diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index de9330fb41..a55f364317 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@
     "make-mock-compiler": "node ci/makeMockCompiler.js",
     "minify": "uglifyjs --in-source-map inline --source-map-inline -c warnings=false",
     "nightwatch_local": "nightwatch --config nightwatch.js --env local",
+    "nightwatch_local_general": "nightwatch ./test-browser/tests/generalTests.js --config nightwatch.js --env local ",
     "nightwatch_local_debugger": "nightwatch --config nightwatch_debugger.js --env local",
     "nightwatch_remote_chrome": "nightwatch --config nightwatch.js --env chrome",
     "nightwatch_remote_firefox": "nightwatch --config nightwatch.js --env default",
diff --git a/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js b/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js
index 1e20960a71..d5671fdbe0 100644
--- a/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js
+++ b/src/app/tabs/runTab/model/settings.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var ethJSUtil = require('ethereumjs-util')
 var Personal = require('web3-eth-personal')
 var remixLib = require('remix-lib')
+const addTooltip = require('../../../ui/tooltip')
 var EventManager = remixLib.EventManager
 var executionContext = remixLib.execution.executionContext
 
@@ -73,6 +74,10 @@ class Settings {
     return (!isVM && !isInjected)
   }
 
+  isInjectedWeb3 () {
+    return executionContext.getProvider() === 'injected'
+  }
+
   signMessage (message, account, passphrase, cb) {
     var isVM = executionContext.isVM()
     var isInjected = executionContext.getProvider() === 'injected'
@@ -92,6 +97,7 @@ class Settings {
     if (isInjected) {
       const hashedMsg = executionContext.web3().sha3(message)
       try {
+        addTooltip('Please check your provider to approve')
         executionContext.web3().eth.sign(account, hashedMsg, (error, signedData) => {
           cb(error.message, hashedMsg, signedData)
         })
diff --git a/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js b/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js
index 18459fb070..0a4f060902 100644
--- a/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js
+++ b/src/app/tabs/runTab/settings.js
@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@ class SettingsUI {
           <select id="selectExEnvOptions" onchange=${() => { this.updateNetwork() }} class="form-control ${css.select}">
             <option id="vm-mode"
               title="Execution environment does not connect to any node, everything is local and in memory only."
-              value="vm" checked name="executionContext"> JavaScript VM
+              value="vm" name="executionContext"> JavaScript VM
             </option>
             <option id="injected-mode"
               title="Execution environment has been provided by Metamask or similar provider."
-              value="injected" checked name="executionContext"> Injected Web3
+              value="injected" name="executionContext"> Injected Web3
             </option>
             <option id="web3-mode"
               title="Execution environment connects to node at localhost (or via IPC if available), transactions will be sent to the network and can cause loss of money or worse!
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class SettingsUI {
         <div class=${css.account}>
           <select name="txorigin" class="form-control ${css.select}" id="txorigin"></select>
           ${copyToClipboard(() => document.querySelector('#runTabView #txorigin').value)}
-          <i class="fas fa-edit ${css.icon}" aria-hiden="true" onclick=${this.signMessage.bind(this)} title="Sign a message using this account key"></i>
+          <i id="remixRunSignMsg" class="fas fa-edit ${css.icon}" aria-hiden="true" onclick=${this.signMessage.bind(this)} title="Sign a message using this account key"></i>
         </div>
       </div>
     `
@@ -223,6 +223,10 @@ class SettingsUI {
 
       var signMessageDialog = { 'title': 'Sign a message', 'text': 'Enter a message to sign', 'inputvalue': 'Message to sign' }
       var $txOrigin = this.el.querySelector('#txorigin')
+      if (!$txOrigin.selectedOptions[0] && (this.settings.isInjectedWeb3() || this.settings.isWeb3Provider())) {
+        return addTooltip(`Account list is empty, please make sure the current provider is properly connected to remix`)
+      }
+
       var account = $txOrigin.selectedOptions[0].value
 
       var promptCb = (passphrase) => {
@@ -231,13 +235,26 @@ class SettingsUI {
             if (err) {
               return addTooltip(err)
             }
-            modalDialogCustom.alert(yo`<div><b>hash:</b>${msgHash}<br><b>signature:</b>${signedData}</div>`)
+            modalDialogCustom.alert(yo`
+              <div>
+                <b>hash:</b><br>
+                <span id="remixRunSignMsgHash">${msgHash}</span>
+                <br><b>signature:</b><br>
+                <span id="remixRunSignMsgSignature">${signedData}</span>
+              </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)
+        return modalDialogCustom.promptPassphrase(
+          'Passphrase to sign a message',
+          'Enter your passphrase for this account to sign the message',
+          '',
+          promptCb,
+          false
+        )
       }
       promptCb()
     })
diff --git a/src/app/tabs/settings-tab.js b/src/app/tabs/settings-tab.js
index 821e6957d0..5ed5d0f943 100644
--- a/src/app/tabs/settings-tab.js
+++ b/src/app/tabs/settings-tab.js
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ module.exports = class SettingsTab extends BaseApi {
     var gistAddToken = yo`<input class="${css.savegisttoken} btn btn-sm btn-primary" id="savegisttoken" onclick=${() => { this.config.set('settings/gist-access-token', gistAccessToken.value); tooltip('Access token saved') }} value="Save" type="button">`
     var gistRemoveToken = yo`<input class="btn btn-sm btn-primary" id="removegisttoken" onclick=${() => { gistAccessToken.value = ''; this.config.set('settings/gist-access-token', ''); tooltip('Access token removed') }} value="Remove" type="button">`
     this._view.gistToken = yo`<div class="${css.checkboxText}">${gistAccessToken}${copyToClipboard(() => this.config.get('settings/gist-access-token'))}${gistAddToken}${gistRemoveToken}</div>`
-    this._view.optionVM = yo`<input onchange=${onchangeOption} class="align-middle form-check-input" id="alwaysUseVM" type="checkbox">`
+    this._view.optionVM = yo`<input onchange=${onchangeOption} checked class="align-middle form-check-input" id="alwaysUseVM" type="checkbox">`
+    if (this.config.get('settings/always-use-vm') === undefined) this.config.set('settings/always-use-vm', true)
     if (this.config.get('settings/always-use-vm')) this._view.optionVM.setAttribute('checked', '')
     this._view.personal = yo`<input onchange=${onchangePersonal} id="personal" type="checkbox" class="align-middle form-check-input">`
     if (this.config.get('settings/personal-mode')) this._view.personal.setAttribute('checked', '')
diff --git a/test-browser/helpers/contracts.js b/test-browser/helpers/contracts.js
index d022a0a2ba..949afb0217 100644
--- a/test-browser/helpers/contracts.js
+++ b/test-browser/helpers/contracts.js
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ module.exports = {
   removeFile,
   getAddressAtPosition,
   clickLaunchIcon,
-  scrollInto
+  scrollInto,
+  signMsg
 }
 
 function clickLaunchIcon (icon) {
@@ -168,6 +169,30 @@ function scrollInto (target) {
   })
 }
 
+function signMsg (browser, msg, cb) {
+  let hash, signature
+  browser
+    .click('i[id="remixRunSignMsg"]')
+    .setValue('textarea[id="prompt_text"]', msg, () => {
+      browser.modalFooterOKClick().perform(
+        (client, done) => {
+          browser.getText('span[id="remixRunSignMsgHash"]', (v) => { hash = v; done() })
+        }
+      )
+      .perform(
+        (client, done) => {
+          browser.getText('span[id="remixRunSignMsgSignature"]', (v) => { signature = v; done() })
+        }
+      )
+      .modalFooterOKClick()
+      .perform(
+        () => {
+          cb(hash, signature)
+        }
+      )
+    })
+}
+
 function _scrollInto (browser, target, cb) {
   browser.execute(function (target) {
     document.querySelector(target).scrollIntoView()
diff --git a/test-browser/tests/simpleContract.js b/test-browser/tests/generalTests.js
similarity index 81%
rename from test-browser/tests/simpleContract.js
rename to test-browser/tests/generalTests.js
index e525e3cf32..e820a54e3b 100644
--- a/test-browser/tests/simpleContract.js
+++ b/test-browser/tests/generalTests.js
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ function runTests (browser) {
   browser.setEditorValue = contractHelper.setEditorValue
   browser.getEditorValue = contractHelper.getEditorValue
   browser.clickLaunchIcon = contractHelper.clickLaunchIcon
+  browser.modalFooterOKClick = contractHelper.modalFooterOKClick
+  browser.clickFunction = contractHelper.clickFunction
   browser.scrollInto = contractHelper.scrollInto
+  browser.verifyCallReturnValue = contractHelper.verifyCallReturnValue
   browser
     .waitForElementVisible('#icon-panel', 10000)
     .clickLaunchIcon('solidity')
@@ -34,7 +37,8 @@ function runTests (browser) {
         testFailedImport, /* testGitHubImport */
         addDeployLibTestFile,
         testAutoDeployLib,
-        testManualDeployLib
+        testManualDeployLib,
+        testSignature
       ],
       function () {
         browser.end()
@@ -158,6 +162,36 @@ function checkDeployShouldSucceed (browser, address, callback) {
   })
 }
 
+function testSignature (browser, callback) {
+  let hash, signature
+  browser.clickLaunchIcon('run').pause(4000).perform((client, done) => {
+    contractHelper.signMsg(browser, 'test message', (h, s) => {
+      hash = h
+      signature = s
+      contractHelper.addFile(browser, 'signMassage.sol', sources[6]['browser/signMassage.sol'], () => {
+        contractHelper.switchFile(browser, 'browser/signMassage.sol', () => {
+          contractHelper.selectContract(browser, 'ECVerify', () => { // deploy lib
+            contractHelper.createContract(browser, '', () => {
+              browser.waitForElementPresent('.instance:nth-of-type(4)')
+              .click('.instance:nth-of-type(4) > div > button')
+              .clickFunction('ecrecovery - call', {types: 'bytes32 hash, bytes sig', values: `"${hash.value}","${signature.value}"`}).perform(
+                () => {
+                  contractHelper.verifyCallReturnValue(
+                    browser,
+                    '0x08970fed061e7747cd9a38d680a601510cb659fb',
+                    ['0: address: 0xCA35b7d915458EF540aDe6068dFe2F44E8fa733c'],
+                    () => { callback(null, browser) }
+                  )
+                }
+              )
+            })
+          })
+        })
+      })
+    })
+  })
+}
+
 /*
 function testGitHubImport (browser, callback) {
   contractHelper.addFile(browser, 'Untitled4.sol', sources[3]['browser/Untitled4.sol'], () => {
@@ -320,6 +354,46 @@ var sources = [
       function get () public view returns (uint) {
           return lib.getInt();
       }    
-}`}
+    }`}
+  },
+  {
+    'browser/signMassage.sol': {content: `
+    contract SignMassageTest {
+      function testRecovery(bytes32 h, uint8 v, bytes32 r, bytes32 s) public pure returns (address) {
+          return ecrecover(h, v, r, s);
+      }
+    }
+
+    library ECVerify {
+      function ecrecovery(bytes32 hash, bytes memory sig) public pure returns (address) {
+        bytes32 r;
+        bytes32 s;
+        uint8 v;
+
+        if (sig.length != 65) {
+          return address(0);
+        }
+
+        assembly {
+          r := mload(add(sig, 32))
+          s := mload(add(sig, 64))
+          v := and(mload(add(sig, 65)), 255)
+        }
+
+        if (v < 27) {
+          v += 27;
+        }
+
+        if (v != 27 && v != 28) {
+          return address(0);
+        }
+
+        return ecrecover(hash, v, r, s);
+      }
+
+      function ecverify(bytes32 hash, bytes memory sig, address signer) public pure returns (bool) {
+        return signer == ecrecovery(hash, sig);
+      }
+    }`}
   }
 ]