diff --git a/lib/cartodb/backends/template_maps.js b/lib/cartodb/backends/template_maps.js
index 75a482fe..41e655bd 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/backends/template_maps.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/backends/template_maps.js
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
 var crypto = require('crypto');
 var debug = require('debug')('windshaft:templates');
-var step = require('step');
 var _ = require('underscore');
 var dot = require('dot');
 
@@ -69,27 +67,19 @@ TemplateMaps.prototype._userTemplateLimit = function() {
  * @param callback - function to pass results too.
  */
 TemplateMaps.prototype._redisCmd = function(redisFunc, redisArgs, callback) {
-  var redisClient;
-  var that = this;
-  var db = that.db_signatures;
+    this.redis_pool.acquire(this.db_signatures, (err, redisClient) => {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
+        }
 
-  step(
-    function getRedisClient() {
-      that.redis_pool.acquire(db, this);
-    },
-    function executeQuery(err, data) {
-      assert.ifError(err);
-      redisClient = data;
-      redisArgs.push(this);
-      redisClient[redisFunc.toUpperCase()].apply(redisClient, redisArgs);
-    },
-    function releaseRedisClient(err, data) {
-      if ( ! _.isUndefined(redisClient) ) {
-          that.redis_pool.release(db, redisClient);
-      }
-      callback(err, data);
-    }
-  );
+        redisClient[redisFunc.toUpperCase()](...redisArgs, (err, data) => {
+            this.redis_pool.release(this.db_signatures, redisClient);
+            if (err) {
+                return callback(err);
+            }
+            return callback(null, data);
+        });
+    });
 };
 
 var _reValidNameIdentifier = /^[a-z0-9][0-9a-z_\-]*$/i;
@@ -184,6 +174,37 @@ function templateDefaults(template) {
     });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Checks if the if the user reaches the templetes limit
+ *
+ * @param userTemplatesKey user templat key in Redis
+ * @param owner cartodb username of the template owner
+ * @param callback returns error if the user reaches the limit
+ */
+TemplateMaps.prototype._checkUserTemplatesLimit = function(userTemplatesKey, owner, callback) {
+    const limit = this._userTemplateLimit();
+
+    if(!limit) {
+        return callback();
+    }
+
+    this._redisCmd('HLEN', [userTemplatesKey], (err, numberOfTemplates) => {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
+        }
+
+        if (numberOfTemplates >= limit) {
+            const limitReachedError = new Error(
+                `User '${owner}' reached limit on number of templates (${numberOfTemplates}/${limit})`
+            );
+            limitReachedError.http_status = 409;
+            return callback(limitReachedError);
+        }
+
+        return callback();
+    });
+};
+
 //--------------- PUBLIC API -------------------------------------
 
 // Add a template
@@ -199,52 +220,41 @@ function templateDefaults(template) {
 //        Return template identifier (only valid for given user)
 //
 TemplateMaps.prototype.addTemplate = function(owner, template, callback) {
-    var self = this;
-
     template = templateDefaults(template);
 
     var invalidError = this._checkInvalidTemplate(template);
-    if ( invalidError ) {
+    if (invalidError) {
         return callback(invalidError);
     }
 
-    var templateName = template.name;
-    var userTemplatesKey = this.key_usr_tpl({ owner:owner });
-    var limit = this._userTemplateLimit();
+    var userTemplatesKey = this.key_usr_tpl({ owner });
 
-    step(
-        function checkLimit() {
-            if ( ! limit ) {
-                return 0;
-            }
-            self._redisCmd('HLEN', [ userTemplatesKey ], this);
-        },
-        function installTemplateIfDoesNotExist(err, numberOfTemplates) {
-            assert.ifError(err);
-            if ( limit && numberOfTemplates >= limit ) {
-                var limitReachedError = new Error("User '" + owner + "' reached limit on number of templates (" +
-                    numberOfTemplates + "/" + limit + ")");
-                limitReachedError.http_status = 409;
-                throw limitReachedError;
-            }
-            self._redisCmd('HSETNX', [ userTemplatesKey, templateName, JSON.stringify(template) ], this);
-        },
-        function validateInstallation(err, wasSet) {
-            assert.ifError(err);
-            if ( ! wasSet ) {
-                throw new Error("Template '" + templateName + "' of user '" + owner + "' already exists");
-            }
-
-            return true;
-        },
-        function finish(err) {
-            if (!err) {
-                self.emit('add', owner, templateName, template);
-            }
-
-            callback(err, templateName, template);
+    this._checkUserTemplatesLimit(userTemplatesKey, owner, err => {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
         }
-  );
+
+        let templateString;
+        try {
+            templateString = JSON.stringify(template);
+        } catch (error) {
+            return callback(error);
+        }
+
+        this._redisCmd('HSETNX', [userTemplatesKey, template.name, templateString], (err, wasSet) => {
+            if (err) {
+                return callback(err);
+            }
+
+            if (!wasSet) {
+                var templateExistsError = new Error(`Template '${template.name}' of user '${owner}' already exists`);
+                return callback(templateExistsError);
+            }
+
+            this.emit('add', owner, template.name, template);
+            return callback(null, template.name, template);
+        });
+    });
 };
 
 // Delete a template
@@ -257,26 +267,18 @@ TemplateMaps.prototype.addTemplate = function(owner, template, callback) {
 // @param callback function(err)
 //
 TemplateMaps.prototype.delTemplate = function(owner, tpl_id, callback) {
-    var self = this;
-    step(
-        function deleteTemplate() {
-            self._redisCmd('HDEL', [ self.key_usr_tpl({ owner:owner }), tpl_id ], this);
-        },
-        function handleDeletion(err, deleted) {
-            assert.ifError(err);
-            if (!deleted) {
-                throw new Error("Template '" + tpl_id + "' of user '" + owner + "' does not exist");
-            }
-            return true;
-        },
-        function finish(err) {
-            if (!err) {
-                self.emit('delete', owner, tpl_id);
-            }
-
-            callback(err);
+    this._redisCmd('HDEL', [ this.key_usr_tpl({ owner:owner }), tpl_id ], (err, deleted) => {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
         }
-    );
+
+        if (!deleted) {
+            return callback(new Error(`Template '${tpl_id}' of user '${owner}' does not exist`));
+        }
+
+        this.emit('delete', owner, tpl_id);
+        return callback();
+    });
 };
 
 // Update a template
@@ -296,56 +298,58 @@ TemplateMaps.prototype.delTemplate = function(owner, tpl_id, callback) {
 // @param callback function(err)
 //
 TemplateMaps.prototype.updTemplate = function(owner, tpl_id, template, callback) {
-
-    var self = this;
-
     template = templateDefaults(template);
 
     var invalidError = this._checkInvalidTemplate(template);
-
-    if ( invalidError ) {
+    if (invalidError) {
         return callback(invalidError);
     }
 
-    var templateName = template.name;
-
-    if ( tpl_id !== templateName ) {
-        return callback(new Error("Cannot update name of a map template ('" + tpl_id + "' != '" + templateName + "')"));
+    if (tpl_id !== template.name) {
+        return callback(new Error(`Cannot update name of a map template ('${tpl_id}' != '${template.name}')`));
     }
 
-    var userTemplatesKey = this.key_usr_tpl({ owner:owner });
+    var userTemplatesKey = this.key_usr_tpl({ owner });
 
-    var previousTemplate = null;
+    this._redisCmd('HGET', [userTemplatesKey, tpl_id], (err, beforeUpdateTemplate) => {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
+        }
 
-    step(
-        function getExistingTemplate() {
-            self._redisCmd('HGET', [ userTemplatesKey, tpl_id ], this);
-        },
-        function updateTemplate(err, _currentTemplate) {
-            assert.ifError(err);
-            if (!_currentTemplate) {
-                throw new Error("Template '" + tpl_id + "' of user '" + owner + "' does not exist");
+        if (!beforeUpdateTemplate) {
+            return callback(new Error(`Template '${tpl_id}' of user '${owner}' does not exist`));
+        }
+
+        let templateString;
+        try {
+            templateString = JSON.stringify(template);
+        } catch (error) {
+            return callback(error);
+        }
+
+        this._redisCmd('HSET', [userTemplatesKey, template.name, templateString], (err, didSetNewField) => {
+            if (err) {
+                return callback(err);
             }
-            previousTemplate = _currentTemplate;
-            self._redisCmd('HSET', [ userTemplatesKey, templateName, JSON.stringify(template) ], this);
-        },
-        function handleTemplateUpdate(err, didSetNewField) {
-            assert.ifError(err);
+
             if (didSetNewField) {
                 debug('New template created on update operation');
             }
-            return true;
-        },
-        function finish(err) {
-            if (!err) {
-                if (self.fingerPrint(JSON.parse(previousTemplate)) !== self.fingerPrint(template)) {
-                    self.emit('update', owner, templateName, template);
-                }
+
+            let beforeUpdateTemplateObject;
+            try {
+                beforeUpdateTemplateObject = JSON.parse(beforeUpdateTemplate);
+            } catch (error) {
+                return callback(error);
             }
 
-            callback(err, template);
-        }
-    );
+            if (this.fingerPrint(beforeUpdateTemplateObject) !== this.fingerPrint(template)) {
+                this.emit('update', owner, template.name, template);
+            }
+
+            return callback(null, template);
+        });
+    });
 };
 
 // List user templates
@@ -370,19 +374,20 @@ TemplateMaps.prototype.listTemplates = function(owner, callback) {
 //        Return full template definition
 //
 TemplateMaps.prototype.getTemplate = function(owner, tpl_id, callback) {
-    var self = this;
-    step(
-        function getTemplate() {
-            self._redisCmd('HGET', [ self.key_usr_tpl({owner:owner}), tpl_id ], this);
-        },
-        function parseTemplate(err, tpl_val) {
-            assert.ifError(err);
-            return JSON.parse(tpl_val);
-        },
-        function finish(err, tpl) {
-            callback(err, tpl);
+    this._redisCmd('HGET', [this.key_usr_tpl({owner:owner}), tpl_id], (err, template) => {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
         }
-    );
+
+        let templateObject;
+        try {
+            templateObject = JSON.parse(template);
+        } catch (error) {
+            return callback(error);
+        }
+
+        return callback(null, templateObject);
+    });
 };
 
 TemplateMaps.prototype.isAuthorized = function(template, authTokens) {