diff --git a/core/server/apps/permissions.js b/core/server/apps/permissions.js
index f66531dc41..140a83d9a7 100644
--- a/core/server/apps/permissions.js
+++ b/core/server/apps/permissions.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 var fs = require('fs'),
     Promise = require('bluebird'),
     path = require('path'),
-    parsePackageJson = require('../require-tree').parsePackageJson;
+    parsePackageJson = require('../utils/parse-package-json').parsePackageJson;
 
 function AppPermissions(appPath) {
     this.appPath = appPath;
@@ -46,19 +46,7 @@ AppPermissions.prototype.checkPackageContentsExists = function () {
 
 // Get the contents of the package.json in the appPath root
 AppPermissions.prototype.getPackageContents = function () {
-    var messages = {
-        errors: [],
-        warns: []
-    };
-
-    return parsePackageJson(this.packagePath, messages)
-        .then(function (parsed) {
-            if (!parsed) {
-                return Promise.reject(new Error(messages.errors[0].message));
-            }
-
-            return parsed;
-        });
+    return parsePackageJson(this.packagePath);
 };
 
 // Default permissions for an App.
diff --git a/core/server/config/index.js b/core/server/config/index.js
index f06d96a04c..68a10065a8 100644
--- a/core/server/config/index.js
+++ b/core/server/config/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ var path          = require('path'),
     _             = require('lodash'),
     knex          = require('knex'),
     validator     = require('validator'),
-    requireTree   = require('../require-tree').readAll,
+    readDirectory = require('../utils/read-directory'),
     errors        = require('../errors'),
     configUrl     = require('./url'),
     packageInfo   = require('../../../package.json'),
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ ConfigManager.prototype.init = function (rawConfig) {
     // just the object appropriate for this NODE_ENV
     self.set(rawConfig);
 
-    return Promise.all([requireTree(self._config.paths.themePath), requireTree(self._config.paths.appPath)]).then(function (paths) {
+    return Promise.all([readDirectory(self._config.paths.themePath), readDirectory(self._config.paths.appPath)]).then(function (paths) {
         self._config.paths.availableThemes = paths[0];
         self._config.paths.availableApps = paths[1];
         return self._config;
diff --git a/core/server/data/validation/index.js b/core/server/data/validation/index.js
index 8182a3d9ce..97115c4b62 100644
--- a/core/server/data/validation/index.js
+++ b/core/server/data/validation/index.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var schema    = require('../schema').tables,
     Promise   = require('bluebird'),
     errors    = require('../../errors'),
     config    = require('../../config'),
-    requireTree = require('../../require-tree').readAll,
+    readDirectory = require('../../utils/read-directory'),
 
     validateSchema,
     validateSettings,
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ validateActiveTheme = function validateActiveTheme(themeName) {
         // A Promise that will resolve to an object with a property for each installed theme.
         // This is necessary because certain configuration data is only available while Ghost
         // is running and at times the validations are used when it's not (e.g. tests)
-        availableThemes = requireTree(config.paths.themePath);
+        availableThemes = readDirectory(config.paths.themePath);
     }
 
     return availableThemes.then(function then(themes) {
diff --git a/core/server/index.js b/core/server/index.js
index e1d7e6a263..657b34bfe3 100644
--- a/core/server/index.js
+++ b/core/server/index.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ var express     = require('express'),
     compress    = require('compression'),
     fs          = require('fs'),
     uuid        = require('node-uuid'),
-    _           = require('lodash'),
     Promise     = require('bluebird'),
     i18n        = require('./i18n'),
 
@@ -24,6 +23,7 @@ var express     = require('express'),
     sitemap     = require('./data/xml/sitemap'),
     xmlrpc      = require('./data/xml/xmlrpc'),
     GhostServer = require('./ghost-server'),
+    validateThemes = require('./utils/validate-themes'),
 
     dbHash;
 
@@ -200,13 +200,17 @@ function init(options) {
         middleware(blogApp, adminApp);
 
         // Log all theme errors and warnings
-        _.each(config.paths.availableThemes._messages.errors, function (error) {
-            errors.logError(error.message, error.context, error.help);
-        });
+        validateThemes(config.paths.themePath)
+            .catch(function (result) {
+                // TODO: change `result` to something better
+                result.errors.forEach(function (err) {
+                    errors.logError(err.message, err.context, err.help);
+                });
 
-        _.each(config.paths.availableThemes._messages.warns, function (warn) {
-            errors.logWarn(warn.message, warn.context, warn.help);
-        });
+                result.warnings.forEach(function (warn) {
+                    errors.logWarn(warn.message, warn.context, warn.help);
+                });
+            });
 
         return new GhostServer(blogApp);
     });
diff --git a/core/server/models/index.js b/core/server/models/index.js
index 1b7864ca5b..533da0d2f7 100644
--- a/core/server/models/index.js
+++ b/core/server/models/index.js
@@ -1,61 +1,69 @@
-var _       = require('lodash'),
-    Promise = require('bluebird'),
-    requireTree   = require('../require-tree'),
+/**
+ * Dependencies
+ */
+
+var Promise = require('bluebird'),
+    _ = require('lodash'),
+
+    exports,
     models;
 
-models = {
-    excludeFiles: ['_messages', 'base', 'index.js'],
+/**
+ * Expose all models
+ */
 
-    // ### init
-    // Scan all files in this directory and then require each one and cache
-    // the objects exported onto this `models` object so that every other
-    // module can safely access models without fear of introducing circular
-    // dependency issues.
-    // @returns {Promise}
-    init: function init() {
-        var self = this;
+exports = module.exports;
 
-        // One off inclusion of Base file.
-        self.Base = require('./base');
+models = [
+    'accesstoken',
+    'app-field',
+    'app-setting',
+    'app',
+    'client-trusted-domain',
+    'client',
+    'permission',
+    'post',
+    'refreshtoken',
+    'role',
+    'settings',
+    'tag',
+    'user'
+];
 
-        // Require all files in this directory
-        return requireTree.readAll(__dirname, {followSymlinks: false}).then(function then(modelFiles) {
-            // For each found file, excluding those we don't want,
-            // we will require it and cache it here.
-            _.each(modelFiles, function each(path, fileName) {
-                // Return early if this fileName is one of the ones we want
-                // to exclude.
-                if (_.contains(self.excludeFiles, fileName)) {
-                    return;
-                }
+function init() {
+    exports.Base = require('./base');
 
-                // Require the file.
-                var file = require(path);
+    models.forEach(function (name) {
+        _.extend(exports, require('./' + name));
+    });
 
-                // Cache its `export` object onto this object.
-                _.extend(self, file);
-            });
+    return Promise.resolve();
+}
 
-            return;
-        });
-    },
-    // ### deleteAllContent
-    // Delete all content from the database (posts, tags, tags_posts)
-    deleteAllContent: function deleteAllContent() {
-        var self = this;
+/**
+ * TODO: move to some other place
+ */
 
-        return self.Post.findAll().then(function then(posts) {
-            return Promise.all(_.map(posts.toJSON(), function mapper(post) {
-                return self.Post.destroy({id: post.id});
+// ### deleteAllContent
+// Delete all content from the database (posts, tags, tags_posts)
+exports.deleteAllContent = function deleteAllContent() {
+    var self = this;
+
+    return self.Post.findAll().then(function then(posts) {
+        return Promise.all(_.map(posts.toJSON(), function mapper(post) {
+            return self.Post.destroy({id: post.id});
+        }));
+    }).then(function () {
+        return self.Tag.findAll().then(function then(tags) {
+            return Promise.all(_.map(tags.toJSON(), function mapper(tag) {
+                return self.Tag.destroy({id: tag.id});
             }));
-        }).then(function () {
-            return self.Tag.findAll().then(function then(tags) {
-                return Promise.all(_.map(tags.toJSON(), function mapper(tag) {
-                    return self.Tag.destroy({id: tag.id});
-                }));
-            });
         });
-    }
+    });
 };
 
-module.exports = models;
+/**
+ * Expose `init`
+ */
+
+exports.init = init;
diff --git a/core/server/require-tree.js b/core/server/require-tree.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7d2b75776c..0000000000
--- a/core/server/require-tree.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,137 +0,0 @@
-// # Require Tree
-// Require a tree of directories - used for loading themes and other things
-var _        = require('lodash'),
-    fs       = require('fs'),
-    path     = require('path'),
-    Promise  = require('bluebird'),
-    readdirAsync  = Promise.promisify(fs.readdir),
-    lstatAsync    = Promise.promisify(fs.lstat),
-    readlinkAsync = Promise.promisify(fs.readlink),
-
-    parsePackageJson = function (path, messages) {
-        // Default the messages if non were passed
-        messages = messages || {
-            errors: [],
-            warns: []
-        };
-
-        var jsonContainer;
-
-        return new Promise(function (resolve) {
-            fs.readFile(path, function (error, data) {
-                if (error) {
-                    messages.errors.push({
-                        message: 'Could not read package.json file',
-                        context: path
-                    });
-                    resolve(false);
-                    return;
-                }
-                try {
-                    jsonContainer = JSON.parse(data);
-                    if (jsonContainer.hasOwnProperty('name') && jsonContainer.hasOwnProperty('version')) {
-                        resolve(jsonContainer);
-                    } else {
-                        messages.errors.push({
-                            message: '"name" or "version" is missing from theme package.json file.',
-                            context: path,
-                            help: 'This will be required in future. Please see http://docs.ghost.org/themes/'
-                        });
-                        resolve(false);
-                    }
-                } catch (e) {
-                    messages.errors.push({
-                        message: 'Theme package.json file is malformed',
-                        context: path,
-                        help: 'This will be required in future. Please see http://docs.ghost.org/themes/'
-                    });
-                    resolve(false);
-                }
-            });
-        });
-    },
-
-    readDir = function (dir, options, depth, messages) {
-        depth = depth || 0;
-        messages = messages || {
-            errors: [],
-            warns: []
-        };
-
-        options = _.extend({
-            index: true,
-            followSymlinks: true
-        }, options);
-
-        if (depth > 1) {
-            return Promise.resolve(null);
-        }
-
-        return readdirAsync(dir).then(function (files) {
-            files = files || [];
-
-            return Promise.reduce(files, function (results, file) {
-                var fpath = path.join(dir, file);
-
-                return lstatAsync(fpath).then(function (result) {
-                    if (result.isDirectory()) {
-                        return readDir(fpath, options, depth + 1, messages);
-                    } else if (options.followSymlinks && result.isSymbolicLink()) {
-                        return readlinkAsync(fpath).then(function (linkPath) {
-                            linkPath = path.resolve(dir, linkPath);
-
-                            return lstatAsync(linkPath).then(function (result) {
-                                if (result.isFile()) {
-                                    return linkPath;
-                                }
-
-                                return readDir(linkPath, options, depth + 1, messages);
-                            });
-                        });
-                    } else if (depth === 1 && file === 'package.json') {
-                        return parsePackageJson(fpath, messages);
-                    } else {
-                        return fpath;
-                    }
-                }).then(function (result) {
-                    results[file] = result;
-
-                    return results;
-                });
-            }, {});
-        });
-    },
-    readAll = function (dir, options, depth) {
-        // Start with clean messages, pass down along traversal
-        var messages = {
-            errors: [],
-            warns: []
-        };
-
-        return readDir(dir, options, depth, messages).then(function (paths) {
-            // for all contents of the dir, I'm interested in the ones that are directories and within /theme/
-            if (typeof paths === 'object' && dir.indexOf('theme') !== -1) {
-                _.each(paths, function (path, index) {
-                    if (typeof path === 'object' && !path.hasOwnProperty('package.json') && index.indexOf('.') !== 0) {
-                        messages.warns.push({
-                            message: 'Found a theme with no package.json file',
-                            context: 'Theme name: ' + index,
-                            help: 'This will be required in future. Please see http://docs.ghost.org/themes/'
-                        });
-                    }
-                });
-            }
-
-            paths._messages = messages;
-
-            return paths;
-        }).catch(function () {
-            return {_messages: messages};
-        });
-    };
-
-module.exports = {
-    readAll: readAll,
-    readDir: readDir,
-    parsePackageJson: parsePackageJson
-};
diff --git a/core/server/utils/parse-package-json.js b/core/server/utils/parse-package-json.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ef595ac24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/server/utils/parse-package-json.js
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/**
+ * Dependencies
+ */
+
+var Promise = require('bluebird'),
+    fs = require('fs'),
+
+    readFile = Promise.promisify(fs.readFile);
+
+/**
+ * Parse package.json and validate it has
+ * all the required fields
+ */
+
+function parsePackageJson(path) {
+    return readFile(path)
+        .catch(function () {
+            var err = new Error('Could not read package.json file');
+            err.context = path;
+
+            return Promise.reject(err);
+        })
+        .then(function (source) {
+            var hasRequiredKeys, json, err;
+
+            try {
+                json = JSON.parse(source);
+
+                hasRequiredKeys = json.name && json.version;
+
+                if (!hasRequiredKeys) {
+                    err = new Error('"name" or "version" is missing from theme package.json file.');
+                    err.context = path;
+                    err.help = 'This will be required in future. Please see http://docs.ghost.org/themes/';
+
+                    return Promise.reject(err);
+                }
+
+                return json;
+            } catch (_) {
+                err = new Error('Theme package.json file is malformed');
+                err.context = path;
+                err.help = 'This will be required in future. Please see http://docs.ghost.org/themes/';
+
+                return Promise.reject(err);
+            }
+        });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Expose `parsePackageJson`
+ */
+
+module.exports = parsePackageJson;
diff --git a/core/server/utils/read-directory.js b/core/server/utils/read-directory.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..415e834c48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/server/utils/read-directory.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/**
+ * Dependencies
+ */
+
+var parsePackageJson = require('./parse-package-json'),
+    Promise = require('bluebird'),
+    join = require('path').join,
+    fs = require('fs'),
+
+    statFile = Promise.promisify(fs.stat),
+    readDir = Promise.promisify(fs.readdir);
+
+/**
+ * Recursively read directory
+ */
+
+function readDirectory(dir, options) {
+    var ignore;
+
+    if (!options) {
+        options = {};
+    }
+
+    ignore = options.ignore || [];
+    ignore.push('node_modules', 'bower_components');
+
+    return readDir(dir)
+        .filter(function (filename) {
+            return ignore.indexOf(filename) === -1;
+        })
+        .map(function (filename) {
+            var absolutePath = join(dir, filename);
+
+            return statFile(absolutePath).then(function (stat) {
+                var item = {
+                    name: filename,
+                    path: absolutePath,
+                    stat: stat
+                };
+
+                return item;
+            });
+        })
+        .map(function (item) {
+            if (item.name === 'package.json') {
+                return parsePackageJson(item.path).then(function (pkg) {
+                    item.content = pkg;
+
+                    return item;
+                });
+            }
+
+            if (item.stat.isDirectory()) {
+                return readDirectory(item.path).then(function (files) {
+                    item.content = files;
+
+                    return item;
+                });
+            }
+
+            // if there's no custom handling needed
+            // set absolute path as `item`'s `content`
+            item.content = item.path;
+
+            return item;
+        })
+        .then(function (items) {
+            var tree = {};
+
+            items.forEach(function (item) {
+                tree[item.name] = item.content;
+            });
+
+            return tree;
+        });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Expose `readDirectory`
+ */
+
+module.exports = readDirectory;
diff --git a/core/server/utils/validate-themes.js b/core/server/utils/validate-themes.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..72644d18fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/server/utils/validate-themes.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/**
+ * Dependencies
+ */
+
+var readDirectory = require('./read-directory'),
+    Promise = require('bluebird'),
+    _ = require('lodash');
+
+/**
+ * Validate themes:
+ *
+ *   1. Check if theme has package.json
+ */
+
+function validateThemes(dir) {
+    var result = {
+        warnings: [],
+        errors: []
+    };
+
+    return readDirectory(dir)
+        .tap(function (themes) {
+            _.each(themes, function (theme, name) {
+                var hasPackageJson, warning;
+
+                hasPackageJson = !!theme['package.json'];
+
+                if (!hasPackageJson) {
+                    warning = {
+                        message: 'Found a theme with no package.json file',
+                        context: 'Theme name: ' + name,
+                        help: 'This will be required in future. Please see http://docs.ghost.org/themes/'
+                    };
+
+                    result.warnings.push(warning);
+                }
+            });
+        })
+        .then(function () {
+            var hasNotifications = result.warnings.length || result.errors.length;
+
+            if (hasNotifications) {
+                return Promise.reject(result);
+            }
+        });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Expose `validateThemes`
+ */
+
+module.exports = validateThemes;