diff --git a/spec/FilesController.spec.js b/spec/FilesController.spec.js
index a16451f3ef..30acf7d13c 100644
--- a/spec/FilesController.spec.js
+++ b/spec/FilesController.spec.js
@@ -21,11 +21,14 @@ const mockAdapter = {
 
 // Small additional tests to improve overall coverage
 describe('FilesController', () => {
-  it('should properly expand objects', done => {
+  it('should properly expand objects with sync getFileLocation', async () => {
     const config = Config.get(Parse.applicationId);
     const gridFSAdapter = new GridFSBucketAdapter('mongodb://localhost:27017/parse');
+    gridFSAdapter.getFileLocation = (config, filename) => {
+      return config.mount + '/files/' + config.applicationId + '/' + encodeURIComponent(filename);
+    }
     const filesController = new FilesController(gridFSAdapter);
-    const result = filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, function () {});
+    const result = await filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, function () { });
 
     expect(result).toBeUndefined();
 
@@ -37,12 +40,69 @@ describe('FilesController', () => {
     const anObject = {
       aFile: fullFile,
     };
-    filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, anObject);
+    await filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, anObject);
     expect(anObject.aFile.url).toEqual('http://an.url');
+  });
 
-    done();
+  it('should properly expand objects with async getFileLocation', async () => {
+    const config = Config.get(Parse.applicationId);
+    const gridFSAdapter = new GridFSBucketAdapter('mongodb://localhost:27017/parse');
+    gridFSAdapter.getFileLocation = async (config, filename) => {
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      return config.mount + '/files/' + config.applicationId + '/' + encodeURIComponent(filename);
+    }
+    const filesController = new FilesController(gridFSAdapter);
+    const result = await filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, function () { });
+
+    expect(result).toBeUndefined();
+
+    const fullFile = {
+      type: '__type',
+      url: 'http://an.url',
+    };
+
+    const anObject = {
+      aFile: fullFile,
+    };
+    await filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, anObject);
+    expect(anObject.aFile.url).toEqual('http://an.url');
+  });
+
+  it('should call getFileLocation when config.fileKey is undefined', async () => {
+    const config = {};
+    const gridFSAdapter = new GridFSBucketAdapter('mongodb://localhost:27017/parse');
+
+    const fullFile = {
+      name: 'mock-name',
+      __type: 'File',
+    };
+    gridFSAdapter.getFileLocation = jasmine.createSpy('getFileLocation').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve('mock-url'));
+    const filesController = new FilesController(gridFSAdapter);
+
+    const anObject = { aFile: fullFile };
+    await filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, anObject);
+    expect(gridFSAdapter.getFileLocation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(config, fullFile.name);
+    expect(anObject.aFile.url).toEqual('mock-url');
   });
 
+  it('should call getFileLocation when config.fileKey is defined', async () => {
+    const config = { fileKey: 'mock-key' };
+    const gridFSAdapter = new GridFSBucketAdapter('mongodb://localhost:27017/parse');
+
+    const fullFile = {
+      name: 'mock-name',
+      __type: 'File',
+    };
+    gridFSAdapter.getFileLocation = jasmine.createSpy('getFileLocation').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve('mock-url'));
+    const filesController = new FilesController(gridFSAdapter);
+
+    const anObject = { aFile: fullFile };
+    await filesController.expandFilesInObject(config, anObject);
+    expect(gridFSAdapter.getFileLocation).toHaveBeenCalledWith(config, fullFile.name);
+    expect(anObject.aFile.url).toEqual('mock-url');
+  });
+
+
   it_only_db('mongo')('should pass databaseOptions to GridFSBucketAdapter', async () => {
     await reconfigureServer({
       databaseURI: 'mongodb://localhost:27017/parse',
@@ -101,7 +161,7 @@ describe('FilesController', () => {
     done();
   });
 
-  it('should add a unique hash to the file name when the preserveFileName option is false', done => {
+  it('should add a unique hash to the file name when the preserveFileName option is false', async () => {
     const config = Config.get(Parse.applicationId);
     const gridFSAdapter = new GridFSBucketAdapter('mongodb://localhost:27017/parse');
     spyOn(gridFSAdapter, 'createFile');
@@ -112,17 +172,15 @@ describe('FilesController', () => {
       preserveFileName: false,
     });
 
-    filesController.createFile(config, fileName);
+    await filesController.createFile(config, fileName);
 
     expect(gridFSAdapter.createFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(gridFSAdapter.createFile.calls.mostRecent().args[0]).toMatch(
       `^.{32}_${regexEscapedFileName}$`
     );
-
-    done();
   });
 
-  it('should not add a unique hash to the file name when the preserveFileName option is true', done => {
+  it('should not add a unique hash to the file name when the preserveFileName option is true', async () => {
     const config = Config.get(Parse.applicationId);
     const gridFSAdapter = new GridFSBucketAdapter('mongodb://localhost:27017/parse');
     spyOn(gridFSAdapter, 'createFile');
@@ -132,12 +190,10 @@ describe('FilesController', () => {
       preserveFileName: true,
     });
 
-    filesController.createFile(config, fileName);
+    await filesController.createFile(config, fileName);
 
     expect(gridFSAdapter.createFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(gridFSAdapter.createFile.calls.mostRecent().args[0]).toEqual(fileName);
-
-    done();
   });
 
   it('should handle adapter without getMetadata', async () => {
diff --git a/src/Adapters/Files/FilesAdapter.js b/src/Adapters/Files/FilesAdapter.js
index afd06942e9..f06c52df89 100644
--- a/src/Adapters/Files/FilesAdapter.js
+++ b/src/Adapters/Files/FilesAdapter.js
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ export class FilesAdapter {
    * @param {Config} config - server configuration
    * @param {string} filename
    *
-   * @return {string} Absolute URL
+   * @return {string | Promise<string>} Absolute URL
    */
-  getFileLocation(config: Config, filename: string): string {}
+  getFileLocation(config: Config, filename: string): string | Promise<string> {}
 
   /** Validate a filename for this adapter type
    *
diff --git a/src/Controllers/FilesController.js b/src/Controllers/FilesController.js
index aaff8511fe..b6900af02c 100644
--- a/src/Controllers/FilesController.js
+++ b/src/Controllers/FilesController.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export class FilesController extends AdaptableController {
     return this.adapter.getFileData(filename);
   }
 
-  createFile(config, filename, data, contentType, options) {
+  async createFile(config, filename, data, contentType, options) {
     const extname = path.extname(filename);
 
     const hasExtension = extname.length > 0;
@@ -30,13 +30,12 @@ export class FilesController extends AdaptableController {
       filename = randomHexString(32) + '_' + filename;
     }
 
-    const location = this.adapter.getFileLocation(config, filename);
-    return this.adapter.createFile(filename, data, contentType, options).then(() => {
-      return Promise.resolve({
-        url: location,
-        name: filename,
-      });
-    });
+    const location = await this.adapter.getFileLocation(config, filename);
+    await this.adapter.createFile(filename, data, contentType, options);
+    return {
+      url: location,
+      name: filename,
+    }
   }
 
   deleteFile(config, filename) {
@@ -55,9 +54,10 @@ export class FilesController extends AdaptableController {
    * with the current mount point and app id.
    * Object may be a single object or list of REST-format objects.
    */
-  expandFilesInObject(config, object) {
+  async expandFilesInObject(config, object) {
     if (object instanceof Array) {
-      object.map(obj => this.expandFilesInObject(config, obj));
+      const promises = object.map(obj => this.expandFilesInObject(config, obj));
+      await Promise.all(promises);
       return;
     }
     if (typeof object !== 'object') {
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export class FilesController extends AdaptableController {
         // all filenames starting with a "-" seperated UUID should be from files.parse.com
         // all other filenames have been migrated or created from Parse Server
         if (config.fileKey === undefined) {
-          fileObject['url'] = this.adapter.getFileLocation(config, filename);
+          fileObject['url'] = await this.adapter.getFileLocation(config, filename);
         } else {
           if (filename.indexOf('tfss-') === 0) {
             fileObject['url'] =
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export class FilesController extends AdaptableController {
             fileObject['url'] =
               'http://files.parse.com/' + config.fileKey + '/' + encodeURIComponent(filename);
           } else {
-            fileObject['url'] = this.adapter.getFileLocation(config, filename);
+            fileObject['url'] = await this.adapter.getFileLocation(config, filename);
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/RestQuery.js b/src/RestQuery.js
index 57fc435526..621700984b 100644
--- a/src/RestQuery.js
+++ b/src/RestQuery.js
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ _UnsafeRestQuery.prototype.replaceEquality = function () {
 
 // Returns a promise for whether it was successful.
 // Populates this.response with an object that only has 'results'.
-_UnsafeRestQuery.prototype.runFind = function (options = {}) {
+_UnsafeRestQuery.prototype.runFind = async function (options = {}) {
   if (this.findOptions.limit === 0) {
     this.response = { results: [] };
     return Promise.resolve();
@@ -749,24 +749,21 @@ _UnsafeRestQuery.prototype.runFind = function (options = {}) {
   if (options.op) {
     findOptions.op = options.op;
   }
-  return this.config.database
-    .find(this.className, this.restWhere, findOptions, this.auth)
-    .then(results => {
-      if (this.className === '_User' && !findOptions.explain) {
-        for (var result of results) {
-          this.cleanResultAuthData(result);
-        }
-      }
+  const results = await this.config.database.find(this.className, this.restWhere, findOptions, this.auth);
+  if (this.className === '_User' && !findOptions.explain) {
+    for (var result of results) {
+      this.cleanResultAuthData(result);
+    }
+  }
 
-      this.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(this.config, results);
+  await this.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(this.config, results);
 
-      if (this.redirectClassName) {
-        for (var r of results) {
-          r.className = this.redirectClassName;
-        }
-      }
-      this.response = { results: results };
-    });
+  if (this.redirectClassName) {
+    for (var r of results) {
+      r.className = this.redirectClassName;
+    }
+  }
+  this.response = { results: results };
 };
 
 // Returns a promise for whether it was successful.
diff --git a/src/RestWrite.js b/src/RestWrite.js
index c2d4e1580c..4e243e4418 100644
--- a/src/RestWrite.js
+++ b/src/RestWrite.js
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ RestWrite.prototype.runBeforeLoginTrigger = async function (userData) {
   const extraData = { className: this.className };
 
   // Expand file objects
-  this.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(this.config, userData);
+  await this.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(this.config, userData);
 
   const user = triggers.inflate(extraData, userData);
 
@@ -1412,10 +1412,10 @@ RestWrite.prototype.handleInstallation = function () {
 // If we short-circuited the object response - then we need to make sure we expand all the files,
 // since this might not have a query, meaning it won't return the full result back.
 // TODO: (nlutsenko) This should die when we move to per-class based controllers on _Session/_User
-RestWrite.prototype.expandFilesForExistingObjects = function () {
+RestWrite.prototype.expandFilesForExistingObjects = async function () {
   // Check whether we have a short-circuited response - only then run expansion.
   if (this.response && this.response.response) {
-    this.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(this.config, this.response.response);
+    await this.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(this.config, this.response.response);
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/Routers/FilesRouter.js b/src/Routers/FilesRouter.js
index 332cd75748..a13b95e5e4 100644
--- a/src/Routers/FilesRouter.js
+++ b/src/Routers/FilesRouter.js
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ export class FilesRouter {
       const { filename } = req.params;
       // run beforeDeleteFile trigger
       const file = new Parse.File(filename);
-      file._url = filesController.adapter.getFileLocation(req.config, filename);
+      file._url = await filesController.adapter.getFileLocation(req.config, filename);
       const fileObject = { file, fileSize: null };
       await triggers.maybeRunFileTrigger(
         triggers.Types.beforeDelete,
diff --git a/src/Routers/UsersRouter.js b/src/Routers/UsersRouter.js
index 8af8dc5434..a8fa208a8b 100644
--- a/src/Routers/UsersRouter.js
+++ b/src/Routers/UsersRouter.js
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ export class UsersRouter extends ClassesRouter {
     // Remove hidden properties.
     UsersRouter.removeHiddenProperties(user);
 
-    req.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(req.config, user);
+    await req.config.filesController.expandFilesInObject(req.config, user);
 
     // Before login trigger; throws if failure
     await maybeRunTrigger(