diff --git a/nodebb b/nodebb
index 22051bb810..2b71185d4e 100755
--- a/nodebb
+++ b/nodebb
@@ -2,10 +2,28 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-var cproc;
-var args;
-var fs;
-var path;
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
+var cproc = require('child_process');
+
+// check to make sure dependencies are installed
+try {
+	fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'node_modules/async/package.json'));
+} catch (e) {
+	if (e.code === 'ENOENT') {
+		process.stdout.write('Dependencies not yet installed.\n');
+		process.stdout.write('Installing them now...\n\n');
+
+		cproc.execSync('npm i --production', {
+			cwd: __dirname,
+			stdio: [0, 1, 2],
+		});
+	} else {
+		throw e;
+	}
+}
+
+var minimist;
 var request;
 var semver;
 var prompt;
@@ -13,25 +31,23 @@ var async;
 
 try {
 	require('colors');
-	cproc = require('child_process');
-	args = require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2));
-	fs = require('fs');
-	path = require('path');
+	minimist = require('minimist');
 	request = require('request');
 	semver = require('semver');
 	prompt = require('prompt');
 	async = require('async');
 } catch (e) {
-	if (e.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
-		process.stdout.write('NodeBB could not be started because it\'s dependencies have not been installed.\n');
-		process.stdout.write('Please ensure that you have executed "npm install --production" prior to running NodeBB.\n\n');
-		process.stdout.write('For more information, please see: https://docs.nodebb.org/en/latest/installing/os.html\n\n');
-		process.stdout.write('Could not start: ' + e.code + '\n');
+	process.stdout.write(
+		'\x1b[31mNodeBB could not be initialised because there was an error while loading dependencies.\n' +
+		'Please run "\x1b[33mnpm install --production\x1b[31m" and try again.\x1b[0m\n\n' +
+		'For more information, please see: https://docs.nodebb.org/en/latest/installing/os.html\n\n'
+	);
 
-		process.exit(1);
-	}
+	throw e;
 }
 
+var args = minimist(process.argv.slice(2));
+
 var loaderPath = path.join(__dirname, 'loader.js');
 var appPath = path.join(__dirname, 'app.js');
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/load.js b/src/plugins/load.js
index f4ba868eea..04b65e9163 100644
--- a/src/plugins/load.js
+++ b/src/plugins/load.js
@@ -263,12 +263,12 @@ module.exports = function (Plugins) {
 		soundpack.id = pluginData.id;
 		soundpack.dir = path.join(pluginData.path, soundpack.dir);
 		async.each(Object.keys(soundpack.sounds), function (key, next) {
-			file.exists(path.join(soundpack.dir, soundpack.sounds[key]), function (exists) {
+			file.exists(path.join(soundpack.dir, soundpack.sounds[key]), function (err, exists) {
 				if (!exists) {
 					delete soundpack.sounds[key];
 				}
 
-				next();
+				next(err);
 			});
 		}, function (err) {
 			if (err) {
diff --git a/test/defer-logger.js b/test/defer-logger.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ddb9de45c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/defer-logger.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var util = require('util');
+var winston = require('winston');
+
+function DeferLogger(options) {
+	options = options || {};
+
+	this.name = 'DeferLogger';
+	this.level = options.level || 'info';
+
+	this.logged = options.logged;
+}
+
+util.inherits(DeferLogger, winston.Transport);
+
+DeferLogger.prototype.log = function log(level, msg, meta, callback) {
+	this.logged.push([level, msg, meta]);
+	callback(null, true);
+};
+
+var winstonLogged = [];
+
+before(function () {
+	// defer winston logs until the end
+	winston.remove(winston.transports.Console);
+
+	winston.add(DeferLogger, {
+		logged: winstonLogged,
+	});
+});
+
+after(function () {
+	console.log('\n\n');
+
+	var con = new winston.transports.Console();
+	winstonLogged.forEach(function (args) {
+		con.log(args[0], args[1], args[2], function () {});
+	});
+});