diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ae29a399..7acffc93 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -261,7 +261,6 @@ The environment is a specific blockchain configuration that can be managed at co
 
 See [Configuration](https://github.com/iurimatias/embark-framework/wiki/Configuration).
 
-
 Deploying only contracts
 ======
 Although embark run will automatically deploy contracts, you can choose to only deploy the contracts to a specific environment
diff --git a/lib/config/contracts.js b/lib/config/contracts.js
index ee962442..0e74e1d4 100644
--- a/lib/config/contracts.js
+++ b/lib/config/contracts.js
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@ ContractsConfig.prototype.compileContracts = function(env) {
       contract.types.push('static');
     }
 
+    contract.deploy = contractConfig.deploy;
+    if (contractConfig.deploy === undefined) {
+      contract.deploy = true;
+    }
+
     if (this.all_contracts.indexOf(className) < 0) {
       this.all_contracts.push(className);
     }
diff --git a/lib/deploy.js b/lib/deploy.js
index d00b0c7b..e65a3625 100644
--- a/lib/deploy.js
+++ b/lib/deploy.js
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ Deploy.prototype.deploy_contracts = function(env) {
     className = all_contracts[k];
     contract = this.contractDB[className];
 
+    if (contract.deploy === false) {
+      console.log("skipping " + className);
+      continue;
+    }
+
     var realArgs = [];
     for (var l = 0; l < contract.args.length; l++) {
       arg = contract.args[l];
diff --git a/test/deploy.js b/test/deploy.js
index 7e7fd6b2..e5c1fc46 100644
--- a/test/deploy.js
+++ b/test/deploy.js
@@ -110,12 +110,13 @@ describe('embark.deploy', function() {
       deploy.deploy_contracts("development");
 
       it("should deploy contracts", function() {
-        var all_contracts = ['SimpleStorage', 'BarStorage', 'FooStorage'];
+        var all_contracts = ['BarStorage', 'FooStorage'];
         for(var i=0; i < all_contracts.length; i++) {
           var className = all_contracts[i];
 
           assert.equal(deploy.deployedContracts.hasOwnProperty(className), true);
         }
+        assert.notEqual(deploy.deployedContracts.hasOwnProperty('SimpleStorage'), true);
       });
 
     });
diff --git a/test/support/instances.yml b/test/support/instances.yml
index 04e15644..04172a48 100644
--- a/test/support/instances.yml
+++ b/test/support/instances.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 development:
   SimpleStorage:
+    deploy: false
     args:
       - 100
   BarStorage: