diff --git a/src/categories/data.js b/src/categories/data.js
index 25b7021610..e3d9296c72 100644
--- a/src/categories/data.js
+++ b/src/categories/data.js
@@ -8,32 +8,19 @@ var db = require('../database');
 
 module.exports = function (Categories) {
 	Categories.getCategoryData = function (cid, callback) {
-		db.getObject('category:' + cid, function (err, category) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			modifyCategory(category);
-			callback(null, category);
-		});
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				db.getObject('category:' + cid, next);
+			},
+			function (category, next) {
+				modifyCategory(category);
+				next(null, category);
+			},
+		], callback);
 	};
 
 	Categories.getCategoriesData = function (cids, callback) {
-		if (!Array.isArray(cids) || !cids.length) {
-			return callback(null, []);
-		}
-		var keys = cids.map(function (cid) {
-			return 'category:' + cid;
-		});
-
-		db.getObjects(keys, function (err, categories) {
-			if (err || !Array.isArray(categories) || !categories.length) {
-				return callback(err, []);
-			}
-
-			categories.forEach(modifyCategory);
-			callback(null, categories);
-		});
+		Categories.getCategoriesFields(cids, [], callback);
 	};
 
 	function modifyCategory(category) {
@@ -76,15 +63,19 @@ module.exports = function (Categories) {
 		var keys = cids.map(function (cid) {
 			return 'category:' + cid;
 		});
-
-		db.getObjectsFields(keys, fields, function (err, categories) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			categories.forEach(modifyCategory);
-			callback(null, categories);
-		});
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				if (fields.length) {
+					db.getObjectsFields(keys, fields, next);
+				} else {
+					db.getObjects(keys, next);
+				}
+			},
+			function (categories, next) {
+				categories.forEach(modifyCategory);
+				next(null, categories);
+			},
+		], callback);
 	};
 
 	Categories.getMultipleCategoryFields = function (cids, fields, callback) {
diff --git a/src/categories/recentreplies.js b/src/categories/recentreplies.js
index 595cba3f9e..5936863102 100644
--- a/src/categories/recentreplies.js
+++ b/src/categories/recentreplies.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 var async = require('async');
-var winston = require('winston');
 var _ = require('underscore');
 
 var db = require('../database');
@@ -31,36 +30,33 @@ module.exports = function (Categories) {
 	};
 
 	Categories.updateRecentTid = function (cid, tid, callback) {
-		async.parallel({
-			count: function (next) {
-				db.sortedSetCard('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', next);
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				async.parallel({
+					count: function (next) {
+						db.sortedSetCard('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', next);
+					},
+					numRecentReplies: function (next) {
+						db.getObjectField('category:' + cid, 'numRecentReplies', next);
+					},
+				}, next);
 			},
-			numRecentReplies: function (next) {
-				db.getObjectField('category:' + cid, 'numRecentReplies', next);
+			function (results, next) {
+				if (results.count < results.numRecentReplies) {
+					return db.sortedSetAdd('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', Date.now(), tid, callback);
+				}
+				db.getSortedSetRangeWithScores('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', 0, results.count - results.numRecentReplies, next);
 			},
-		}, function (err, results) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			if (results.count < results.numRecentReplies) {
-				return db.sortedSetAdd('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', Date.now(), tid, callback);
-			}
-			async.waterfall([
-				function (next) {
-					db.getSortedSetRangeWithScores('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', 0, results.count - results.numRecentReplies, next);
-				},
-				function (data, next) {
-					if (!data.length) {
-						return next();
-					}
-					db.sortedSetsRemoveRangeByScore(['cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids'], '-inf', data[data.length - 1].score, next);
-				},
-				function (next) {
-					db.sortedSetAdd('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', Date.now(), tid, next);
-				},
-			], callback);
-		});
+			function (data, next) {
+				if (!data.length) {
+					return next();
+				}
+				db.sortedSetsRemoveRangeByScore(['cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids'], '-inf', data[data.length - 1].score, next);
+			},
+			function (next) {
+				db.sortedSetAdd('cid:' + cid + ':recent_tids', Date.now(), tid, next);
+			},
+		], callback);
 	};
 
 	Categories.getRecentTopicReplies = function (categoryData, uid, callback) {
@@ -185,65 +181,60 @@ module.exports = function (Categories) {
 	Categories.moveRecentReplies = function (tid, oldCid, cid, callback) {
 		callback = callback || function () {};
 		updatePostCount(tid, oldCid, cid);
-		topics.getPids(tid, function (err, pids) {
-			if (err) {
-				return winston.error(err.message);
-			}
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				topics.getPids(tid, next);
+			},
+			function (pids, next) {
+				if (!Array.isArray(pids) || !pids.length) {
+					return callback();
+				}
 
-			if (!Array.isArray(pids) || !pids.length) {
-				return;
-			}
+				batch.processArray(pids, function (pids, next) {
+					async.waterfall([
+						function (next) {
+							posts.getPostsFields(pids, ['timestamp'], next);
+						},
+						function (postData, next) {
+							var timestamps = postData.map(function (post) {
+								return post && post.timestamp;
+							});
+
+							async.parallel([
+								function (next) {
+									db.sortedSetRemove('cid:' + oldCid + ':pids', pids, next);
+								},
+								function (next) {
+									db.sortedSetAdd('cid:' + cid + ':pids', timestamps, pids, next);
+								},
+							], next);
+						},
+					], next);
+				}, next);
+			},
+		], callback);
+	};
 
-			batch.processArray(pids, function (pids, next) {
-				async.waterfall([
+	function updatePostCount(tid, oldCid, newCid, callback) {
+		callback = callback || function () {};
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				topics.getTopicField(tid, 'postcount', next);
+			},
+			function (postCount, next) {
+				if (!parseInt(postCount, 10)) {
+					return callback();
+				}
+				async.parallel([
 					function (next) {
-						posts.getPostsFields(pids, ['timestamp'], next);
+						db.incrObjectFieldBy('category:' + oldCid, 'post_count', -postCount, next);
 					},
-					function (postData, next) {
-						var timestamps = postData.map(function (post) {
-							return post && post.timestamp;
-						});
-
-						async.parallel([
-							function (next) {
-								db.sortedSetRemove('cid:' + oldCid + ':pids', pids, next);
-							},
-							function (next) {
-								db.sortedSetAdd('cid:' + cid + ':pids', timestamps, pids, next);
-							},
-						], next);
+					function (next) {
+						db.incrObjectFieldBy('category:' + newCid, 'post_count', postCount, next);
 					},
 				], next);
-			}, function (err) {
-				if (err) {
-					winston.error(err.stack);
-				}
-				callback(err);
-			});
-		});
-	};
-
-	function updatePostCount(tid, oldCid, newCid) {
-		topics.getTopicField(tid, 'postcount', function (err, postCount) {
-			if (err) {
-				return winston.error(err.message);
-			}
-			if (!parseInt(postCount, 10)) {
-				return;
-			}
-			async.parallel([
-				function (next) {
-					db.incrObjectFieldBy('category:' + oldCid, 'post_count', -postCount, next);
-				},
-				function (next) {
-					db.incrObjectFieldBy('category:' + newCid, 'post_count', postCount, next);
-				},
-			], function (err) {
-				if (err) {
-					winston.error(err.message);
-				}
-			});
-		});
+			},
+		], callback);
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/categories/unread.js b/src/categories/unread.js
index 1ef6ee40b5..498f5e65dc 100644
--- a/src/categories/unread.js
+++ b/src/categories/unread.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var async = require('async');
+
 var db = require('../database');
 
 module.exports = function (Categories) {
@@ -12,21 +14,22 @@ module.exports = function (Categories) {
 			return 'cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid';
 		});
 
-		db.isMemberOfSets(keys, uid, function (err, hasRead) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			keys = keys.filter(function (key, index) {
-				return !hasRead[index];
-			});
-
-			if (!keys.length) {
-				return callback();
-			}
-
-			db.setsAdd(keys, uid, callback);
-		});
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				db.isMemberOfSets(keys, uid, next);
+			},
+			function (hasRead, next) {
+				keys = keys.filter(function (key, index) {
+					return !hasRead[index];
+				});
+
+				if (!keys.length) {
+					return callback();
+				}
+
+				db.setsAdd(keys, uid, next);
+			},
+		], callback);
 	};
 
 	Categories.markAsUnreadForAll = function (cid, callback) {
@@ -38,11 +41,9 @@ module.exports = function (Categories) {
 	};
 
 	Categories.hasReadCategories = function (cids, uid, callback) {
-		var sets = [];
-
-		for (var i = 0, ii = cids.length; i < ii; i += 1) {
-			sets.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':read_by_uid');
-		}
+		var sets = cids.map(function (cid) {
+			return 'cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid';
+		});
 
 		db.isMemberOfSets(sets, uid, callback);
 	};
diff --git a/src/middleware/admin.js b/src/middleware/admin.js
index f40e273317..d320e9c850 100644
--- a/src/middleware/admin.js
+++ b/src/middleware/admin.js
@@ -15,74 +15,54 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 	middleware.admin = {};
 	middleware.admin.isAdmin = function (req, res, next) {
 		winston.warn('[middleware.admin.isAdmin] deprecation warning, no need to use this from plugins!');
+		middleware.isAdmin(req, res, next);
+	};
+
+	middleware.admin.buildHeader = function (req, res, next) {
+		res.locals.renderAdminHeader = true;
 
 		async.waterfall([
 			function (next) {
-				user.isAdministrator(req.uid, next);
+				controllers.api.getConfig(req, res, next);
 			},
-			function (isAdmin, next) {
-				if (!isAdmin) {
-					return controllers.helpers.notAllowed(req, res);
-				}
+			function (config, next) {
+				res.locals.config = config;
 				next();
 			},
 		], next);
 	};
 
-	middleware.admin.buildHeader = function (req, res, next) {
-		res.locals.renderAdminHeader = true;
-
-		controllers.api.getConfig(req, res, function (err, config) {
-			if (err) {
-				return next(err);
-			}
-
-			res.locals.config = config;
-			next();
-		});
-	};
-
 	middleware.admin.renderHeader = function (req, res, data, next) {
 		var custom_header = {
 			plugins: [],
 			authentication: [],
 		};
 
-		user.getUserFields(req.uid, ['username', 'userslug', 'email', 'picture', 'email:confirmed'], function (err, userData) {
-			if (err) {
-				return next(err);
-			}
-
-			userData.uid = req.uid;
-			userData['email:confirmed'] = parseInt(userData['email:confirmed'], 10) === 1;
-
-			async.parallel({
-				scripts: function (next) {
-					plugins.fireHook('filter:admin.scripts.get', [], function (err, scripts) {
-						if (err) {
-							return next(err);
-						}
-						var arr = [];
-						scripts.forEach(function (script) {
-							arr.push({ src: script });
-						});
+		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);
+					},
+					config: function (next) {
+						controllers.api.getConfig(req, res, next);
+					},
+					configs: function (next) {
+						meta.configs.list(next);
+					},
+				}, next);
+			},
+			function (results, next) {
+				var userData = results.userData;
+				userData.uid = req.uid;
+				userData['email:confirmed'] = parseInt(userData['email:confirmed'], 10) === 1;
 
-						next(null, arr);
-					});
-				},
-				custom_header: function (next) {
-					plugins.fireHook('filter:admin.header.build', custom_header, next);
-				},
-				config: function (next) {
-					controllers.api.getConfig(req, res, next);
-				},
-				configs: function (next) {
-					meta.configs.list(next);
-				},
-			}, function (err, results) {
-				if (err) {
-					return next(err);
-				}
 				res.locals.config = results.config;
 
 				var acpPath = req.path.slice(1).split('/');
@@ -111,10 +91,22 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 				templateValues.template[res.locals.template] = true;
 
 				req.app.render('admin/header', templateValues, next);
-			});
-		});
+			},
+		], next);
 	};
 
+	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);
+	}
 
 	middleware.admin.renderFooter = function (req, res, data, next) {
 		req.app.render('admin/footer', data, next);