diff --git a/lib/modules/vyper/index.js b/lib/modules/vyper/index.js
index df805a2155..04bbd21062 100644
--- a/lib/modules/vyper/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/vyper/index.js
@@ -12,67 +12,66 @@ class Vyper {
     embark.registerCompiler(".py", this.compile_vyper.bind(this));
   }
 
+  static compileVyperContract(filename, compileABI, callback) {
+    const params = compileABI ?  '-f json ' : '';
+    shelljs.exec(`vyper ${params}${filename}`, {silent: true}, (code, stdout, stderr) => {
+      if (stderr) {
+        return callback(stderr);
+      }
+      if (code !== 0) {
+        return callback(`Vyper exited with error code ${code}`);
+      }
+      if (!stdout) {
+        return callback('Execution returned no result');
+      }
+      callback(null, stdout.replace(/\n/g, ''));
+    });
+  }
+
   compile_vyper(contractFiles, cb) {
     let self = this;
-    async.waterfall([
-      function compileContracts(callback) {
-        self.logger.info("compiling vyper contracts...");
-        const compiled_object = {};
-        async.each(contractFiles,
-          function (file, fileCb) {
-            const className = path.basename(file.filename).split('.')[0];
-            compiled_object[className] = {};
-            async.parallel([
-              function getByteCode(paraCb) {
-                shelljs.exec(`vyper ${file.filename}`, {silent: true}, (code, stdout, stderr) => {
-                  if (stderr) {
-                    return paraCb(stderr);
-                  }
-                  if (code !== 0) {
-                    return paraCb(`Vyper exited with error code ${code}`);
-                  }
-                  if (!stdout) {
-                    return paraCb('Execution returned no bytecode');
-                  }
-                  const byteCode = stdout.replace(/\n/g, '');
-                  compiled_object[className].runtimeBytecode = byteCode;
-                  compiled_object[className].realRuntimeBytecode = byteCode;
-                  compiled_object[className].code = byteCode;
-                  paraCb();
-                });
-              },
-              function getABI(paraCb) {
-                shelljs.exec(`vyper -f json ${file.filename}`, {silent: true}, (code, stdout, stderr) => {
-                  if (stderr) {
-                    return paraCb(stderr);
-                  }
-                  if (code !== 0) {
-                    return paraCb(`Vyper exited with error code ${code}`);
-                  }
-                  if (!stdout) {
-                    return paraCb('Execution returned no ABI');
-                  }
-                  let ABI = [];
-                  try {
-                    ABI = JSON.parse(stdout.replace(/\n/g, ''));
-                  } catch (e) {
-                    return paraCb('ABI is not valid JSON');
-                  }
-                  compiled_object[className].abiDefinition = ABI;
-                  paraCb();
-                });
+    if (!contractFiles || !contractFiles.length) {
+      return cb();
+    }
+    self.logger.info("compiling Vyper contracts...");
+    const compiled_object = {};
+    async.each(contractFiles,
+      function (file, fileCb) {
+        const className = path.basename(file.filename).split('.')[0];
+        compiled_object[className] = {};
+        async.parallel([
+          function getByteCode(paraCb) {
+            Vyper.compileVyperContract(file.filename, false, (err, byteCode) => {
+              if (err) {
+                return paraCb(err);
               }
-            ], fileCb);
+              compiled_object[className].runtimeBytecode = byteCode;
+              compiled_object[className].realRuntimeBytecode = byteCode;
+              compiled_object[className].code = byteCode;
+              paraCb();
+            });
           },
-          function (err) {
-            callback(err, compiled_object);
-          });
-      }
-    ], function (err, result) {
-      cb(err, result);
-    });
+          function getABI(paraCb) {
+            Vyper.compileVyperContract(file.filename, true, (err, ABIString) => {
+              if (err) {
+                return paraCb(err);
+              }
+              let ABI = [];
+              try {
+                ABI = JSON.parse(ABIString);
+              } catch (e) {
+                return paraCb('ABI is not valid JSON');
+              }
+              compiled_object[className].abiDefinition = ABI;
+              paraCb();
+            });
+          }
+        ], fileCb);
+      },
+      function (err) {
+        cb(err, compiled_object);
+      });
   }
-
 }
 
 module.exports = Vyper;