diff --git a/core/menu_module.js b/core/menu_module.js
index 02e91dca..ef08bafb 100644
--- a/core/menu_module.js
+++ b/core/menu_module.js
@@ -97,8 +97,19 @@ function MenuModule(options) {
 					}
 				},
 				function afterArtDisplayed(callback) {
-					self.mciReady(mciData);
-					callback(null);
+					self.mciReady(mciData, callback);
+				},
+				function displayPauseIfRequested(callback) {
+					if(self.shouldPause()) {
+						self.client.term.write(ansi.goto(self.afterArtPos[0], 1));
+
+						//	:TODO: really need a client.term.pause() that uses the correct art/etc.
+						theme.displayThemedPause( { client : self.client }, function keyPressed() {
+							callback(null);
+						});
+					} else {
+						callback(null);
+					}
 				}
 			],
 			function complete(err) {
@@ -108,30 +119,18 @@ function MenuModule(options) {
 				}
 
 				self.finishedLoading();
+				self.nextAction();
 			}
 		);
 	};
 
 	this.shouldPause = function() {
-		return 'end' === self.menuConfig.pause || true === self.menuConfig.pause;
-	};
-
-	this.allViewsReady = function() {
-		if(self.shouldPause()) {
-			self.client.term.write(ansi.goto(self.afterArtPos[0], 1));
-
-			//	:TODO: really need a client.term.pause() that uses the correct art/etc.
-			theme.displayThemedPause( { client : self.client }, function keyPressed() {
-				self.nextAction();
-			});
-		} else {
-			self.nextAction();
-		}
+		return 'end' === self.menuConfig.options.pause || true === self.menuConfig.options.pause;
 	};
 
 	this.nextAction = function() {
 		if(!_.isObject(self.menuConfig.form) && !_.isString(self.menuConfig.prompt) &&
-				_.isString(self.menuConfig.action))
+			_.isString(self.menuConfig.action))
 		{
 			menuUtil.handleAction(self.client, null, self.menuConfig);
 		}
@@ -170,58 +169,63 @@ MenuModule.prototype.beforeArt = function() {
 	}
 };
 
-MenuModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData) {
+MenuModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData, cb) {
+	//	Reserved for sub classes
+	cb(null);
 };
 
-MenuModule.prototype.standardMCIReadyHandler = function(mciData) {
+MenuModule.prototype.standardMCIReadyHandler = function(mciData, cb) {
 	//
 	//	A quick rundown:
 	//	*	We may have mciData.menu, mciData.prompt, or both.
 	//	*	Prompt form is favored over menu form if both are present.
 	//	*	Standard/prefdefined MCI entries must load both (e.g. %BN is expected to resolve)
 	//
-	var self				= this;
-	var vcCount				= 0;
-	var vcReady				= 0;
+	var self = this;
 
-	_.forEach(mciData, function entry(mciMap, name) {
-		assert('menu' === name || 'prompt' === name);
-		++vcCount;
-		self.addViewController(name, new ViewController( { client : self.client } ));
-	});
+	async.series(
+		[
+			function addViewControllers(callback) {
+				_.forEach(mciData, function entry(mciMap, name) {
+					assert('menu' === name || 'prompt' === name);
+					self.addViewController(name, new ViewController( { client : self.client } ));
+				});
+				callback(null);
+			},
+			function createMenu(callback) {
+				if(self.viewControllers.menu) {
+					var menuLoadOpts = {
+						mciMap		: mciData.menu,
+						callingMenu	: self,
+						withoutForm	: _.isObject(mciData.prompt),
+					};
 
-	var viewsReady = function(err) {
-		//	:TODO: what should really happen here?
-		if(err) {
-			self.client.log.warn(err);
+					self.viewControllers.menu.loadFromMenuConfig(menuLoadOpts, function menuLoaded(err) {
+						callback(err);
+					});
+				} else {
+					callback(null);
+				}
+			},
+			function createPrompt(callback) {
+				if(self.viewControllers.prompt) {
+					var promptLoadOpts = {
+						callingMenu		: self,
+						mciMap			: mciData.prompt,
+					};
+
+					self.viewControllers.prompt.loadFromPromptConfig(promptLoadOpts, function promptLoaded(err) {
+						callback(err);
+					});
+				} else {
+					callback(null);
+				}
+			}
+		],
+		function complete(err) {
+			cb(err);
 		}
-
-		++vcReady;
-		if(vcReady === vcCount) {
-			self.allViewsReady();
-		}	
-
-	};
-
-
-	if(self.viewControllers.menu) {
-		var menuLoadOpts = {
-			mciMap		: mciData.menu,
-			callingMenu	: self,
-			withoutForm	: _.isObject(mciData.prompt),
-		};
-
-		self.viewControllers.menu.loadFromMenuConfig(menuLoadOpts, viewsReady);
-	}
-
-	if(self.viewControllers.prompt) {
-		var promptLoadOpts = {
-			callingMenu		: self,
-			mciMap			: mciData.prompt,
-		};
-
-		self.viewControllers.prompt.loadFromPromptConfig(promptLoadOpts, viewsReady);
-	}
+	);
 };
 
 MenuModule.prototype.finishedLoading = function() {
@@ -234,26 +238,5 @@ MenuModule.prototype.finishedLoading = function() {
 		setTimeout(function nextTimeout() {
 			self.client.gotoMenuModule( { name : self.menuConfig.next } );
 		}, this.menuConfig.options.nextTimeout);
-	} else {
-		/*
-		var nextAction = function() {
-			if(!_.isObject(self.menuConfig.form) && !_.isString(self.menuConfig.prompt) &&
-				_.isString(self.menuConfig.action))
-			{
-				menuUtil.handleAction(self.client, null, self.menuConfig);
-			}
-		};
-
-		if(self.shouldPause()) {
-			self.client.term.write(ansi.goto(self.afterArtPos[0], 1));
-
-			//	:TODO: really need a client.term.pause() that uses the correct art/etc.
-			theme.displayThemedPause( { client : self.client }, function keyPressed() {
-				nextAction();
-			});
-		} else {
-			nextAction();
-		}
-		*/
 	}
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/standard_menu.js b/core/standard_menu.js
index 5c61368f..d38a84f7 100644
--- a/core/standard_menu.js
+++ b/core/standard_menu.js
@@ -26,9 +26,15 @@ StandardMenuModule.prototype.beforeArt = function() {
 	StandardMenuModule.super_.prototype.beforeArt.call(this);
 };
 
-StandardMenuModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData) {
-	StandardMenuModule.super_.prototype.mciReady.call(this, mciData);
-
-	//	 we do this so other modules can be both customized and still perform standard tasks
-	StandardMenuModule.super_.prototype.standardMCIReadyHandler.call(this, mciData);
+StandardMenuModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData, cb) {
+	var self = this;
+	
+	StandardMenuModule.super_.prototype.mciReady.call(this, mciData, function mciReadyComplete(err) {
+		if(err) {
+			cb(err);
+		} else {
+			//	 we do this so other modules can be both customized and still perform standard tasks
+			StandardMenuModule.super_.prototype.standardMCIReadyHandler.call(self, mciData, cb);
+		}
+	});
 };
diff --git a/mods/last_callers.js b/mods/last_callers.js
index 8587e6a9..57696f8d 100644
--- a/mods/last_callers.js
+++ b/mods/last_callers.js
@@ -55,15 +55,18 @@ LastCallersModule.prototype.enter = function(client) {
 	}
 };
 
-LastCallersModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData) {
-	LastCallersModule.super_.prototype.mciReady.call(this, mciData);
-
+LastCallersModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData, cb) {
 	var self	= this;
 	var vc		= self.viewControllers.lastCallers = new ViewController( { client : self.client } );
 	var loginHistory;
 
 	async.series(
 		[
+			function callParentMciReady(callback) {
+				LastCallersModule.super_.prototype.mciReady.call(this, mciData, function parentMciReady(err) {
+					callback(err);
+				});
+			},
 			function loadFromConfig(callback) {
 				var loadOpts = {
 					callingMenu	: self,
@@ -155,10 +158,15 @@ LastCallersModule.prototype.mciReady = function(mciData) {
 
 					row++;
 				});
+
+				callback(null);
 			}
 		],
 		function complete(err) {
-			self.client.log.error(err);
+			if(err) {
+				self.client.log.error(err);
+			}
+			cb(err);
 		}
 	);
 };
diff --git a/mods/menu.json b/mods/menu.json
index ffb5aca1..966122ba 100644
--- a/mods/menu.json
+++ b/mods/menu.json
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
 			}
 	*/
 	"menus" : {
-		"art" 		: "CONNECT",
 		"connected" : {
+			"art"		: "CONNECT",
 			"next"		: "matrix",
 			"options"	: {
 				"cls"	: true,
@@ -191,24 +191,18 @@
 		},
 		"newUserActive" : {
 			"art"		: "SO-CC1.ANS",
-			"options"	: { "cls" : true },
-			"action"	: "@menu:currentUserStats",
-			"pause"		: "end"
+			"options"	: { "cls" : true, "pause" : true },
+			"action"	: "@menu:currentUserStats"
 		},
 		"currentUserStats" : {
 			"art" : "userstats",
-			//"prompt" : "pause",
-			"options" : {
-				//	:TODO: implement MCI codes for this
-				"cls" : true
-			},
-			"pause"		: true,
+			"options" : { "cls" : true, "pause" : true },
 			"action"	: "@menu:lastCallers"
 		},
 		"lastCallers" :{
 			"module"	: "last_callers",
 			"art"		: "LASTCALL.ANS",
-			"options"	: { "cls" : true },
+			"options"	: { "cls" : true, "pause" : true },
 			"config"	: {
 				"dateTimeFormat" : "ddd MMM Do H:mm a"
 			},