diff --git a/src/node/handler/ExportHandler.js b/src/node/handler/ExportHandler.js
index fbb9e57da60..0bf75a17f11 100644
--- a/src/node/handler/ExportHandler.js
+++ b/src/node/handler/ExportHandler.js
@@ -33,24 +33,12 @@ const util = require('util');
 const fsp_writeFile = util.promisify(fs.writeFile);
 const fsp_unlink = util.promisify(fs.unlink);
 
-let convertor = null;
-
-// load abiword only if it is enabled
-if (settings.abiword != null) {
-  convertor = require('../utils/Abiword');
-}
-
-// Use LibreOffice if an executable has been defined in the settings
-if (settings.soffice != null) {
-  convertor = require('../utils/LibreOffice');
-}
-
 const tempDirectory = os.tmpdir();
 
 /**
  * do a requested export
  */
-const doExport = async (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
+exports.doExport = async (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
   // avoid naming the read-only file as the original pad's id
   let fileName = readOnlyId ? readOnlyId : padId;
 
@@ -85,7 +73,7 @@ const doExport = async (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
       const newHTML = await hooks.aCallFirst('exportHTMLSend', html);
       if (newHTML.length) html = newHTML;
       res.send(html);
-      throw 'stop';
+      return;
     }
 
     // else write the html export to a file
@@ -98,7 +86,7 @@ const doExport = async (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
     html = null;
     await TidyHtml.tidy(srcFile);
 
-    // send the convert job to the convertor (abiword, libreoffice, ..)
+    // send the convert job to the converter (abiword, libreoffice, ..)
     const destFile = `${tempDirectory}/etherpad_export_${randNum}.${type}`;
 
     // Allow plugins to overwrite the convert in export process
@@ -106,12 +94,11 @@ const doExport = async (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
     if (result.length > 0) {
       // console.log("export handled by plugin", destFile);
     } else {
-      // @TODO no Promise interface for convertors (yet)
-      await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-        convertor.convertFile(srcFile, destFile, type, (err) => {
-          err ? reject('convertFailed') : resolve();
-        });
-      });
+      const converter =
+          settings.soffice != null ? require('../utils/LibreOffice')
+          : settings.abiword != null ? require('../utils/Abiword')
+          : null;
+      await converter.convertFile(srcFile, destFile, type);
     }
 
     // send the file
@@ -128,11 +115,3 @@ const doExport = async (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
     await fsp_unlink(destFile);
   }
 };
-
-exports.doExport = (req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type) => {
-  doExport(req, res, padId, readOnlyId, type).catch((err) => {
-    if (err !== 'stop') {
-      throw err;
-    }
-  });
-};
diff --git a/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js b/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
index d97ce91ef75..acaaf092707 100644
--- a/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
+++ b/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
@@ -55,17 +55,17 @@ const rm = async (path) => {
   }
 };
 
-let convertor = null;
+let converter = null;
 let exportExtension = 'htm';
 
 // load abiword only if it is enabled and if soffice is disabled
 if (settings.abiword != null && settings.soffice == null) {
-  convertor = require('../utils/Abiword');
+  converter = require('../utils/Abiword');
 }
 
 // load soffice only if it is enabled
 if (settings.soffice != null) {
-  convertor = require('../utils/LibreOffice');
+  converter = require('../utils/LibreOffice');
   exportExtension = 'html';
 }
 
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ const doImport = async (req, res, padId) => {
   // set html in the pad
   const randNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * 0xFFFFFFFF);
 
-  // setting flag for whether to use convertor or not
-  let useConvertor = (convertor != null);
+  // setting flag for whether to use converter or not
+  let useConverter = (converter != null);
 
   const form = new formidable.IncomingForm();
   form.keepExtensions = true;
@@ -170,30 +170,25 @@ const doImport = async (req, res, padId) => {
   // convert file to html if necessary
   if (!importHandledByPlugin && !directDatabaseAccess) {
     if (fileIsTXT) {
-      // Don't use convertor for text files
-      useConvertor = false;
+      // Don't use converter for text files
+      useConverter = false;
     }
 
     // See https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues/2572
-    if (fileIsHTML || !useConvertor) {
-      // if no convertor only rename
+    if (fileIsHTML || !useConverter) {
+      // if no converter only rename
       await fs.rename(srcFile, destFile);
     } else {
-      // @TODO - no Promise interface for convertors (yet)
-      await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-        convertor.convertFile(srcFile, destFile, exportExtension, (err) => {
-          // catch convert errors
-          if (err) {
-            logger.warn(`Converting Error: ${err.stack || err}`);
-            return reject(new ImportError('convertFailed'));
-          }
-          resolve();
-        });
-      });
+      try {
+        await converter.convertFile(srcFile, destFile, exportExtension);
+      } catch (err) {
+        logger.warn(`Converting Error: ${err.stack || err}`);
+        throw new ImportError('convertFailed');
+      }
     }
   }
 
-  if (!useConvertor && !directDatabaseAccess) {
+  if (!useConverter && !directDatabaseAccess) {
     // Read the file with no encoding for raw buffer access.
     const buf = await fs.readFile(destFile);
 
@@ -224,7 +219,7 @@ const doImport = async (req, res, padId) => {
 
   // change text of the pad and broadcast the changeset
   if (!directDatabaseAccess) {
-    if (importHandledByPlugin || useConvertor || fileIsHTML) {
+    if (importHandledByPlugin || useConverter || fileIsHTML) {
       try {
         await importHtml.setPadHTML(pad, text);
       } catch (err) {
diff --git a/src/node/hooks/express/importexport.js b/src/node/hooks/express/importexport.js
index d6f287c6bbe..ab8d6037612 100644
--- a/src/node/hooks/express/importexport.js
+++ b/src/node/hooks/express/importexport.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ exports.expressCreateServer = (hookName, args, cb) => {
         }
 
         console.log(`Exporting pad "${req.params.pad}" in ${req.params.type} format`);
-        exportHandler.doExport(req, res, padId, readOnlyId, req.params.type);
+        await exportHandler.doExport(req, res, padId, readOnlyId, req.params.type);
       }
     })().catch((err) => next(err || new Error(err)));
   });
diff --git a/src/node/utils/Abiword.js b/src/node/utils/Abiword.js
index b93646cd59a..07abf26c019 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/Abiword.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/Abiword.js
@@ -24,111 +24,64 @@ const async = require('async');
 const settings = require('./Settings');
 const os = require('os');
 
-let doConvertTask;
-
 // on windows we have to spawn a process for each convertion,
 // cause the plugin abicommand doesn't exist on this platform
 if (os.type().indexOf('Windows') > -1) {
-  let stdoutBuffer = '';
-
-  doConvertTask = (task, callback) => {
-    // span an abiword process to perform the conversion
-    const abiword = spawn(settings.abiword, [`--to=${task.destFile}`, task.srcFile]);
-
-    // delegate the processing of stdout to another function
-    abiword.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
-      // add data to buffer
-      stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-    });
-
-    // append error messages to the buffer
-    abiword.stderr.on('data', (data) => {
-      stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-    });
-
-    // throw exceptions if abiword is dieing
-    abiword.on('exit', (code) => {
-      if (code !== 0) {
-        return callback(`Abiword died with exit code ${code}`);
-      }
-
-      if (stdoutBuffer !== '') {
-        console.log(stdoutBuffer);
-      }
-
-      callback();
+  exports.convertFile = async (srcFile, destFile, type) => {
+    const abiword = spawn(settings.abiword, [`--to=${destFile}`, srcFile]);
+    let stdoutBuffer = '';
+    abiword.stdout.on('data', (data) => { stdoutBuffer += data.toString(); });
+    abiword.stderr.on('data', (data) => { stdoutBuffer += data.toString(); });
+    await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      abiword.on('exit', (code) => {
+        if (code !== 0) return reject(new Error(`Abiword died with exit code ${code}`));
+        if (stdoutBuffer !== '') {
+          console.log(stdoutBuffer);
+        }
+        resolve();
+      });
     });
   };
-
-  exports.convertFile = (srcFile, destFile, type, callback) => {
-    doConvertTask({srcFile, destFile, type}, callback);
-  };
   // on unix operating systems, we can start abiword with abicommand and
   // communicate with it via stdin/stdout
   // thats much faster, about factor 10
 } else {
-  // spawn the abiword process
   let abiword;
   let stdoutCallback = null;
   const spawnAbiword = () => {
     abiword = spawn(settings.abiword, ['--plugin', 'AbiCommand']);
     let stdoutBuffer = '';
     let firstPrompt = true;
-
-    // append error messages to the buffer
-    abiword.stderr.on('data', (data) => {
-      stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-    });
-
-    // abiword died, let's restart abiword and return an error with the callback
+    abiword.stderr.on('data', (data) => { stdoutBuffer += data.toString(); });
     abiword.on('exit', (code) => {
       spawnAbiword();
-      stdoutCallback(`Abiword died with exit code ${code}`);
+      if (stdoutCallback != null) stdoutCallback(new Error(`Abiword died with exit code ${code}`));
     });
-
-    // delegate the processing of stdout to a other function
     abiword.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
-      // add data to buffer
       stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-
       // we're searching for the prompt, cause this means everything we need is in the buffer
       if (stdoutBuffer.search('AbiWord:>') !== -1) {
-        // filter the feedback message
-        const err = stdoutBuffer.search('OK') !== -1 ? null : stdoutBuffer;
-
-        // reset the buffer
+        const err = stdoutBuffer.search('OK') !== -1 ? null : new Error(stdoutBuffer);
         stdoutBuffer = '';
-
-        // call the callback with the error message
-        // skip the first prompt
         if (stdoutCallback != null && !firstPrompt) {
           stdoutCallback(err);
           stdoutCallback = null;
         }
-
         firstPrompt = false;
       }
     });
   };
   spawnAbiword();
 
-  doConvertTask = (task, callback) => {
+  const queue = async.queue((task, callback) => {
     abiword.stdin.write(`convert ${task.srcFile} ${task.destFile} ${task.type}\n`);
-    // create a callback that calls the task callback and the caller callback
     stdoutCallback = (err) => {
-      callback();
-      console.log('queue continue');
-      try {
-        task.callback(err);
-      } catch (e) {
-        console.error('Abiword File failed to convert', e);
-      }
+      if (err != null) console.error('Abiword File failed to convert', err);
+      callback(err);
     };
-  };
+  }, 1);
 
-  // Queue with the converts we have to do
-  const queue = async.queue(doConvertTask, 1);
-  exports.convertFile = (srcFile, destFile, type, callback) => {
-    queue.push({srcFile, destFile, type, callback});
+  exports.convertFile = async (srcFile, destFile, type) => {
+    await queue.pushAsync({srcFile, destFile, type});
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/node/utils/LibreOffice.js b/src/node/utils/LibreOffice.js
index 914d79a4bbf..5fcfa3accf9 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/LibreOffice.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/LibreOffice.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  */
 
 const async = require('async');
-const fs = require('fs');
+const fs = require('fs').promises;
 const log4js = require('log4js');
 const os = require('os');
 const path = require('path');
@@ -27,80 +27,57 @@ const spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
 
 const libreOfficeLogger = log4js.getLogger('LibreOffice');
 
-const doConvertTask = (task, callback) => {
+const doConvertTask = async (task) => {
   const tmpDir = os.tmpdir();
 
-  async.series([
-    /*
-     * use LibreOffice to convert task.srcFile to another format, given in
-     * task.type
-     */
-    (callback) => {
-      libreOfficeLogger.debug(
-          `Converting ${task.srcFile} to format ${task.type}. The result will be put in ${tmpDir}`
-      );
-      const soffice = spawn(settings.soffice, [
-        '--headless',
-        '--invisible',
-        '--nologo',
-        '--nolockcheck',
-        '--writer',
-        '--convert-to',
-        task.type,
-        task.srcFile,
-        '--outdir',
-        tmpDir,
-      ]);
-      // Soffice/libreoffice is buggy and often hangs.
-      // To remedy this we kill the spawned process after a while.
-      const hangTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
-        soffice.stdin.pause(); // required to kill hanging threads
-        soffice.kill();
-      }, 120000);
-
-      let stdoutBuffer = '';
-
-      // Delegate the processing of stdout to another function
-      soffice.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
-        stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-      });
-
-      // Append error messages to the buffer
-      soffice.stderr.on('data', (data) => {
-        stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-      });
-
-      soffice.on('exit', (code) => {
-        clearTimeout(hangTimeout);
-        if (code !== 0) {
-          // Throw an exception if libreoffice failed
-          return callback(`LibreOffice died with exit code ${code} and message: ${stdoutBuffer}`);
-        }
-
-        // if LibreOffice exited succesfully, go on with processing
-        callback();
-      });
-    },
-
-    // Move the converted file to the correct place
-    (callback) => {
-      const filename = path.basename(task.srcFile);
-      const sourceFile = `${filename.substr(0, filename.lastIndexOf('.'))}.${task.fileExtension}`;
-      const sourcePath = path.join(tmpDir, sourceFile);
-      libreOfficeLogger.debug(`Renaming ${sourcePath} to ${task.destFile}`);
-      fs.rename(sourcePath, task.destFile, callback);
-    },
-  ], (err) => {
-    // Invoke the callback for the local queue
-    callback();
-
-    // Invoke the callback for the task
-    task.callback(err);
+  libreOfficeLogger.debug(
+      `Converting ${task.srcFile} to format ${task.type}. The result will be put in ${tmpDir}`);
+  const soffice = spawn(settings.soffice, [
+    '--headless',
+    '--invisible',
+    '--nologo',
+    '--nolockcheck',
+    '--writer',
+    '--convert-to',
+    task.type,
+    task.srcFile,
+    '--outdir',
+    tmpDir,
+  ]);
+  // Soffice/libreoffice is buggy and often hangs.
+  // To remedy this we kill the spawned process after a while.
+  const hangTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+    soffice.stdin.pause(); // required to kill hanging threads
+    soffice.kill();
+  }, 120000);
+  let stdoutBuffer = '';
+  soffice.stdout.on('data', (data) => { stdoutBuffer += data.toString(); });
+  soffice.stderr.on('data', (data) => { stdoutBuffer += data.toString(); });
+  await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    soffice.on('exit', (code) => {
+      clearTimeout(hangTimeout);
+      if (code !== 0) {
+        const err =
+            new Error(`LibreOffice died with exit code ${code} and message: ${stdoutBuffer}`);
+        libreOfficeLogger.error(err.stack);
+        return reject(err);
+      }
+      resolve();
+    });
   });
+
+  const filename = path.basename(task.srcFile);
+  const sourceFile = `${filename.substr(0, filename.lastIndexOf('.'))}.${task.fileExtension}`;
+  const sourcePath = path.join(tmpDir, sourceFile);
+  libreOfficeLogger.debug(`Renaming ${sourcePath} to ${task.destFile}`);
+  await fs.rename(sourcePath, task.destFile);
 };
 
 // Conversion tasks will be queued up, so we don't overload the system
-const queue = async.queue(doConvertTask, 1);
+const queue = async.queue(
+    // For some reason util.callbackify() throws "TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]: The last
+    // argument must be of type Function. Received type object" on Node.js 10.x.
+    (task, cb) => doConvertTask(task).then(() => cb(), (err) => cb(err || new Error(err))), 1);
 
 /**
  * Convert a file from one type to another
@@ -110,7 +87,7 @@ const queue = async.queue(doConvertTask, 1);
  * @param  {String}     type        The type to convert into
  * @param  {Function}   callback    Standard callback function
  */
-exports.convertFile = (srcFile, destFile, type, callback) => {
+exports.convertFile = async (srcFile, destFile, type) => {
   // Used for the moving of the file, not the conversion
   const fileExtension = type;
 
@@ -129,23 +106,10 @@ exports.convertFile = (srcFile, destFile, type, callback) => {
   // we need to convert to odt first, then to doc
   // to avoid `Error: no export filter for /tmp/xxxx.doc` error
   if (type === 'doc') {
-    queue.push({
-      srcFile,
-      destFile: destFile.replace(/\.doc$/, '.odt'),
-      type: 'odt',
-      callback: () => {
-        queue.push(
-            {
-              srcFile: srcFile.replace(/\.html$/, '.odt'),
-              destFile,
-              type,
-              callback,
-              fileExtension,
-            }
-        );
-      },
-    });
+    const intermediateFile = destFile.replace(/\.doc$/, '.odt');
+    await queue.pushAsync({srcFile, destFile: intermediateFile, type: 'odt', fileExtension: 'odt'});
+    await queue.pushAsync({srcFile: intermediateFile, destFile, type, fileExtension});
   } else {
-    queue.push({srcFile, destFile, type, callback, fileExtension});
+    await queue.pushAsync({srcFile, destFile, type, fileExtension});
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexport.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexport.js
index 6b2fb3ac90f..ceced447fd1 100644
--- a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexport.js
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexport.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * TODO: unify those two files, and merge in a single one.
  */
 
+const assert = require('assert').strict;
 const common = require('../../common');
 
 let agent;
@@ -226,6 +227,8 @@ const testImports = {
 };
 
 describe(__filename, function () {
+  this.timeout(1000);
+
   before(async function () { agent = await common.init(); });
 
   Object.keys(testImports).forEach((testName) => {
@@ -237,73 +240,34 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
           done();
         });
       }
-      it('createPad', function (done) {
-        this.timeout(200);
-        agent.get(`${endPoint('createPad')}&padID=${testPadId}`)
-            .expect((res) => {
-              if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('Unable to create new Pad');
-            })
-            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-            .expect(200, done);
-      });
 
-      it('setHTML', function (done) {
-        this.timeout(150);
-        agent.get(`${endPoint('setHTML')}&padID=${testPadId}` +
-                  `&html=${encodeURIComponent(test.input)}`)
-            .expect((res) => {
-              if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error(`Error:${testName}`);
-            })
-            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-            .expect(200, done);
+      it('createPad', async function () {
+        const res = await agent.get(`${endPoint('createPad')}&padID=${testPadId}`)
+            .expect(200)
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/);
+        assert.equal(res.body.code, 0);
       });
 
-      it('getHTML', function (done) {
-        this.timeout(150);
-        agent.get(`${endPoint('getHTML')}&padID=${testPadId}`)
-            .expect((res) => {
-              const gotHtml = res.body.data.html;
-              if (gotHtml !== test.wantHTML) {
-                throw new Error(`HTML received from export is not the one we were expecting.
-             Test Name:
-             ${testName}
-
-             Got:
-             ${JSON.stringify(gotHtml)}
-
-             Want:
-             ${JSON.stringify(test.wantHTML)}
-
-             Which is a different version of the originally imported one:
-             ${test.input}`);
-              }
-            })
-            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-            .expect(200, done);
+      it('setHTML', async function () {
+        const res = await agent.get(`${endPoint('setHTML')}&padID=${testPadId}` +
+                        `&html=${encodeURIComponent(test.input)}`)
+            .expect(200)
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/);
+        assert.equal(res.body.code, 0);
       });
 
-      it('getText', function (done) {
-        this.timeout(100);
-        agent.get(`${endPoint('getText')}&padID=${testPadId}`)
-            .expect((res) => {
-              const gotText = res.body.data.text;
-              if (gotText !== test.wantText) {
-                throw new Error(`Text received from export is not the one we were expecting.
-             Test Name:
-             ${testName}
-
-             Got:
-             ${JSON.stringify(gotText)}
-
-             Want:
-             ${JSON.stringify(test.wantText)}
+      it('getHTML', async function () {
+        const res = await agent.get(`${endPoint('getHTML')}&padID=${testPadId}`)
+            .expect(200)
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/);
+        assert.equal(res.body.data.html, test.wantHTML);
+      });
 
-             Which is a different version of the originally imported one:
-             ${test.input}`);
-              }
-            })
-            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-            .expect(200, done);
+      it('getText', async function () {
+        const res = await agent.get(`${endPoint('getText')}&padID=${testPadId}`)
+            .expect(200)
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/);
+        assert.equal(res.body.data.text, test.wantText);
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/export.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/export.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d2fcde131dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/export.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const padManager = require('../../../node/db/PadManager');
+const settings = require('../../../node/utils/Settings');
+
+describe(__filename, function () {
+  let agent;
+  const settingsBackup = {};
+
+  before(async function () {
+    agent = await common.init();
+    settingsBackup.soffice = settings.soffice;
+    await padManager.getPad('testExportPad', 'test content');
+  });
+
+  after(async function () {
+    Object.assign(settings, settingsBackup);
+  });
+
+  it('returns 500 on export error', async function () {
+    settings.soffice = 'false'; // '/bin/false' doesn't work on Windows
+    await agent.get('/p/testExportPad/export/doc')
+        .expect(500);
+  });
+});