diff --git a/docs/plugins.rst b/docs/plugins.rst
index 9162bb64..49518ef0 100644
--- a/docs/plugins.rst
+++ b/docs/plugins.rst
@@ -158,7 +158,9 @@ example:
 
     module.exports = function(embark) {
       embark.registerBeforeDeploy(function(options) {
-        return options.contract.code.replace(/deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead/ig, 'c0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0de');
+        var code = options.contract.code.replace(/deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead/ig, 'c0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0dec0de');
+        options.callback({ contractCode: code });
+        return; // ignored
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/contracts/deploy.js b/lib/contracts/deploy.js
index 769a3824..27396a16 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/deploy.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/deploy.js
@@ -215,13 +215,13 @@ class Deploy {
       let beforeDeployPlugins = self.plugins.getPluginsFor('beforeDeploy');
 
       async.waterfall([
-        (asyncCallback)=>{
+        (asyncCallback) => {
           //self.logger.info("applying beforeDeploy plugins...", beforeDeployPlugins.length);
-          async.eachSeries(beforeDeployPlugins, (plugin, eachPluginCb)=>{
+          async.eachSeries(beforeDeployPlugins, (plugin, eachPluginCb) => {
             self.logger.info("running beforeDeploy plugin " + plugin.name + " .");
 
             // calling each beforeDeploy handler declared by the plugin
-            async.eachSeries(plugin.beforeDeploy, (beforeDeployFn, eachCb)=>{
+            async.eachSeries(plugin.beforeDeploy, (beforeDeployFn, eachCb) => {
               beforeDeployFn({
                 embarkDeploy:       self,
                 pluginConfig:       plugin.pluginConfig,
@@ -233,17 +233,17 @@ class Deploy {
                   eachCb();
                 })
               });
-            }, ()=>{
+            }, () => {
               //self.logger.info('All beforeDeploy handlers of the plugin has processed.');
               eachPluginCb();
             });
-          }, ()=>{
+          }, () => {
             //self.logger.info('All beforeDeploy plugins has been processed.');
             contractCode = contract.code;
             asyncCallback();
           });
         },
-        (asyncCallback)=>{
+        (asyncCallback) => {
           let contractObject = new self.web3.eth.Contract(contract.abiDefinition);
           let deployObject;
 
@@ -251,9 +251,13 @@ class Deploy {
             deployObject = contractObject.deploy({arguments: contractParams, data: "0x" + contractCode});
           } catch(e) {
             if (e.indexOf('Invalid number of parameters for "undefined"') >= 0) {
-              return callback(new Error("attempted to deploy " + contractObject.className + " without specifying parameters"));
+              callback(new Error("attempted to deploy " + contractObject.className + " without specifying parameters"));
+              asyncCallback();
+              return;
             } else {
-              return callback(new Error(e));
+              callback(new Error(e));
+              asyncCallback();
+              return;
             }
           }
 
@@ -285,6 +289,8 @@ class Deploy {
           }).on('error', function(error) {
             return callback(new Error("error deploying =" + contract.className + "= due to error: " + error.message));
           });
+
+          asyncCallback();
         }
       ]); // end of async.waterfall