diff --git a/src/node/db/AuthorManager.js b/src/node/db/AuthorManager.js
index 0c6e3f750..a17952248 100644
--- a/src/node/db/AuthorManager.js
+++ b/src/node/db/AuthorManager.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 var db = require("./DB");
 var customError = require("../utils/customError");
 var randomString = require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pad_utils').randomString;
-const thenify = require("thenify").withCallback;
 
 exports.getColorPalette = function() {
   return [
diff --git a/src/node/db/DB.js b/src/node/db/DB.js
index c462ac303..17cf3080a 100644
--- a/src/node/db/DB.js
+++ b/src/node/db/DB.js
@@ -22,11 +22,10 @@
 var ueberDB = require("ueberdb2");
 var settings = require("../utils/Settings");
 var log4js = require('log4js');
-const thenify = require("thenify").withCallback;
 const util = require("util");
 
 // set database settings
-var db = new ueberDB.database(settings.dbType, settings.dbSettings, null, log4js.getLogger("ueberDB"));
+let db = new ueberDB.database(settings.dbType, settings.dbSettings, null, log4js.getLogger("ueberDB"));
 
 /**
  * The UeberDB Object that provides the database functions
@@ -37,24 +36,25 @@ exports.db = null;
  * Initalizes the database with the settings provided by the settings module
  * @param {Function} callback
  */
-exports.init = thenify(function (callback) {
+exports.init = function() {
   // initalize the database async
-  db.init(function(err) {
-    if (err) {
-      // there was an error while initializing the database, output it and stop
-      console.error("ERROR: Problem while initalizing the database");
-      console.error(err.stack ? err.stack : err);
-      process.exit(1);
-    } else {
-      // everything ok
-      exports.db = db;
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    db.init(function(err) {
+      if (err) {
+        // there was an error while initializing the database, output it and stop
+        console.error("ERROR: Problem while initalizing the database");
+        console.error(err.stack ? err.stack : err);
+        process.exit(1);
+      } else {
+        // everything ok, set up Promise-based methods
+        ['get', 'set', 'findKeys', 'getSub', 'setSub', 'remove', 'doShutdown'].forEach(fn => {
+          exports[fn] = util.promisify(db[fn].bind(db));
+        });
 
-      // set up Promise-based methods
-      ['get', 'set', 'findKeys', 'getSub', 'setSub', 'remove', 'doShutdown'].forEach(fn => {
-        exports[fn] = util.promisify(db[fn].bind(db));
-      });
-
-      callback(null);
-    }
+        // exposed for those callers that need the underlying raw API
+        exports.db = db;
+        resolve();
+      }
+    });
   });
-});
+}
diff --git a/src/node/db/SecurityManager.js b/src/node/db/SecurityManager.js
index dcdbe6a62..e50a0b9c2 100644
--- a/src/node/db/SecurityManager.js
+++ b/src/node/db/SecurityManager.js
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ var sessionManager = require("./SessionManager");
 var settings = require("../utils/Settings");
 var log4js = require('log4js');
 var authLogger = log4js.getLogger("auth");
-const thenify = require("thenify").withCallback;
 
 /**
  * This function controlls the access to a pad, it checks if the user can access a pad.
diff --git a/src/package.json b/src/package.json
index 11259e76d..2b5eb5c18 100644
--- a/src/package.json
+++ b/src/package.json
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@
     "slide": "1.1.6",
     "socket.io": "2.1.1",
     "swagger-node-express": "2.1.3",
-    "thenify": "^3.3.0",
     "tinycon": "0.0.1",
     "ueberdb2": "0.4.0",
     "uglify-js": "2.6.2",