diff --git a/src/middleware/admin.js b/src/middleware/admin.js
index bb1e83dc30..30c04d6db4 100644
--- a/src/middleware/admin.js
+++ b/src/middleware/admin.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ var semver = require('semver');
 var user = require('../user');
 var meta = require('../meta');
 var plugins = require('../plugins');
+var utils = require('../../public/src/utils');
 var versions = require('../admin/versions');
 
 var controllers = {
@@ -37,93 +38,67 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 		], next);
 	};
 
-	middleware.admin.renderHeader = function (req, res, data, next) {
+	middleware.admin.renderHeader = async (req, res, data) => {
 		var custom_header = {
 			plugins: [],
 			authentication: [],
 		};
 		res.locals.config = res.locals.config || {};
-		async.waterfall([
-			function (next) {
-				async.parallel({
-					userData: function (next) {
-						user.getUserFields(req.uid, ['username', 'userslug', 'email', 'picture', 'email:confirmed'], next);
-					},
-					scripts: function (next) {
-						getAdminScripts(next);
-					},
-					custom_header: function (next) {
-						plugins.fireHook('filter:admin.header.build', custom_header, next);
-					},
-					configs: function (next) {
-						meta.configs.list(next);
-					},
-					latestVersion: function (next) {
-						versions.getLatestVersion(function (err, result) {
-							if (err) {
-								winston.error('[acp] Failed to fetch latest version', err);
-							}
-
-							next(null, err ? null : result);
-						});
-					},
-				}, next);
-			},
-			function (results, next) {
-				var userData = results.userData;
-				userData.uid = req.uid;
-				userData['email:confirmed'] = userData['email:confirmed'] === 1;
-
-				var acpPath = req.path.slice(1).split('/');
-				acpPath.forEach(function (path, i) {
-					acpPath[i] = path.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + path.slice(1);
-				});
-				acpPath = acpPath.join(' > ');
-
-				var version = nconf.get('version');
-
-				res.locals.config.userLang = res.locals.config.acpLang || res.locals.config.userLang;
-				var templateValues = {
-					config: res.locals.config,
-					configJSON: jsesc(JSON.stringify(res.locals.config), { isScriptContext: true }),
-					relative_path: res.locals.config.relative_path,
-					adminConfigJSON: encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(results.configs)),
-					user: userData,
-					userJSON: jsesc(JSON.stringify(userData), { isScriptContext: true }),
-					plugins: results.custom_header.plugins,
-					authentication: results.custom_header.authentication,
-					scripts: results.scripts,
-					'cache-buster': meta.config['cache-buster'] || '',
-					env: !!process.env.NODE_ENV,
-					title: (acpPath || 'Dashboard') + ' | NodeBB Admin Control Panel',
-					bodyClass: data.bodyClass,
-					version: version,
-					latestVersion: results.latestVersion,
-					upgradeAvailable: results.latestVersion && semver.gt(results.latestVersion, version),
-				};
-
-				templateValues.template = { name: res.locals.template };
-				templateValues.template[res.locals.template] = true;
-
-				req.app.render('admin/header', templateValues, next);
-			},
-		], next);
+
+		const results = await utils.promiseParallel({
+			userData: user.getUserFields(req.uid, ['username', 'userslug', 'email', 'picture', 'email:confirmed']),
+			scripts: getAdminScripts(),
+			custom_header: plugins.fireHook('filter:admin.header.build', custom_header),
+			configs: meta.configs.list(),
+			latestVersion: versions.getLatestVersion(),
+		});
+
+		var userData = results.userData;
+		userData.uid = req.uid;
+		userData['email:confirmed'] = userData['email:confirmed'] === 1;
+
+		var acpPath = req.path.slice(1).split('/');
+		acpPath.forEach(function (path, i) {
+			acpPath[i] = path.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + path.slice(1);
+		});
+		acpPath = acpPath.join(' > ');
+
+		var version = nconf.get('version');
+
+		res.locals.config.userLang = res.locals.config.acpLang || res.locals.config.userLang;
+		var templateValues = {
+			config: res.locals.config,
+			configJSON: jsesc(JSON.stringify(res.locals.config), { isScriptContext: true }),
+			relative_path: res.locals.config.relative_path,
+			adminConfigJSON: encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(results.configs)),
+			user: userData,
+			userJSON: jsesc(JSON.stringify(userData), { isScriptContext: true }),
+			plugins: results.custom_header.plugins,
+			authentication: results.custom_header.authentication,
+			scripts: results.scripts,
+			'cache-buster': meta.config['cache-buster'] || '',
+			env: !!process.env.NODE_ENV,
+			title: (acpPath || 'Dashboard') + ' | NodeBB Admin Control Panel',
+			bodyClass: data.bodyClass,
+			version: version,
+			latestVersion: results.latestVersion,
+			upgradeAvailable: results.latestVersion && semver.gt(results.latestVersion, version),
+		};
+
+		templateValues.template = { name: res.locals.template };
+		templateValues.template[res.locals.template] = true;
+
+		return await req.app.renderAsync('admin/header', templateValues);
 	};
 
-	function getAdminScripts(callback) {
-		async.waterfall([
-			function (next) {
-				plugins.fireHook('filter:admin.scripts.get', [], next);
-			},
-			function (scripts, next) {
-				next(null, scripts.map(function (script) {
-					return { src: script };
-				}));
-			},
-		], callback);
+	async function getAdminScripts() {
+		const scripts = await plugins.fireHook('filter:admin.scripts.get', []);
+		return scripts.map(function (script) {
+			return { src: script };
+		});
 	}
 
-	middleware.admin.renderFooter = function (req, res, data, next) {
-		req.app.render('admin/footer', data, next);
+	middleware.admin.renderFooter = async function (req, res, data) {
+		return await req.app.renderAsync('admin/footer', data);
 	};
 };
diff --git a/src/middleware/header.js b/src/middleware/header.js
index 6963a06565..221b2bfa1e 100644
--- a/src/middleware/header.js
+++ b/src/middleware/header.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 		], next);
 	};
 
-	middleware.generateHeader = function generateHeader(req, res, data, callback) {
+	async function generateHeader(req, res, data) {
 		var registrationType = meta.config.registrationType || 'normal';
 		res.locals.config = res.locals.config || {};
 		var templateValues = {
@@ -73,207 +73,162 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 
 		templateValues.configJSON = jsesc(JSON.stringify(res.locals.config), { isScriptContext: true });
 
-		async.waterfall([
-			function (next) {
-				async.parallel({
-					isAdmin: function (next) {
-						user.isAdministrator(req.uid, next);
-					},
-					isGlobalMod: function (next) {
-						user.isGlobalModerator(req.uid, next);
-					},
-					isModerator: function (next) {
-						user.isModeratorOfAnyCategory(req.uid, next);
-					},
-					privileges: function (next) {
-						privileges.global.get(req.uid, next);
-					},
-					user: function (next) {
-						user.getUserData(req.uid, next);
-					},
-					isEmailConfirmSent: function (next) {
-						if (!meta.config.requireEmailConfirmation || req.uid <= 0) {
-							return next(null, false);
-						}
-						db.get('uid:' + req.uid + ':confirm:email:sent', next);
-					},
-					languageDirection: function (next) {
-						translator.translate('[[language:dir]]', res.locals.config.userLang, function (translated) {
-							next(null, translated);
-						});
-					},
-					browserTitle: function (next) {
-						translator.translate(controllers.helpers.buildTitle(translator.unescape(data.title)), function (translated) {
-							next(null, translated);
-						});
-					},
-					navigation: async.apply(navigation.get, req.uid),
-					banned: async.apply(user.bans.isBanned, req.uid),
-					banReason: async.apply(user.bans.getReason, req.uid),
+		const results = await utils.promiseParallel({
+			isAdmin: user.isAdministrator(req.uid),
+			isGlobalMod: user.isGlobalModerator(req.uid),
+			isModerator: user.isModeratorOfAnyCategory(req.uid),
+			privileges: privileges.global.get(req.uid),
+			user: user.getUserData(req.uid),
+			isEmailConfirmSent: (!meta.config.requireEmailConfirmation || req.uid <= 0) ? false : await db.get('uid:' + req.uid + ':confirm:email:sent'),
+			languageDirection: translator.translate('[[language:dir]]', res.locals.config.userLang),
+			browserTitle: translator.translate(controllers.helpers.buildTitle(translator.unescape(data.title))),
+			navigation: navigation.get(req.uid),
+			banned: user.bans.isBanned(req.uid),
+			banReason: user.bans.getReason(req.uid),
+
+			unreadData: topics.getUnreadData({ uid: req.uid }),
+			unreadChatCount: messaging.getUnreadCount(req.uid),
+			unreadNotificationCount: user.notifications.getUnreadCount(req.uid),
+		});
 
-					unreadData: async.apply(topics.getUnreadData, { uid: req.uid }),
-					unreadChatCount: async.apply(messaging.getUnreadCount, req.uid),
-					unreadNotificationCount: async.apply(user.notifications.getUnreadCount, req.uid),
-				}, next);
-			},
-			function (results, next) {
-				if (results.banned) {
-					req.logout();
-					return res.redirect('/');
-				}
+		if (results.banned) {
+			req.logout();
+			return res.redirect('/');
+		}
 
-				const unreadData = {
-					'': {},
-					new: {},
-					watched: {},
-					unreplied: {},
-				};
-
-				results.user.unreadData = unreadData;
-				results.user.isAdmin = results.isAdmin;
-				results.user.isGlobalMod = results.isGlobalMod;
-				results.user.isMod = !!results.isModerator;
-				results.user.privileges = results.privileges;
-				results.user[results.user.status] = true;
-
-				results.user.email = String(results.user.email);
-				results.user['email:confirmed'] = results.user['email:confirmed'] === 1;
-				results.user.isEmailConfirmSent = !!results.isEmailConfirmSent;
-
-				templateValues.bootswatchSkin = (parseInt(meta.config.disableCustomUserSkins, 10) !== 1 ? res.locals.config.bootswatchSkin : '') || meta.config.bootswatchSkin || '';
-				templateValues.config.bootswatchSkin = templateValues.bootswatchSkin || 'noskin';	// TODO remove in v1.12.0+
-
-				const unreadCounts = results.unreadData.counts;
-				var unreadCount = {
-					topic: unreadCounts[''] || 0,
-					newTopic: unreadCounts.new || 0,
-					watchedTopic: unreadCounts.watched || 0,
-					unrepliedTopic: unreadCounts.unreplied || 0,
-					chat: results.unreadChatCount || 0,
-					notification: results.unreadNotificationCount || 0,
-				};
-
-				Object.keys(unreadCount).forEach(function (key) {
-					if (unreadCount[key] > 99) {
-						unreadCount[key] = '99+';
-					}
-				});
-
-				const tidsByFilter = results.unreadData.tidsByFilter;
-				results.navigation = results.navigation.map(function (item) {
-					function modifyNavItem(item, route, filter, content) {
-						if (item && item.originalRoute === route) {
-							unreadData[filter] = _.zipObject(tidsByFilter[filter], tidsByFilter[filter].map(() => true));
-							item.content = content;
-							if (unreadCounts[filter] > 0) {
-								item.iconClass += ' unread-count';
-							}
-						}
+		const unreadData = {
+			'': {},
+			new: {},
+			watched: {},
+			unreplied: {},
+		};
+
+		results.user.unreadData = unreadData;
+		results.user.isAdmin = results.isAdmin;
+		results.user.isGlobalMod = results.isGlobalMod;
+		results.user.isMod = !!results.isModerator;
+		results.user.privileges = results.privileges;
+		results.user[results.user.status] = true;
+
+		results.user.email = String(results.user.email);
+		results.user['email:confirmed'] = results.user['email:confirmed'] === 1;
+		results.user.isEmailConfirmSent = !!results.isEmailConfirmSent;
+
+		templateValues.bootswatchSkin = (parseInt(meta.config.disableCustomUserSkins, 10) !== 1 ? res.locals.config.bootswatchSkin : '') || meta.config.bootswatchSkin || '';
+		templateValues.config.bootswatchSkin = templateValues.bootswatchSkin || 'noskin';	// TODO remove in v1.12.0+
+
+		const unreadCounts = results.unreadData.counts;
+		const unreadCount = {
+			topic: unreadCounts[''] || 0,
+			newTopic: unreadCounts.new || 0,
+			watchedTopic: unreadCounts.watched || 0,
+			unrepliedTopic: unreadCounts.unreplied || 0,
+			chat: results.unreadChatCount || 0,
+			notification: results.unreadNotificationCount || 0,
+		};
+
+		Object.keys(unreadCount).forEach(function (key) {
+			if (unreadCount[key] > 99) {
+				unreadCount[key] = '99+';
+			}
+		});
+
+		const tidsByFilter = results.unreadData.tidsByFilter;
+		results.navigation = results.navigation.map(function (item) {
+			function modifyNavItem(item, route, filter, content) {
+				if (item && item.originalRoute === route) {
+					unreadData[filter] = _.zipObject(tidsByFilter[filter], tidsByFilter[filter].map(() => true));
+					item.content = content;
+					if (unreadCounts[filter] > 0) {
+						item.iconClass += ' unread-count';
 					}
-					modifyNavItem(item, '/unread', '', unreadCount.topic);
-					modifyNavItem(item, '/unread?filter=new', 'new', unreadCount.newTopic);
-					modifyNavItem(item, '/unread?filter=watched', 'watched', unreadCount.watchedTopic);
-					modifyNavItem(item, '/unread?filter=unreplied', 'unreplied', unreadCount.unrepliedTopic);
-					return item;
-				});
-
-				templateValues.browserTitle = results.browserTitle;
-				templateValues.navigation = results.navigation;
-				templateValues.unreadCount = unreadCount;
-				templateValues.isAdmin = results.user.isAdmin;
-				templateValues.isGlobalMod = results.user.isGlobalMod;
-				templateValues.showModMenu = results.user.isAdmin || results.user.isGlobalMod || results.user.isMod;
-				templateValues.canChat = results.canChat && meta.config.disableChat !== 1;
-				templateValues.user = results.user;
-				templateValues.userJSON = jsesc(JSON.stringify(results.user), { isScriptContext: true });
-				templateValues.useCustomCSS = meta.config.useCustomCSS && meta.config.customCSS;
-				templateValues.customCSS = templateValues.useCustomCSS ? (meta.config.renderedCustomCSS || '') : '';
-				templateValues.useCustomHTML = meta.config.useCustomHTML;
-				templateValues.customHTML = templateValues.useCustomHTML ? meta.config.customHTML : '';
-				templateValues.maintenanceHeader = meta.config.maintenanceMode && !results.isAdmin;
-				templateValues.defaultLang = meta.config.defaultLang || 'en-GB';
-				templateValues.userLang = res.locals.config.userLang;
-				templateValues.languageDirection = results.languageDirection;
-
-				templateValues.template = { name: res.locals.template };
-				templateValues.template[res.locals.template] = true;
-
-				if (data.hasOwnProperty('_header')) {
-					templateValues.metaTags = data._header.tags.meta;
-					templateValues.linkTags = data._header.tags.link;
 				}
+			}
+			modifyNavItem(item, '/unread', '', unreadCount.topic);
+			modifyNavItem(item, '/unread?filter=new', 'new', unreadCount.newTopic);
+			modifyNavItem(item, '/unread?filter=watched', 'watched', unreadCount.watchedTopic);
+			modifyNavItem(item, '/unread?filter=unreplied', 'unreplied', unreadCount.unrepliedTopic);
+			return item;
+		});
 
-				if (req.route && req.route.path === '/') {
-					modifyTitle(templateValues);
-				}
+		templateValues.browserTitle = results.browserTitle;
+		templateValues.navigation = results.navigation;
+		templateValues.unreadCount = unreadCount;
+		templateValues.isAdmin = results.user.isAdmin;
+		templateValues.isGlobalMod = results.user.isGlobalMod;
+		templateValues.showModMenu = results.user.isAdmin || results.user.isGlobalMod || results.user.isMod;
+		templateValues.canChat = results.canChat && meta.config.disableChat !== 1;
+		templateValues.user = results.user;
+		templateValues.userJSON = jsesc(JSON.stringify(results.user), { isScriptContext: true });
+		templateValues.useCustomCSS = meta.config.useCustomCSS && meta.config.customCSS;
+		templateValues.customCSS = templateValues.useCustomCSS ? (meta.config.renderedCustomCSS || '') : '';
+		templateValues.useCustomHTML = meta.config.useCustomHTML;
+		templateValues.customHTML = templateValues.useCustomHTML ? meta.config.customHTML : '';
+		templateValues.maintenanceHeader = meta.config.maintenanceMode && !results.isAdmin;
+		templateValues.defaultLang = meta.config.defaultLang || 'en-GB';
+		templateValues.userLang = res.locals.config.userLang;
+		templateValues.languageDirection = results.languageDirection;
+
+		templateValues.template = { name: res.locals.template };
+		templateValues.template[res.locals.template] = true;
+
+		if (data.hasOwnProperty('_header')) {
+			templateValues.metaTags = data._header.tags.meta;
+			templateValues.linkTags = data._header.tags.link;
+		}
 
-				plugins.fireHook('filter:middleware.renderHeader', {
-					req: req,
-					res: res,
-					templateValues: templateValues,
-					data: data,
-				}, next);
-			},
-		], function (err, data) {
-			callback(err, data.templateValues);
+		if (req.route && req.route.path === '/') {
+			modifyTitle(templateValues);
+		}
+
+		const hookReturn = await plugins.fireHook('filter:middleware.renderHeader', {
+			req: req,
+			res: res,
+			templateValues: templateValues,
+			data: data,
 		});
-	};
 
-	middleware.renderHeader = function renderHeader(req, res, data, callback) {
-		async.waterfall([
-			async.apply(middleware.generateHeader, req, res, data),
-			function (templateValues, next) {
-				req.app.render('header', templateValues, next);
-			},
-		], callback);
+		return hookReturn.templateValues;
+	}
+
+	middleware.renderHeader = async function renderHeader(req, res, data) {
+		return await req.app.renderAsync('header', await generateHeader(req, res, data));
 	};
 
-	middleware.renderFooter = function renderFooter(req, res, data, callback) {
-		async.waterfall([
-			function (next) {
-				plugins.fireHook('filter:middleware.renderFooter', {
-					req: req,
-					res: res,
-					templateValues: data,
-				}, next);
-			},
-			function (data, next) {
-				async.parallel({
-					scripts: async.apply(plugins.fireHook, 'filter:scripts.get', []),
-					timeagoLocale: (next) => {
-						async.waterfall([
-							async.apply(languages.listCodes),
-							(languageCodes, next) => {
-								const userLang = res.locals.config.userLang;
-								const timeagoCode = utils.userLangToTimeagoCode(userLang);
-
-								if (languageCodes.includes(userLang) && languages.timeagoCodes.includes(timeagoCode)) {
-									const pathToLocaleFile = '/vendor/jquery/timeago/locales/jquery.timeago.' + timeagoCode + '.js';
-									next(null, (nconf.get('relative_path') + '/assets' + pathToLocaleFile));
-								} else {
-									next(null, false);
-								}
-							},
-						], next);
-					},
-				}, function (err, results) {
-					next(err, data, results);
-				});
-			},
-			function (data, results, next) {
-				if (results.timeagoLocale) {
-					results.scripts.push(results.timeagoLocale);
+	middleware.renderFooter = async function renderFooter(req, res, templateValues) {
+		const data = await plugins.fireHook('filter:middleware.renderFooter', {
+			req: req,
+			res: res,
+			templateValues: templateValues,
+		});
+
+		const results = await utils.promiseParallel({
+			scripts: plugins.fireHook('filter:scripts.get', []),
+			timeagoLocale: (async () => {
+				const languageCodes = await languages.listCodes();
+				const userLang = res.locals.config.userLang;
+				const timeagoCode = utils.userLangToTimeagoCode(userLang);
+
+				if (languageCodes.includes(userLang) && languages.timeagoCodes.includes(timeagoCode)) {
+					const pathToLocaleFile = '/vendor/jquery/timeago/locales/jquery.timeago.' + timeagoCode + '.js';
+					return nconf.get('relative_path') + '/assets' + pathToLocaleFile;
 				}
-				data.templateValues.scripts = results.scripts.map(function (script) {
-					return { src: script };
-				});
-
-				data.templateValues.useCustomJS = meta.config.useCustomJS;
-				data.templateValues.customJS = data.templateValues.useCustomJS ? meta.config.customJS : '';
-				data.templateValues.isSpider = req.uid === -1;
-				req.app.render('footer', data.templateValues, next);
-			},
-		], callback);
+				return false;
+			})(),
+		});
+
+		if (results.timeagoLocale) {
+			results.scripts.push(results.timeagoLocale);
+		}
+		data.templateValues.scripts = results.scripts.map(function (script) {
+			return { src: script };
+		});
+
+		data.templateValues.useCustomJS = meta.config.useCustomJS;
+		data.templateValues.customJS = data.templateValues.useCustomJS ? meta.config.customJS : '';
+		data.templateValues.isSpider = req.uid === -1;
+
+		return await req.app.renderAsync('footer', data.templateValues);
 	};
 
 	function modifyTitle(obj) {
diff --git a/src/middleware/render.js b/src/middleware/render.js
index a6257d04a8..1e9d20b0b0 100644
--- a/src/middleware/render.js
+++ b/src/middleware/render.js
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ const widgets = require('../widgets');
 const utils = require('../utils');
 
 module.exports = function (middleware) {
-	const renderHeaderFooterAsync = util.promisify(renderHeaderFooter);
-
 	middleware.processRender = function processRender(req, res, next) {
 		// res.render post-processing, modified from here: https://gist.github.com/mrlannigan/5051687
 		const render = res.render;
@@ -63,9 +61,9 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 			const renderAsync = util.promisify((templateToRender, options, next) => render.call(self, templateToRender, options, next));
 
 			const results = await utils.promiseParallel({
-				header: renderHeaderFooterAsync('renderHeader', req, res, options),
+				header: renderHeaderFooter('renderHeader', req, res, options),
 				content: renderAsync(templateToRender, options),
-				footer: renderHeaderFooterAsync('renderFooter', req, res, options),
+				footer: renderHeaderFooter('renderFooter', req, res, options),
 			});
 
 			const str = results.header +
@@ -89,14 +87,13 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 		next();
 	};
 
-	function renderHeaderFooter(method, req, res, options, next) {
+	async function renderHeaderFooter(method, req, res, options) {
 		if (res.locals.renderHeader) {
-			middleware[method](req, res, options, next);
+			return await middleware[method](req, res, options);
 		} else if (res.locals.renderAdminHeader) {
-			middleware.admin[method](req, res, options, next);
-		} else {
-			next(null, '');
+			return await middleware.admin[method](req, res, options);
 		}
+		return '';
 	}
 
 	async function translate(str, req, res) {