diff --git a/packages/composer-connector-hlf/lib/hfcconnection.js b/packages/composer-connector-hlf/lib/hfcconnection.js
index 859cd455f0..6066dd7e30 100644
--- a/packages/composer-connector-hlf/lib/hfcconnection.js
+++ b/packages/composer-connector-hlf/lib/hfcconnection.js
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class HFCConnection extends Connection {
             })
             .then(() => {
                 return HFCUtil
-                    .invokeChainCode(securityContext, 'undeploy', [businessNetworkIdentifier]);
+                    .invokeChainCode(securityContext, 'undeployBusinessNetwork', []);
             })
             .then(() => {
                 try {
diff --git a/packages/composer-connector-hlf/test/hfcconnection.js b/packages/composer-connector-hlf/test/hfcconnection.js
index 01c2d6fb83..08a9ed5680 100644
--- a/packages/composer-connector-hlf/test/hfcconnection.js
+++ b/packages/composer-connector-hlf/test/hfcconnection.js
@@ -403,6 +403,18 @@ describe('HFCConnection', () => {
                 });
             }).should.throw(/Business network id must be specified/);
         });
+
+        it('should make the correct call to the runtime', () => {
+            connection = new HFCConnection(mockConnectionManager, 'testprofile', null, mockChain, connectOptions);
+            sandbox.stub(HFCUtil, 'invokeChainCode');
+
+            return connection.undeploy(mockSecurityContext, 'testnetwork')
+            .then(() => {
+                sinon.assert.calledOnce(HFCUtil.invokeChainCode);
+                sinon.assert.calledWith(HFCUtil.invokeChainCode, mockSecurityContext, 'undeployBusinessNetwork', []);
+            });
+
+        });
     });
 
     describe('#update', function() {
diff --git a/packages/composer-runtime/lib/context.js b/packages/composer-runtime/lib/context.js
index 1538093324..c6a4d96f75 100644
--- a/packages/composer-runtime/lib/context.js
+++ b/packages/composer-runtime/lib/context.js
@@ -81,15 +81,16 @@ class Context {
         return this.getDataService().getCollection('$sysdata')
             .then((collection) => {
 
-                // check if the network has been undeployed first. if is has throw exception.
-                if (collection.undeployed){
-                    throw new Error('Network has already been undeployed');
-                }
-
                 LOG.debug(method, 'Getting business network archive from the $sysdata collection');
                 return collection.get('businessnetwork');
             })
             .then((object) => {
+
+                // check if the network has been undeployed first. if is has throw exception.
+                if (object.undeployed){
+                    throw new Error('Network has already been undeployed');
+                }
+
                 LOG.debug(method, 'Looking in cache for business network', object.hash);
                 let businessNetworkDefinition = businessNetworkCache.get(object.hash);
                 if (businessNetworkDefinition) {
diff --git a/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.businessnetworks.js b/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.businessnetworks.js
index e49ccaa580..487658ab35 100644
--- a/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.businessnetworks.js
+++ b/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.businessnetworks.js
@@ -62,30 +62,28 @@ class EngineBusinessNetworks {
      * @return {Promise} A promise that will be resolved when complete, or rejected
      * with an error.
      */
-    undeploy(context, args){
-        const method = 'undeploy';
+    undeployBusinessNetwork(context, args){
+        const method = 'undeployBusinessNetwork';
         LOG.entry(method, context, args);
-        if (args.length !== 1) {
+        if (args.length !== 0) {
             LOG.error(method, 'Invalid arguments', args);
-            throw new Error(util.format('Invalid arguments "%j" to function "%s", expecting "%j"', args, 'undeploy', ['businessNetworkArchive']));
+            throw new Error(util.format('Invalid arguments "%j" to function "%s", expecting "%j"', args, method, []));
         }
         let dataService = context.getDataService();
+        let sysdata;
         return dataService.getCollection('$sysdata')
-           .then((sysdata) => {
-
-               // set flag in the sysdata to say that this has been undeployed
-               sysdata.undeployed=true;
-               // Validate the business network archive and store it.
-               return sysdata.get('businessnetwork');
-           })
-          .then((object)=> {
-              let businessNetworkArchive = Buffer.from(object.data, 'base64');
-              return BusinessNetworkDefinition.fromArchive(businessNetworkArchive);})
-          .then((businessNetworkDefinition) => {
-               // Reinitialize the context to reload the business network.
-              LOG.debug(method, businessNetworkDefinition.getIdentifier()+' has been undeployed');
-              LOG.exit(method);
-          });
+        .then((sysdata_) => {
+            sysdata = sysdata_;
+            // Validate the business network archive and store it.
+            return sysdata.get('businessnetwork');
+        })
+        .then((businessNetwork) => {
+            businessNetwork.undeployed = true;
+            return sysdata.update('businessnetwork', businessNetwork);
+        })
+        .then(() => {
+            LOG.exit(method);
+        });
     }
 
 
diff --git a/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.businessnetworks.js b/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.businessnetworks.js
index 4731b13126..791f31884d 100644
--- a/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.businessnetworks.js
+++ b/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.businessnetworks.js
@@ -78,6 +78,30 @@ describe('EngineBusinessNetworks', () => {
 
     });
 
+    describe('#undeployBusinessNetwork', () => {
+
+        it('should throw for invalid arguments', () => {
+            let result = engine.invoke(mockContext, 'undeployBusinessNetwork', ['no', 'args', 'supported']);
+            return result.should.be.rejectedWith(/Invalid arguments "\["no","args","supported"\]" to function "undeployBusinessNetwork", expecting "\[\]"/);
+        });
+
+        it('should set the undeploy flag on a business network', () => {
+            let businessNetwork = {data:'data', hash: 'hash'};
+            let sysdata = sinon.createStubInstance(DataCollection);
+            mockDataService.getCollection.withArgs('$sysdata').resolves(sysdata);
+            sysdata.get.withArgs('businessnetwork').resolves(businessNetwork);
+
+            return engine.invoke(mockContext, 'undeployBusinessNetwork', [])
+            .then(() => {
+                sinon.assert.calledOnce(sysdata.get);
+                sinon.assert.calledWith(sysdata.get, 'businessnetwork');
+                businessNetwork.undeploy = true;
+                sinon.assert.calledOnce(sysdata.update);
+                sinon.assert.calledWith(sysdata.update, 'businessnetwork', businessNetwork);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('#updateBusinessNetwork', () => {
 
         it('should throw for invalid arguments', () => {