diff --git a/start_ocean.sh b/start_ocean.sh
index 0dda182..4940eb3 100755
--- a/start_ocean.sh
+++ b/start_ocean.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ export KEEPER_VERSION=${KEEPER_VERSION:-v0.12.7}
 export FAUCET_VERSION=${FAUCET_VERSION:-v0.3.2}
 export COMMONS_SERVER_VERSION=${COMMONS_SERVER_VERSION:-v1.3.1}
 export COMMONS_CLIENT_VERSION=${COMMONS_CLIENT_VERSION:-v1.3.1}
-
 export PARITY_IMAGE="parity/parity:v2.5.7-stable"
 
 export PROJECT_NAME="ocean"
@@ -44,6 +43,7 @@ export OCEAN_HOME="${HOME}/.ocean"
 # keeper options
 export KEEPER_OWNER_ROLE_ADDRESS="${KEEPER_OWNER_ROLE_ADDRESS}"
 export KEEPER_DEPLOY_CONTRACTS="true"
+echo asdfasdfasdf
 export KEEPER_ARTIFACTS_FOLDER="${OCEAN_HOME}/keeper-contracts/artifacts"
 # Specify which ethereum client to run or connect to: development, spree or nile
 export KEEPER_NETWORK_NAME="spree"
@@ -235,6 +235,10 @@ DOCKER_COMPOSE_EXTRA_OPTS="${DOCKER_COMPOSE_EXTRA_OPTS:-}"
 
 while :; do
     case $1 in
+        --no-deployment)
+	    export KEEPER_DEPLOY_CONTRACTS="false"
+            printf $COLOR_Y'Keeping existing contracts...\n\n'$COLOR_RESET
+	    ;;
         --exposeip)
 	   ;;
         #################################################
@@ -348,7 +352,6 @@ while :; do
             COMPOSE_FILES="${COMPOSE_FILES/ -f ${COMPOSE_DIR}\/secret_store_signing_node.yml/}"
             export KEEPER_MNEMONIC=''
             export KEEPER_NETWORK_NAME="development"
-            export KEEPER_DEPLOY_CONTRACTS="true"
             printf $COLOR_Y'Starting with local Ganache node...\n\n'$COLOR_RESET
             printf $COLOR_Y'Starting without Secret Store...\n\n'$COLOR_RESET
             printf $COLOR_Y'Starting without Secret Store signing node...\n\n'$COLOR_RESET
@@ -390,7 +393,6 @@ while :; do
             # use this seed only on spree!
             export KEEPER_MNEMONIC="taxi music thumb unique chat sand crew more leg another off lamp"
             export KEEPER_NETWORK_NAME="spree"
-            export KEEPER_DEPLOY_CONTRACTS="true"
             printf $COLOR_Y'Starting with local Spree node...\n\n'$COLOR_RESET
             ;;
         #################################################