diff --git a/lib/helpers.js b/lib/helpers.js
index fcb156a..f9ba0b6 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.js
+++ b/lib/helpers.js
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ function store_skin(rid, userId, profile, cache_details, callback) {
         var facepath = path.join(config.directories.faces, skin_hash + ".png");
         var helmpath = path.join(config.directories.helms, skin_hash + ".png");
         var skinpath = path.join(config.directories.skins, skin_hash + ".png");
-        fs.exists(facepath, function(exists) {
-          if (exists) {
+        fs.access(facepath, function(fs_err) {
+          if (!fs_err) {
             logging.debug(rid, "skin already exists, not downloading");
             callback(null, skin_hash, slim);
           } else {
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ function store_cape(rid, userId, profile, cache_details, callback) {
       } else {
         logging.debug(rid, "new cape hash:", cape_hash);
         var capepath = path.join(config.directories.capes, cape_hash + ".png");
-        fs.exists(capepath, function(exists) {
-          if (exists) {
+        fs.access(capepath, function(fs_err) {
+          if (!fs_err) {
             logging.debug(rid, "cape already exists, not downloading");
             callback(null, cape_hash);
           } else {
@@ -272,15 +272,16 @@ exp.get_avatar = function(rid, userId, overlay, size, callback) {
       var facepath = path.join(config.directories.faces, skin_hash + ".png");
       var helmpath = path.join(config.directories.helms, skin_hash + ".png");
       var filepath = facepath;
-      fs.exists(helmpath, function(exists) {
-        if (overlay && exists) {
+      fs.access(helmpath, function(fs_err) {
+        if (overlay && !fs_err) {
           filepath = helmpath;
         }
         skins.resize_img(filepath, size, function(img_err, image) {
           if (img_err) {
             callback(img_err, -1, null, skin_hash);
           } else {
-            callback(err, (err ? -1 : status), image, skin_hash);
+            status = err ? -1 : status;
+            callback(err, status, image, skin_hash);
           }
         });
       });
@@ -297,8 +298,8 @@ exp.get_skin = function(rid, userId, callback) {
   exp.get_image_hash(rid, userId, "skin", function(err, status, skin_hash, slim) {
     if (skin_hash) {
       var skinpath = path.join(config.directories.skins, skin_hash + ".png");
-      fs.exists(skinpath, function(exists) {
-        if (exists) {
+      fs.access(skinpath, function(fs_err) {
+        if (!fs_err) {
           logging.debug(rid, "skin already exists, not downloading");
           skins.open_skin(rid, skinpath, function(skin_err, img) {
             callback(skin_err || err, skin_hash, status, img, slim);
@@ -332,8 +333,8 @@ exp.get_render = function(rid, userId, scale, overlay, body, callback) {
       return;
     }
     var renderpath = path.join(config.directories.renders, [skin_hash, scale, get_type(overlay, body), slim ? "s" : "t"].join("-") + ".png");
-    fs.exists(renderpath, function(exists) {
-      if (exists) {
+    fs.access(renderpath, function(fs_err) {
+      if (!fs_err) {
         renders.open_render(rid, renderpath, function(render_err, rendered_img) {
           callback(render_err, 1, skin_hash, rendered_img);
         });
@@ -349,8 +350,8 @@ exp.get_render = function(rid, userId, scale, overlay, body, callback) {
           } else if (!drawn_img) {
             callback(null, 0, skin_hash, null);
           } else {
-            fs.writeFile(renderpath, drawn_img, "binary", function(fs_err) {
-              callback(fs_err, 2, skin_hash, drawn_img);
+            fs.writeFile(renderpath, drawn_img, "binary", function(write_err) {
+              callback(write_err, 2, skin_hash, drawn_img);
             });
           }
         });
@@ -368,8 +369,8 @@ exp.get_cape = function(rid, userId, callback) {
       return;
     }
     var capepath = path.join(config.directories.capes, cape_hash + ".png");
-    fs.exists(capepath, function(exists) {
-      if (exists) {
+    fs.access(capepath, function(fs_err) {
+      if (!fs_err) {
         logging.debug(rid, "cape already exists, not downloading");
         skins.open_skin(rid, capepath, function(skin_err, img) {
           callback(skin_err || err, cape_hash, status, img);
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index 3d2d6be..c5c3c80 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ var routes = {
 // serves assets from lib/public
 function asset_request(req, callback) {
   var filename = path.join(__dirname, "public", req.url.path_list.join("/"));
-  fs.exists(filename, function(exists) {
-    if (exists) {
+  fs.access(filename, function(fs_err) {
+    if (!fs_err) {
       fs.readFile(filename, function(err, data) {
         callback({
           body: data,