diff --git a/backend/index.js b/backend/index.js
index 1a6a679..f4047b6 100644
--- a/backend/index.js
+++ b/backend/index.js
@@ -91,11 +91,28 @@ app.all("/*", function (req, res, next) {
     } else return next();
 });
 
+const validatePassword = (email, password) => {
+    return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+        connection.query(`SELECT * from user WHERE email = ${mysql.escape(email)} AND deactivated = 0`, function (err, rows) {
+            if (err) {
+                return reject("error querying the database - Please contact sys admin");
+            }
+            if (!rows.length) {
+                return resolve(false);
+            }
+            if (!bcrypt.compareSync(password, rows[0].password)) {
+                return resolve(false);
+            }
+            return resolve(rows[0]);
+        });
+    });
+}
+
 passport.use('local-login', new LocalStrategy({
     usernameField: "email",
     passwordField: "password",
     passReqToCallback: true
-}, function (req, email, password, done) {
+}, async function (req, email, password, done) {
     if (DEBUG) {
         if (email === "test" && password === "test") {
             return done(null, {
@@ -107,19 +124,18 @@ passport.use('local-login', new LocalStrategy({
             });
         } else return done(null, false);
     }
-    email = mysql.escape(email);
-    connection.query(`SELECT * from user WHERE email = ${email} AND deactivated = 0`, function (err, rows) {
-        if (err) {
-            return res.status(static.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).send("error querying the database - Please contact sys admin");
+    try {
+        let user = await validatePassword(email, password);
+        if (user) {
+            return done(null, user);
         }
-        if (!rows.length) {
+        else {
             return done(null, false);
         }
-        if (!bcrypt.compareSync(password, rows[0].password)) {
-            return done(null, false);
-        }
-        return done(null, rows[0]);
-    })
+    } catch (e) {
+        console.log(e);
+        return done(null, false);
+    }
 }
 ));