diff --git a/src/app/tabs/run-tab.js b/src/app/tabs/run-tab.js
index 8e4fa9d51e..48999f914e 100644
--- a/src/app/tabs/run-tab.js
+++ b/src/app/tabs/run-tab.js
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ var executionContext = require('../../execution-context')
 var Card = require('../ui/card')
 var css = require('./styles/run-tab-styles')
 
+var Settings = require('./runTab/model/settings.js')
 var SettingsUI = require('./runTab/settings.js')
+
 var ContractDropdownUI = require('./runTab/contractDropdown.js')
 
 var Recorder = require('./runTab/model/recorder.js')
@@ -126,7 +128,21 @@ function runTab (opts, localRegistry) {
       status.appendChild(self._view.collapsedView)
     }
   })
-  var settingsUI = new SettingsUI(container, self)
+
+  var settings = new Settings(self._deps.udapp)
+  var settingsUI = new SettingsUI(settings)
+
+  self.event.register('clearInstance', () => {
+    var instanceContainer = self._view.instanceContainer
+    var instanceContainerTitle = self._view.instanceContainerTitle
+    instanceContainer.innerHTML = '' // clear the instances list
+    instanceContainer.appendChild(instanceContainerTitle)
+    instanceContainer.appendChild(self._view.noInstancesText)
+  })
+  settingsUI.event.register('clearInstance', () => {
+    this.event.trigger('clearInstance', [])
+  })
+
   var contractDropdownUI = new ContractDropdownUI(self)
   var el = yo`
   <div>
diff --git a/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js b/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5d961c077c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+var ethJSUtil = require('ethereumjs-util')
+var Personal = require('web3-eth-personal')
+var remixLib = require('remix-lib')
+var EventManager = remixLib.EventManager
+var executionContext = remixLib.execution.executionContext
+
+class Settings {
+
+  constructor (udapp) {
+    this.udapp = udapp
+    this.event = new EventManager()
+
+    this.udapp.event.register('transactionExecuted', (error, from, to, data, lookupOnly, txResult) => {
+      this.event.trigger('transactionExecuted', [error, from, to, data, lookupOnly, txResult])
+    })
+
+    executionContext.event.register('contextChanged', (context, silent) => {
+      this.event.trigger('contextChanged', [context, silent])
+    })
+
+    executionContext.event.register('addProvider', (network) => {
+      this.event.trigger('addProvider', [network])
+    })
+
+    executionContext.event.register('removeProvider', (name) => {
+      this.event.trigger('removeProvider', [name])
+    })
+
+    this.networkcallid = 0
+  }
+
+  changeExecutionContext (context, cb) {
+    return executionContext.executionContextChange(context, null, cb)
+  }
+
+  setProviderFromEndpoint (target, context, cb) {
+    return executionContext.setProviderFromEndpoint(target, context, cb)
+  }
+
+  getProvider () {
+    return executionContext.getProvider()
+  }
+
+  getAccountBalanceForAddress (address, cb) {
+    return this.udapp.getBalanceInEther(address, cb)
+  }
+
+  updateNetwork (cb) {
+    this.networkcallid++
+    ((callid) => {
+      executionContext.detectNetwork((err, { id, name } = {}) => {
+        if (this.networkcallid > callid) return
+        this.networkcallid++
+        if (err) {
+          return cb(err)
+        }
+        cb(null, {id, name})
+      })
+    })(this.networkcallid)
+  }
+
+  newAccount (passphraseCb, cb) {
+    return this.udapp.newAccount('', passphraseCb, cb)
+  }
+
+  getAccounts (cb) {
+    return this.udapp.getAccounts(cb)
+  }
+
+  isWeb3Provider () {
+    var isVM = executionContext.isVM()
+    var isInjected = executionContext.getProvider() === 'injected'
+    return (!isVM && !isInjected)
+  }
+
+  signMessage (message, account, passphrase, cb) {
+    var isVM = executionContext.isVM()
+    var isInjected = executionContext.getProvider() === 'injected'
+
+    if (isVM) {
+      const personalMsg = ethJSUtil.hashPersonalMessage(Buffer.from(message))
+      var privKey = this.udapp.accounts[account].privateKey
+      try {
+        var rsv = ethJSUtil.ecsign(personalMsg, privKey)
+        var signedData = ethJSUtil.toRpcSig(rsv.v, rsv.r, rsv.s)
+        cb(null, '0x' + personalMsg.toString('hex'), signedData)
+      } catch (e) {
+        cb(e.message)
+      }
+      return
+    }
+    if (isInjected) {
+      const hashedMsg = executionContext.web3().sha3(message)
+      try {
+        executionContext.web3().eth.sign(account, hashedMsg, (error, signedData) => {
+          cb(error, hashedMsg, signedData)
+        })
+      } catch (e) {
+        cb(e.message)
+      }
+      return
+    }
+
+    const hashedMsg = executionContext.web3().sha3(message)
+    try {
+      var personal = new Personal(executionContext.web3().currentProvider)
+      personal.sign(hashedMsg, account, passphrase, (error, signedData) => {
+        cb(error, hashedMsg, signedData)
+      })
+    } catch (e) {
+      cb(e.message)
+    }
+  }
+
+}
+
+module.exports = Settings
diff --git a/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js b/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js
index f51c992904..2a60b0f91e 100644
--- a/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js
+++ b/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js
@@ -1,26 +1,41 @@
 var $ = require('jquery')
 var yo = require('yo-yo')
-var ethJSUtil = require('ethereumjs-util')
-var Personal = require('web3-eth-personal')
+var remixLib = require('remix-lib')
+var EventManager = remixLib.EventManager
 var css = require('../styles/run-tab-styles')
-var executionContext = require('../../../execution-context')
 var copyToClipboard = require('../../ui/copy-to-clipboard')
 var modalDialogCustom = require('../../ui/modal-dialog-custom')
 var addTooltip = require('../../ui/tooltip')
-var modalCustom = require('../../ui/modal-dialog-custom')
-var tootip = require('../../ui/tooltip')
 var helper = require('../../../lib/helper.js')
 
 class SettingsUI {
 
-  constructor (container, parentSelf) {
-    this.container = container
-    this.parentSelf = parentSelf
-    // HELPER FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS
-    this.parentSelf._deps.udapp.event.register('transactionExecuted', (error, from, to, data, lookupOnly, txResult) => {
+  constructor (settings) {
+    this.settings = settings
+    this.event = new EventManager()
+
+    this.settings.event.register('transactionExecuted', (error, from, to, data, lookupOnly, txResult) => {
       if (error) return
       if (!lookupOnly) this.el.querySelector('#value').value = '0'
-      updateAccountBalances(this.container, this.parentSelf)
+      this.updateAccountBalances()
+    })
+
+    setInterval(() => {
+      this.updateAccountBalances()
+    }, 10 * 1000)
+
+    this.accountListCallId = 0
+    this.loadedAccounts = {}
+  }
+
+  updateAccountBalances () {
+    if (!this.el) return
+    var accounts = $(this.el.querySelector('#txorigin')).children('option')
+    accounts.each((index, account) => {
+      this.settings.getAccountBalanceForAddress(account.value, (err, balance) => {
+        if (err) return
+        account.innerText = helper.shortenAddress(account.value, balance)
+      })
     })
   }
 
@@ -88,7 +103,6 @@ class SettingsUI {
       </div>
     `
 
-    // DOM ELEMENT
     var el = yo`
       <div class="${css.settings}">
         ${environmentEl}
@@ -98,40 +112,47 @@ class SettingsUI {
       </div>
     `
 
-    // DROPDOWN
     var selectExEnv = environmentEl.querySelector('#selectExEnvOptions')
-    this.selectExEnv = selectExEnv
+    this.setDropdown(selectExEnv)
 
-    this.parentSelf.event.register('clearInstance', () => {
-      var instanceContainer = this.parentSelf._view.instanceContainer
-      var instanceContainerTitle = this.parentSelf._view.instanceContainerTitle
-      instanceContainer.innerHTML = '' // clear the instances list
-      instanceContainer.appendChild(instanceContainerTitle)
-      instanceContainer.appendChild(this.parentSelf._view.noInstancesText)
+    this.settings.event.register('contextChanged', (context, silent) => {
+      this.setFinalContext()
     })
 
-    executionContext.event.register('addProvider', (network) => {
+    setInterval(() => {
+      this.updateNetwork()
+      this.fillAccountsList()
+    }, 5000)
+
+    this.el = el
+    return el
+  }
+
+  setDropdown (selectExEnv) {
+    this.selectExEnv = selectExEnv
+
+    this.settings.event.register('addProvider', (network) => {
       selectExEnv.appendChild(yo`<option
               title="Manually added environment: ${network.url}"
               value="${network.name}" name="executionContext"> ${network.name}
             </option>`)
-      tootip(`${network.name} [${network.url}] added`)
+      addTooltip(`${network.name} [${network.url}] added`)
     })
 
-    executionContext.event.register('removeProvider', (name) => {
+    this.settings.event.register('removeProvider', (name) => {
       var env = selectExEnv.querySelector(`option[value="${name}"]`)
       if (env) {
         selectExEnv.removeChild(env)
-        tootip(`${name} removed`)
+        addTooltip(`${name} removed`)
       }
     })
 
     selectExEnv.addEventListener('change', (event) => {
       let context = selectExEnv.options[selectExEnv.selectedIndex].value
-      executionContext.executionContextChange(context, null, () => {
+      this.settings.changeExecutionContext(context, () => {
         modalDialogCustom.confirm(null, 'Are you sure you want to connect to an ethereum node?', () => {
           modalDialogCustom.prompt(null, 'Web3 Provider Endpoint', 'http://localhost:8545', (target) => {
-            executionContext.setProviderFromEndpoint(target, context, (alertMsg) => {
+            this.settings.setProviderFromEndpoint(target, context, (alertMsg) => {
               if (alertMsg) {
                 modalDialogCustom.alert(alertMsg)
               }
@@ -144,38 +165,23 @@ class SettingsUI {
       }, this.setFinalContext.bind(this))
     })
 
-    selectExEnv.value = executionContext.getProvider()
-    executionContext.event.register('contextChanged', (context, silent) => {
-      this.setFinalContext()
-    })
-
-    setInterval(() => {
-      this.updateNetwork()
-      fillAccountsList(el, this.parentSelf)
-    }, 5000)
-
-    setInterval(() => {
-      updateAccountBalances(this.container, this.parentSelf)
-    }, 10000)
-
-    this.el = el
-    return el
+    selectExEnv.value = this.settings.getProvider()
   }
 
   setFinalContext () {
     // set the final context. Cause it is possible that this is not the one we've originaly selected
-    this.selectExEnv.value = executionContext.getProvider()
-    this.parentSelf.event.trigger('clearInstance', [])
+    this.selectExEnv.value = this.settings.getProvider()
+    this.event.trigger('clearInstance', [])
     this.updateNetwork()
-    fillAccountsList(this.el, this.parentSelf)
+    this.fillAccountsList()
   }
 
   newAccount () {
-    this.parentSelf._deps.udapp.newAccount('',
+    this.settings.newAccount(
       (cb) => {
-        modalCustom.promptPassphraseCreation((error, passphrase) => {
+        modalDialogCustom.promptPassphraseCreation((error, passphrase) => {
           if (error) {
-            return modalCustom.alert(error)
+            return modalDialogCustom.alert(error)
           }
           cb(passphrase)
         }, () => {})
@@ -189,127 +195,70 @@ class SettingsUI {
     )
   }
 
-  alertSignedData (error, hash, signedData) {
-    if (error && error.message !== '') {
-      console.log(error)
-      addTooltip(error.message)
-    } else {
-      modalDialogCustom.alert(yo`<div><b>hash:</b>${hash}<br><b>signature:</b>${signedData}</div>`)
-    }
-  }
+  signMessage () {
+    this.settings.getAccounts((err, accounts) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return addTooltip(`Cannot get account list: ${err}`)
+      }
 
-  signMessage (event) {
-    this.parentSelf._deps.udapp.getAccounts((err, accounts) => {
-      if (err) { addTooltip(`Cannot get account list: ${err}`) }
       var signMessageDialog = { 'title': 'Sign a message', 'text': 'Enter a message to sign', 'inputvalue': 'Message to sign' }
-      var $txOrigin = this.container.querySelector('#txorigin')
+      var $txOrigin = this.el.querySelector('#txorigin')
       var account = $txOrigin.selectedOptions[0].value
-      var isVM = executionContext.isVM()
-      var isInjected = executionContext.getProvider() === 'injected'
-      if (isVM) {
-        modalDialogCustom.promptMulti(signMessageDialog, (message) => {
-          const personalMsg = ethJSUtil.hashPersonalMessage(Buffer.from(message))
-          var privKey = this.parentSelf._deps.udapp.accounts[account].privateKey
-          try {
-            var rsv = ethJSUtil.ecsign(personalMsg, privKey)
-            var signedData = ethJSUtil.toRpcSig(rsv.v, rsv.r, rsv.s)
-            this.alertSignedData(null, '0x' + personalMsg.toString('hex'), signedData)
-          } catch (e) {
-            addTooltip(e.message)
-            return
-          }
-        }, false)
-      } else if (isInjected) {
+
+      var promptCb = (passphrase) => {
         modalDialogCustom.promptMulti(signMessageDialog, (message) => {
-          const hashedMsg = executionContext.web3().sha3(message)
-          try {
-            executionContext.web3().eth.sign(account, hashedMsg, (error, signedData) => {
-              this.alertSignedData(error, hashedMsg, signedData)
-            })
-          } catch (e) {
-            addTooltip(e.message)
-            console.log(e)
-            return
-          }
-        })
-      } else {
-        modalDialogCustom.promptPassphrase('Passphrase to sign a message', 'Enter your passphrase for this account to sign the message', '', (passphrase) => {
-          modalDialogCustom.promptMulti(signMessageDialog, (message) => {
-            const hashedMsg = executionContext.web3().sha3(message)
-            try {
-              var personal = new Personal(executionContext.web3().currentProvider)
-              personal.sign(hashedMsg, account, passphrase, (error, signedData) => {
-                this.alertSignedData(error, hashedMsg, signedData)
-              })
-            } catch (e) {
-              addTooltip(e.message)
-              console.log(e)
-              return
+          this.settings.signMessage(message, account, passphrase, (err, msgHash, signedData) => {
+            if (err) {
+              return addTooltip(err)
             }
+            modalDialogCustom.alert(yo`<div><b>hash:</b>${msgHash}<br><b>signature:</b>${signedData}</div>`)
           })
         }, false)
       }
+
+      if (this.settings.isWeb3Provider()) {
+        return modalDialogCustom.promptPassphrase('Passphrase to sign a message', 'Enter your passphrase for this account to sign the message', '', promptCb, false)
+      }
+      promptCb()
     })
   }
 
   updateNetwork () {
-    let self = this
-    var networkcallid = 0
-    networkcallid++
-    ((callid) => {
-      executionContext.detectNetwork((err, { id, name } = {}) => {
-        if (networkcallid > callid) return
-        networkcallid++
-        if (err) {
-          console.error(err)
-          self.netUI.innerHTML = 'can\'t detect network '
-        } else {
-          self.netUI.innerHTML = `<i class="${css.networkItem} fa fa-plug" aria-hidden="true"></i> ${name} (${id || '-'})`
-        }
-      })
-    })(networkcallid)
+    this.settings.updateNetwork((err, {id, name} = {}) => {
+      if (err) {
+        this.netUI.innerHTML = 'can\'t detect network '
+        return
+      }
+      this.netUI.innerHTML = `<i class="${css.networkItem} fa fa-plug" aria-hidden="true"></i> ${name} (${id || '-'})`
+    })
   }
 
-}
-
-var accountListCallId = 0
-var loadedAccounts = {}
-function fillAccountsList (container, self) {
-  accountListCallId++
-  ((callid) => {
-    var txOrigin = container.querySelector('#txorigin')
-    self._deps.udapp.getAccounts((err, accounts) => {
-      if (accountListCallId > callid) return
-      accountListCallId++
+  // TODO: unclear what's the goal of accountListCallId, feels like it can be simplified
+  fillAccountsList () {
+    this.accountListCallId++
+    var callid = this.accountListCallId
+    var txOrigin = this.el.querySelector('#txorigin')
+    this.settings.getAccounts((err, accounts) => {
+      if (this.accountListCallId > callid) return
+      this.accountListCallId++
       if (err) { addTooltip(`Cannot get account list: ${err}`) }
-      for (var loadedaddress in loadedAccounts) {
+      for (var loadedaddress in this.loadedAccounts) {
         if (accounts.indexOf(loadedaddress) === -1) {
           txOrigin.removeChild(txOrigin.querySelector('option[value="' + loadedaddress + '"]'))
-          delete loadedAccounts[loadedaddress]
+          delete this.loadedAccounts[loadedaddress]
         }
       }
       for (var i in accounts) {
         var address = accounts[i]
-        if (!loadedAccounts[address]) {
+        if (!this.loadedAccounts[address]) {
           txOrigin.appendChild(yo`<option value="${address}" >${address}</option>`)
-          loadedAccounts[address] = 1
+          this.loadedAccounts[address] = 1
         }
       }
       txOrigin.setAttribute('value', accounts[0])
     })
-  })(accountListCallId)
-}
+  }
 
-function updateAccountBalances (container, self) {
-  var accounts = $(container.querySelector('#txorigin')).children('option')
-  accounts.each((index, value) => {
-    ((acc) => {
-      self._deps.udapp.getBalanceInEther(accounts[acc].value, (err, res) => {
-        if (err) return
-        accounts[acc].innerText = helper.shortenAddress(accounts[acc].value, res)
-      })
-    })(index)
-  })
 }
 
 module.exports = SettingsUI