diff --git a/auth/authentication.js b/auth/authentication.js
index 4ab54673..4e8eccf0 100644
--- a/auth/authentication.js
+++ b/auth/authentication.js
@@ -56,20 +56,18 @@ module.exports = {
             logger.debug('no user found');
             throw new Error('Authentication failed, you do not have access to that channel');
           }
-          return user.comparePassword(userPassword, (passwordErr, isMatch) => {
-            if (passwordErr) {
-              logger.error('comparePassword error:', passwordErr);
-              throw new Error('Authentication failed, you do not have access to that channel');
-            }
-            if (!isMatch) {
-              logger.debug('incorrect password');
-              throw new Error('Authentication failed, you do not have access to that channel');
-            }
-            logger.debug('...password was a match...');
-            resolve(channelData);
-          });
+          return user.comparePassword(userPassword);
+        })
+        .then(isMatch => {
+          if (!isMatch) {
+            logger.debug('incorrect password');
+            throw new Error('Authentication failed, you do not have access to that channel');
+          }
+          logger.debug('...password was a match...');
+          resolve(channelData);
         })
         .catch(error => {
+          logger.warn('authenticateChannelCredentials error');
           reject(error);
         });
     });
diff --git a/models/user.js b/models/user.js
index 55f75114..ed3de074 100644
--- a/models/user.js
+++ b/models/user.js
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ module.exports = (sequelize, { STRING }) => {
     User.hasOne(db.Channel);
   };
 
-  User.prototype.comparePassword = function (password, callback) {
-    bcrypt.compare(password, this.password, callback);
+  User.prototype.comparePassword = function (password) {
+    return bcrypt.compare(password, this.password);
   };
 
   User.prototype.changePassword = function (newPassword) {
diff --git a/passport/local-login.js b/passport/local-login.js
index 99e9fc50..89b5a968 100644
--- a/passport/local-login.js
+++ b/passport/local-login.js
@@ -30,33 +30,33 @@ module.exports = new PassportLocalStrategy(
     passwordField: 'password',
   },
   (username, password, done) => {
-    logger.debug('logging user in');
-    return db
-      .User
-      .findOne({where: {userName: username}})
+    return db.User
+      .findOne({
+        where: {userName: username},
+      })
       .then(user => {
         if (!user) {
-          // logger.debug('no user found');
+          logger.debug('no user found');
           return done(null, false, {message: 'Incorrect username or password'});
         }
-        user.comparePassword(password, (passwordErr, isMatch) => {
-          if (passwordErr) {
-            logger.error('passwordErr:', passwordErr);
-            return done(null, false, {message: passwordErr});
-          }
-          if (!isMatch) {
-            // logger.debug('incorrect password');
-            return done(null, false, {message: 'Incorrect username or password'});
-          }
-          logger.debug('Password was a match, returning User');
-          return returnUserAndChannelInfo(user)
-            .then((userInfo) => {
-              return done(null, userInfo);
-            })
-            .catch(error => {
-              return done(error);
-            });
-        });
+        return user.comparePassword(password)
+          .then(isMatch => {
+            if (!isMatch) {
+              logger.debug('incorrect password');
+              return done(null, false, {message: 'Incorrect username or password'});
+            }
+            logger.debug('Password was a match, returning User');
+            return returnUserAndChannelInfo(user)
+              .then(userInfo => {
+                return done(null, userInfo);
+              })
+              .catch(error => {
+                return error;
+              });
+          })
+          .catch(error => {
+            return error;
+          });
       })
       .catch(error => {
         return done(error);
diff --git a/routes/api-routes.js b/routes/api-routes.js
index 1182ef72..0097da7a 100644
--- a/routes/api-routes.js
+++ b/routes/api-routes.js
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ module.exports = (app) => {
         }
       })
       .catch(error => {
+        console.log('handling error response...');
         errorHandlers.handleErrorResponse(originalUrl, ip, error, res);
       });
   });
diff --git a/task-scripts/update-password.js b/task-scripts/update-password.js
index 89cff11f..e5bfb7d5 100644
--- a/task-scripts/update-password.js
+++ b/task-scripts/update-password.js
@@ -26,18 +26,17 @@ db.sequelize.sync() // sync sequelize
     if (!user) {
       throw new Error('no user found');
     }
-    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      user.comparePassword(oldPassword, (passwordErr, isMatch) => {
-        if (passwordErr) {
-          return reject(passwordErr);
-        }
-        if (!isMatch) {
-          return reject('Incorrect old password.');
-        }
-        logger.debug('Password was a match, updating password');
-        return resolve(user.changePassword(newPassword));
-      });
-    });
+    return Promise.all([
+      user.comparePassword(oldPassword),
+      user,
+    ]);
+  })
+  .then(([isMatch, user]) => {
+    if (!isMatch) {
+      throw new Error('Incorrect old password.');
+    }
+    logger.debug('Password was a match, updating password');
+    return user.changePassword(newPassword);
   })
   .then(() => {
     logger.debug('Password successfully updated');