diff --git a/lib/core/engine.js b/lib/core/engine.js
index efef0f3a..618323fb 100644
--- a/lib/core/engine.js
+++ b/lib/core/engine.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const async = require('async');
 
 const utils = require('../utils/utils');
+const IPC = require('./ipc');
 
 class Engine {
   constructor(options) {
@@ -182,7 +183,8 @@ class Engine {
       compiler.compile_contracts(contractFiles, cb);
     });
 
-    this.registerModule('solidity');
+    this.ipc = new IPC({logger: this.logger, ipcRole: options.ipcRole});
+    this.registerModule('solidity', {ipc: this.ipc});
     this.registerModule('vyper');
     this.registerModule('profiler');
     this.registerModule('deploytracker');
diff --git a/lib/core/ipc.js b/lib/core/ipc.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e84e88ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/core/ipc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+let fs = require('./fs.js');
+let ipc = require('node-ipc');
+
+class IPC {
+
+  constructor(options) {
+    this.logger = options.logger;
+    this.socketPath = options.socketPath || fs.dappPath(".embark/embark.ipc");
+    this.ipcRole = options.ipcRole || "server";
+    ipc.config.silent = true;
+    this.connected = false;
+  }
+
+  connect(done) {
+    const self = this;
+    function connecting(_socket) {
+      let connectedBefore = false, alreadyDisconnected = false;
+      ipc.of['embark'].on('connect',function() {
+        connectedBefore = true;
+        if (!alreadyDisconnected) {
+          self.connected = true;
+          done();
+        }
+      });
+      ipc.of['embark'].on('disconnect',function() {
+        self.connected = false;
+        ipc.disconnect('embark');
+
+        // we only want to trigger the error callback the first time
+        if (!connectedBefore && !alreadyDisconnected) {
+          alreadyDisconnected = true;
+          done(new Error("no connection found"));
+        }
+      });
+    }
+
+    ipc.connectTo('embark', this.socketPath, connecting);
+  }
+
+  serve() {
+    ipc.serve(this.socketPath, () => {});
+    ipc.server.start();
+
+    this.logger.info(`pid ${process.pid} listening on ${this.socketPath}`);
+  }
+
+  on(action, done) {
+    const self = this;
+    ipc.server.on('message', function(data, socket) {
+      if (data.action !== action) {
+        return;
+      }
+      let reply = function(replyData) {
+        self.reply(socket, 'compile', replyData);
+      };
+      done(data.message, reply, socket);
+    });
+  }
+
+  reply(client, action, data) {
+    ipc.server.emit(client, 'message', {action: action, message: data});
+  }
+
+  once(action, cb) {
+    ipc.of['embark'].once('message', function(msg) {
+      if (msg.action !== action) {
+        return;
+      }
+      cb(msg.message);
+    });
+  }
+
+  request(action, data, cb) {
+    if (cb) {
+      this.once(action, cb);
+    }
+    ipc.of['embark'].emit('message', {action: action, message: data});
+  }
+
+  isClient() {
+    return this.ipcRole === 'client';
+  }
+
+  isServer() {
+    return this.ipcRole === 'server';
+  }
+
+}
+
+module.exports = IPC;
diff --git a/lib/modules/solidity/index.js b/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
index c0d77188..f665144b 100644
--- a/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/solidity/index.js
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ let SolcW = require('./solcW.js');
 
 class Solidity {
 
-  constructor(embark, _options) {
+  constructor(embark, options) {
     this.logger = embark.logger;
     this.events = embark.events;
+    this.ipc = options.ipc;
     this.contractDirectories = embark.config.contractDirectories;
     this.solcAlreadyLoaded = false;
     this.solcW = null;
@@ -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, ipc: self.ipc});
 
         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..510ef98f 100644
--- a/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
+++ b/lib/modules/solidity/solcW.js
@@ -9,11 +9,27 @@ class SolcW {
   constructor(options) {
     this.logger = options.logger;
     this.events = options.events;
+    this.ipc = options.ipc;
     this.compilerLoaded = false;
     this.solcProcess = null;
   }
 
   load_compiler(done) {
+    const self = this;
+    if (!self.ipc.isClient()) {
+      return self.load_compiler_internally(done);
+    }
+
+    self.ipc.connect((err) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return self.load_compiler_internally(done);
+      }
+      self.compilerLoaded = true;
+      done();
+    });
+  }
+
+  load_compiler_internally(done) {
     const self = this;
     if (this.compilerLoaded) {
       return done();
@@ -30,6 +46,11 @@ class SolcW {
       done();
     });
 
+    if (this.ipc.isServer()) {
+      this.ipc.serve();
+      this.ipc.on('compile', self.compile.bind(this));
+    }
+
     this.events.request("version:get:solc", function(solcVersion) {
       if (solcVersion === currentSolcVersion) {
         self.solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', requirePath: 'solc'});
@@ -51,6 +72,11 @@ class SolcW {
 
   compile(jsonObj,  done) {
     const id = uuid();
+
+    if (this.ipc.isClient() && this.ipc.connected) {
+      return this.ipc.request('compile', jsonObj, done);
+    }
+
     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..eabb6812 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,
+      ipcRole: 'client'
     });
     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/compiler.js b/test/compiler.js
index 4bc48160..7f9a8649 100644
--- a/test/compiler.js
+++ b/test/compiler.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 let SolidityCompiler = require('../lib/modules/solidity');
 let TestLogger = require('../lib/tests/test_logger.js');
 let File = require('../lib/core/file.js');
+let Ipc = require('../lib/core/ipc.js');
 let assert = require('assert');
 
 let readFile = function(file) {
@@ -16,6 +17,10 @@ var TestEvents = {
   }
 };
 
+let ipcObject = new Ipc({
+  ipcRole: 'none'
+});
+
 var apiObject = {
   registerCompiler: function() {},
   logger: new TestLogger({}),
@@ -27,7 +32,7 @@ var apiObject = {
 
 describe('embark.Compiler', function() {
   //let compiler = new Compiler({logger: new TestLogger({})});
-  let compiler = new SolidityCompiler(apiObject);
+  let compiler = new SolidityCompiler(apiObject, {ipc: ipcObject});
 
   describe('#compile_solidity', function() {
     this.timeout(0);
diff --git a/test/contracts.js b/test/contracts.js
index b8452b80..9662fa8b 100644
--- a/test/contracts.js
+++ b/test/contracts.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ let Logger = require('../lib/core/logger.js');
 let File = require('../lib/core/file.js');
 let TestLogger = require('../lib/tests/test_logger.js');
 let Events = require('../lib/core/events');
+let Ipc = require('../lib/core/ipc.js');
 let assert = require('assert');
 
 //let SolidityCompiler = require('../lib/modules/solidity');
@@ -31,7 +32,10 @@ describe('embark.Contracts', function() {
         contractDirectories: ['app/contracts/']
       }
     });
-    plugins.loadInternalPlugin('solidity');
+    let ipcObject = new Ipc({
+      ipcRole: 'none'
+    });
+    plugins.loadInternalPlugin('solidity', {ipc: ipcObject});
 
     let compiler = new Compiler({plugins: plugins, logger: plugins.logger});
     let events = new Events();
@@ -123,7 +127,10 @@ describe('embark.Contracts', function() {
         contractDirectories: ['app/contracts/']
       }
     });
-    plugins.loadInternalPlugin('solidity');
+    let ipcObject = new Ipc({
+      ipcRole: 'none'
+    });
+    plugins.loadInternalPlugin('solidity', {ipc: ipcObject});
 
     let compiler = new Compiler({plugins: plugins, logger: plugins.logger});
     let events = new Events();