diff --git a/src/controllers/categories.js b/src/controllers/categories.js
index 255f8c0859..22f4964a74 100644
--- a/src/controllers/categories.js
+++ b/src/controllers/categories.js
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var async = require('async');
-var nconf = require('nconf');
+const nconf = require('nconf');
 
-var categories = require('../categories');
-var meta = require('../meta');
-var helpers = require('./helpers');
+const categories = require('../categories');
+const meta = require('../meta');
+const helpers = require('./helpers');
 
-var categoriesController = module.exports;
+const categoriesController = module.exports;
 
-categoriesController.list = function (req, res, next) {
+categoriesController.list = async function (req, res) {
 	res.locals.metaTags = [{
 		name: 'title',
 		content: String(meta.config.title || 'NodeBB'),
@@ -18,45 +17,34 @@ categoriesController.list = function (req, res, next) {
 		content: 'website',
 	}];
 
-	var categoryData;
-	let tree;
-	async.waterfall([
-		function (next) {
-			categories.getCategoriesByPrivilege('categories:cid', req.uid, 'find', next);
-		},
-		function (_categoryData, next) {
-			categoryData = _categoryData;
-
-			tree = categories.getTree(categoryData, 0);
-			categories.getRecentTopicReplies(categoryData, req.uid, next);
-		},
-		function () {
-			var data = {
-				title: meta.config.homePageTitle || '[[pages:home]]',
-				categories: tree,
+	const categoryData = await categories.getCategoriesByPrivilege('categories:cid', req.uid, 'find');
+	const tree = categories.getTree(categoryData, 0);
+	await categories.getRecentTopicReplies(categoryData, req.uid);
+
+	const data = {
+		title: meta.config.homePageTitle || '[[pages:home]]',
+		categories: tree,
+	};
+
+	if (req.originalUrl.startsWith(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/api/categories') || req.originalUrl.startsWith(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/categories')) {
+		data.title = '[[pages:categories]]';
+		data.breadcrumbs = helpers.buildBreadcrumbs([{ text: data.title }]);
+		res.locals.metaTags.push({
+			property: 'og:title',
+			content: '[[pages:categories]]',
+		});
+	}
+
+	data.categories.forEach(function (category) {
+		if (category && Array.isArray(category.posts) && category.posts.length && category.posts[0]) {
+			category.teaser = {
+				url: nconf.get('relative_path') + '/post/' + category.posts[0].pid,
+				timestampISO: category.posts[0].timestampISO,
+				pid: category.posts[0].pid,
+				topic: category.posts[0].topic,
 			};
+		}
+	});
 
-			if (req.originalUrl.startsWith(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/api/categories') || req.originalUrl.startsWith(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/categories')) {
-				data.title = '[[pages:categories]]';
-				data.breadcrumbs = helpers.buildBreadcrumbs([{ text: data.title }]);
-				res.locals.metaTags.push({
-					property: 'og:title',
-					content: '[[pages:categories]]',
-				});
-			}
-
-			data.categories.forEach(function (category) {
-				if (category && Array.isArray(category.posts) && category.posts.length && category.posts[0]) {
-					category.teaser = {
-						url: nconf.get('relative_path') + '/post/' + category.posts[0].pid,
-						timestampISO: category.posts[0].timestampISO,
-						pid: category.posts[0].pid,
-						topic: category.posts[0].topic,
-					};
-				}
-			});
-
-			res.render('categories', data);
-		},
-	], next);
+	res.render('categories', data);
 };