractsConfig = {
+          contracts: {},
+          versions: self.versions_default
+        };
 
-    this.engine.init({
-      logger: new TestLogger({logLevel: this.options.loglevel})
-    });
+        self.engine.startService("libraryManager");
+        self.engine.startService("codeRunner");
+        self.initDeployServices();
+        self.engine.startService("codeGenerator");
+        self.engine.startService("codeCoverage");
 
-    this.versions_default = this.engine.config.contractsConfig.versions;
-    // Reset contract config to nothing to make sure we deploy only what we want
-    this.engine.config.contractsConfig = {
-      contracts: {},
-      versions: this.versions_default
-    };
-
-    this.engine.startService("libraryManager");
-    this.engine.startService("codeRunner");
-    this.initDeployServices();
-    this.engine.startService("codeGenerator");
-    this.engine.startService("codeCoverage");
-
-    if (this.options.node === 'embark') {
-      return this.engine.ipc.connect((err) => {
-        if (err) {
-          this.engine.logger.error(err.message || err);
-          this.engine.logger.error("Could not connect to Embark's IPC. Is embark running?");
-          process.exit(1);
+        if (self.options.node === 'embark') {
+          return self.engine.ipc.connect((err) => {
+            if (err) {
+              this.engine.logger.error(err.message || err);
+              this.engine.logger.error("Could not connect to Embark's IPC. Is embark running?");
+              process.exit(1);
+            }
+            self.engine.ipc.request('blockchain:node', {}, (err, node) => {
+              if (err) {
+                return self.engine.logger.error(err.message || err);
+              }
+              self.options.node = node;
+              cb();
+            });
+          });
         }
-        this.engine.ipc.request('blockchain:node', {}, (err, node) => {
-          if (err) {
-            return this.engine.logger.error(err.message || err);
-          }
-          this.options.node = node;
-          callback();
-        });
-      });
-    }
-    callback();
+        cb();
+      }
+    ], callback);
   }
 
   onReady(callback) {