diff --git a/controllers/publishController.js b/controllers/publishController.js
index 13e67c72..f2c61e9c 100644
--- a/controllers/publishController.js
+++ b/controllers/publishController.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ function upsert (Model, values, condition) {
 }
 
 function checkNameAvailability (name) {
-  const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     // find any records where the name is used
     db.File
       .findAll({ where: { name } })
@@ -50,12 +50,11 @@ function checkNameAvailability (name) {
         reject(error);
       });
   });
-  return deferred;
 };
 
 module.exports = {
   publish (publishParams, fileName, fileType) {
-    const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // 1. make sure the name is available
       checkNameAvailability(publishParams.name)
       .then(result => {
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@ module.exports = {
         reject(error);
       });
     });
-    return deferred;
   },
   checkNameAvailability (name) {
     return checkNameAvailability(name);
diff --git a/controllers/serveController.js b/controllers/serveController.js
index 3e032d5b..ae737b38 100644
--- a/controllers/serveController.js
+++ b/controllers/serveController.js
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ module.exports = {
     return getAssetByClaimId(fullClaimId, name);
   },
   serveClaimByName (claimName) {
-    const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // 1. get the top free, public claims
       getAllFreePublicClaims(claimName)
         .then(freePublicClaimList => {
@@ -152,6 +152,5 @@ module.exports = {
           reject(error);
         });
     });
-    return deferred;
   },
 };
diff --git a/controllers/showController.js b/controllers/showController.js
index 922fcdf7..6ecefc05 100644
--- a/controllers/showController.js
+++ b/controllers/showController.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const serveHelpers = require('../helpers/serveHelpers.js');
 
 module.exports = {
   showClaimByName (claimName) {
-    const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // 1. get the top free, public claims
       getAllFreePublicClaims(claimName)
         .then(freePublicClaimList => {
@@ -51,11 +51,10 @@ module.exports = {
           reject(error);
         });
     });
-    return deferred;
   },
   showClaimByClaimId (name, claimId) {
     logger.debug(`Getting claim name: ${name} by claimid: ${claimId}`);
-    const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // 1. check locally for the claim
       const uri = `${name}#${claimId}`;
       db.File
@@ -107,10 +106,9 @@ module.exports = {
         })
         .catch(error => reject(error));
     });
-    return deferred;
   },
   showClaimByShortUrl (name, shortUrl) {
-    const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       let uri;
       let claimId;
       // 1. validate the claim id & retrieve the full claim id if needed
@@ -154,7 +152,6 @@ module.exports = {
         })
         .catch(error => reject(error));
     });
-    return deferred;
   },
   showAllClaims (claimName) {
     return getAllFreePublicClaims(claimName);
diff --git a/controllers/statsController.js b/controllers/statsController.js
index ee50f970..941fd401 100644
--- a/controllers/statsController.js
+++ b/controllers/statsController.js
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ module.exports = {
   },
   getStatsSummary (startDate) {
     logger.debug('retrieving request records');
-    const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // get the raw Requests data
       db.Request
         .findAll({
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ module.exports = {
           reject(error);
         });
     });
-    return deferred;
   },
   getTrendingClaims (startDate) {
     logger.debug('retrieving trending requests');
diff --git a/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js b/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js
index 120379fa..3c237bd7 100644
--- a/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js
+++ b/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function orderClaims (claimsListArray) {
 }
 
 module.exports = (claimName) => {
-  const deferred = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     // make a call to the daemon to get the claims list
     lbryApi
       .getClaimsList(claimName)
@@ -58,5 +58,4 @@ module.exports = (claimName) => {
         reject(error);
       });
   });
-  return deferred;
 };
diff --git a/public/assets/js/validationFunctions.js b/public/assets/js/validationFunctions.js
index c16bc4bb..cd9ecb47 100644
--- a/public/assets/js/validationFunctions.js
+++ b/public/assets/js/validationFunctions.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function validateFile(file) {
 }
 // validation function that checks to make sure the claim name is not already claimed
 function isNameAvailable (name) {
-	var deferred = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
+	return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
 		// make sure the claim name is still available
 		var xhttp;
 		xhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ function isNameAvailable (name) {
 		};
 		xhttp.send();
 	});
-	return deferred;
 }
 // validation function that checks to make sure the claim name is valid
 function validateClaimName (name) {
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@ function checkClaimName(name){
 }
 // validation function which checks all aspects of the publish submission
 function validateSubmission(stagedFiles, name){
-	var deferred = new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+	return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
 		// make sure only 1 file was selected
 		if (!stagedFiles) {
 			reject(new FileError("Please select a file"));
@@ -119,5 +118,4 @@ function validateSubmission(stagedFiles, name){
 				reject(error);
 			});
 	});
-	return deferred;
 }
\ No newline at end of file