diff --git a/Gododir/main.go b/Gododir/main.go
index 24c8d0a7..7d3ab6f8 100644
--- a/Gododir/main.go
+++ b/Gododir/main.go
@@ -39,11 +39,20 @@ func tasks(p *do.Project) {
 	p.Task("watchContract", nil, func(context *do.Context) {
 		environment := parseEnvironment(context)
 		contractHash := context.Args.MayString("", "contract-hash", "c")
+		abiFilepath := context.Args.MayString("", "abi-filepath", "a")
 		if contractHash == "" {
 			log.Fatalln("--contract-hash required")
 		}
-		context.Start(`go run main.go --environment={{.environment}} --contract-hash={{.contractHash}}`,
-			do.M{"environment": environment, "contractHash": contractHash, "$in": "cmd/subscribe_contract"})
+		if abiFilepath == "" {
+			log.Fatalln("--abi-filepath required")
+		}
+		context.Start(`go run main.go --environment={{.environment}} --contract-hash={{.contractHash}} --abi-filepath={{.abiFilepath}}`,
+			do.M{
+				"environment":  environment,
+				"contractHash": contractHash,
+				"abiFilepath":  abiFilepath,
+				"$in":          "cmd/subscribe_contract",
+			})
 	})
 
 	p.Task("migrate", nil, func(context *do.Context) {
diff --git a/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go b/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go
index 7d6dcf10..0028b9e9 100644
--- a/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go
+++ b/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go
@@ -10,8 +10,13 @@ import (
 func main() {
 	environment := flag.String("environment", "", "Environment name")
 	contractHash := flag.String("contract-hash", "", "contract-hash=x1234")
+	abiFilepath := flag.String("abi-filepath", "", "path/to/abifile.json")
 	flag.Parse()
 	config := cmd.LoadConfig(*environment)
 	repository := cmd.LoadPostgres(config.Database)
-	repository.CreateWatchedContract(repositories.WatchedContract{Hash: *contractHash})
+	watchedContract := repositories.WatchedContract{
+		Abi:  cmd.ReadAbiFile(*abiFilepath),
+		Hash: *contractHash,
+	}
+	repository.CreateWatchedContract(watchedContract)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index 2ca2d1a2..3dff2da8 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"log"
 
+	"path/filepath"
+
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/geth"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
 )
 
@@ -22,3 +25,14 @@ func LoadPostgres(database config.Database) repositories.Postgres {
 	}
 	return repository
 }
+
+func ReadAbiFile(abiFilepath string) string {
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(abiFilepath) {
+		abiFilepath = filepath.Join(config.ProjectRoot(), abiFilepath)
+	}
+	abi, err := geth.ReadAbiFile(abiFilepath)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Error reading ABI file at \"%s\"\n %v", abiFilepath, err)
+	}
+	return abi
+}
diff --git a/pkg/geth/abi.go b/pkg/geth/abi.go
index eba7c25f..1da6a569 100644
--- a/pkg/geth/abi.go
+++ b/pkg/geth/abi.go
@@ -14,14 +14,21 @@ var (
 )
 
 func ParseAbiFile(abiFilePath string) (abi.ABI, error) {
-	filesBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(abiFilePath)
+	abiString, err := ReadAbiFile(abiFilePath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return abi.ABI{}, ErrMissingAbiFile
 	}
-	abiString := string(filesBytes)
 	parsedAbi, err := abi.JSON(strings.NewReader(abiString))
 	if err != nil {
 		return abi.ABI{}, ErrInvalidAbiFile
 	}
 	return parsedAbi, nil
 }
+
+func ReadAbiFile(abiFilePath string) (string, error) {
+	filesBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(abiFilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", ErrMissingAbiFile
+	}
+	return string(filesBytes), nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/geth/abi_test.go b/pkg/geth/abi_test.go
index d12ea9fc..d638a212 100644
--- a/pkg/geth/abi_test.go
+++ b/pkg/geth/abi_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ var _ = Describe("Reading ABI files", func() {
 		Expect(err).To(BeNil())
 	})
 
+	It("reads the contents of a valid ABI file", func() {
+		path := filepath.Join(cfg.ProjectRoot(), "pkg", "geth", "testing", "valid_abi.json")
+
+		contractAbi, err := geth.ReadAbiFile(path)
+
+		Expect(contractAbi).To(Equal("[{\"foo\": \"bar\"}]"))
+		Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+	})
+
 	It("returns an error when the file does not exist", func() {
 		path := filepath.Join(cfg.ProjectRoot(), "pkg", "geth", "testing", "missing_abi.json")
 
diff --git a/pkg/geth/testing/valid_abi.json b/pkg/geth/testing/valid_abi.json
index 3d80565a..5a4cf7e4 100644
--- a/pkg/geth/testing/valid_abi.json
+++ b/pkg/geth/testing/valid_abi.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-[{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"mintingFinished","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"name","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"string"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_spender","type":"address"},{"name":"_value","type":"uint256"}],"name":"approve","outputs":[],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"totalSupply","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_from","type":"address"},{"name":"_to","type":"address"},{"name":"_value","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transferFrom","outputs":[],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"decimals","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[],"name":"unpause","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_to","type":"address"},{"name":"_amount","type":"uint256"}],"name":"mint","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"paused","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"_owner","type":"address"}],"name":"balanceOf","outputs":[{"name":"balance","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[],"name":"finishMinting","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[],"name":"pause","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"owner","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"symbol","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"string"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_to","type":"address"},{"name":"_value","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transfer","outputs":[],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_to","type":"address"},{"name":"_amount","type":"uint256"},{"name":"_releaseTime","type":"uint256"}],"name":"mintTimelocked","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"_owner","type":"address"},{"name":"_spender","type":"address"}],"name":"allowance","outputs":[{"name":"remaining","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"newOwner","type":"address"}],"name":"transferOwnership","outputs":[],"payable":false,"type":"function"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"to","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"value","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Mint","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[],"name":"MintFinished","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[],"name":"Pause","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[],"name":"Unpause","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"owner","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"value","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Approval","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"from","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"to","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"value","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Transfer","type":"event"}]
+[{"foo": "bar"}]
\ No newline at end of file