diff --git a/src/taskworker.js b/src/taskworker.js
index 6f0820160..369c54f4a 100755
--- a/src/taskworker.js
+++ b/src/taskworker.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const apptask = require('./apptask.js'),
-    async = require('async'),
     backupCleaner = require('./backupcleaner.js'),
     backuptask = require('./backuptask.js'),
     dashboard = require('./dashboard.js'),
@@ -74,45 +73,49 @@ function exitSync(status) {
 // Main process starts here
 const startTime = new Date();
 
-async.series([
-    setupLogging,
-    setupNetworking,
-    database.initialize,
-], async function (initError) {
-    if (initError) {
-        console.error(initError);
-        return process.exit(50);
-    }
-
-    const debug = require('debug')('box:taskworker'); // require this here so that logging handler is already setup
-
-    process.on('SIGTERM', () => exitSync({ code: 0 })); // sent as timeout notification
-
-    // ensure we log task crashes with the task logs. neither console.log nor debug are sync for some reason
-    process.on('uncaughtException', (error) => exitSync({ error, code: 1 }));
-
-    debug(`Starting task ${taskId}. Logs are at ${logFile}`);
-
-    const [getError, task] = await safe(tasks.get(taskId));
-    if (getError) return exitSync({ error: getError, code: 50 });
-    if (!task) return exitSync({ error: new Error(`Task ${taskId} not found`), code: 50 });
-
-    async function progressCallback(progress) {
-        await safe(tasks.update(taskId, progress), { debug });
-    }
-
+async function main() {
     try {
-        const [runError, result] = await safe(TASKS[task.type].apply(null, task.args.concat(progressCallback)));
-        const progress = {
-            result: result || null,
-            error: runError ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(runError, Object.getOwnPropertyNames(runError))) : null
-        };
+        await setupLogging();
+        await setupNetworking();
+        await database.initialize();
+    } catch (initError) {
+        if (initError) {
+            console.error(initError);
+            return process.exit(50);
+        }
 
-        debug(`Task took ${(new Date() - startTime)/1000} seconds`);
+        const debug = require('debug')('box:taskworker'); // require this here so that logging handler is already setup
 
-        await safe(tasks.setCompleted(taskId, progress));
-        exitSync({ error: runError, code: runError ? 50 : 0 });
-    } catch (error) {
-        exitSync({ error, code: 1 }); // do not call setCompleted() intentionally. the task code must be resilient enough to handle it
+        process.on('SIGTERM', () => exitSync({ code: 0 })); // sent as timeout notification
+
+        // ensure we log task crashes with the task logs. neither console.log nor debug are sync for some reason
+        process.on('uncaughtException', (error) => exitSync({ error, code: 1 }));
+
+        debug(`Starting task ${taskId}. Logs are at ${logFile}`);
+
+        const [getError, task] = await safe(tasks.get(taskId));
+        if (getError) return exitSync({ error: getError, code: 50 });
+        if (!task) return exitSync({ error: new Error(`Task ${taskId} not found`), code: 50 });
+
+        async function progressCallback(progress) {
+            await safe(tasks.update(taskId, progress), { debug });
+        }
+
+        try {
+            const [runError, result] = await safe(TASKS[task.type].apply(null, task.args.concat(progressCallback)));
+            const progress = {
+                result: result || null,
+                error: runError ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(runError, Object.getOwnPropertyNames(runError))) : null
+            };
+
+            debug(`Task took ${(new Date() - startTime)/1000} seconds`);
+
+            await safe(tasks.setCompleted(taskId, progress));
+            exitSync({ error: runError, code: runError ? 50 : 0 });
+        } catch (error) {
+            exitSync({ error, code: 1 }); // do not call setCompleted() intentionally. the task code must be resilient enough to handle it
+        }
     }
-});
+}
+
+main();