diff --git a/ext/bg/js/anki-connect.js b/ext/bg/js/anki-connect.js
index 173feefd..a4d8ba3f 100644
--- a/ext/bg/js/anki-connect.js
+++ b/ext/bg/js/anki-connect.js
@@ -20,69 +20,50 @@
 class AnkiConnect {
     constructor(server) {
         this.server = server;
-        this.asyncPools = {};
         this.localVersion = 2;
-        this.remoteVersion = null;
+        this.remoteVersion = 0;
     }
 
-    addNote(note) {
-        return this.checkVersion().then(() => this.ankiInvoke('addNote', {note}));
+    async addNote(note) {
+        await this.checkVersion();
+        return await this.ankiInvoke('addNote', {note});
     }
 
-    canAddNotes(notes) {
-        return this.checkVersion().then(() => this.ankiInvoke('canAddNotes', {notes}, 'notes'));
+    async canAddNotes(notes) {
+        await this.checkVersion();
+        return await this.ankiInvoke('canAddNotes', {notes});
     }
 
-    getDeckNames() {
-        return this.checkVersion().then(() => this.ankiInvoke('deckNames', {}));
+    async getDeckNames() {
+        await this.checkVersion();
+        return await this.ankiInvoke('deckNames');
     }
 
-    getModelNames() {
-        return this.checkVersion().then(() => this.ankiInvoke('modelNames', {}));
+    async getModelNames() {
+        await this.checkVersion();
+        return await this.ankiInvoke('modelNames');
     }
 
-    getModelFieldNames(modelName) {
-        return this.checkVersion().then(() => this.ankiInvoke('modelFieldNames', {modelName}));
+    async getModelFieldNames(modelName) {
+        await this.checkVersion();
+        return await this.ankiInvoke('modelFieldNames', {modelName});
     }
 
-    guiBrowse(query) {
-        return this.checkVersion().then(() => this.ankiInvoke('guiBrowse', {query}));
+    async guiBrowse(query) {
+        await this.checkVersion();
+        return await this.ankiInvoke('guiBrowse', {query});
     }
 
-    checkVersion() {
-        if (this.localVersion === this.remoteVersion) {
-            return Promise.resolve(true);
-        }
-
-        return this.ankiInvoke('version', {}, null).then(version => {
-            this.remoteVersion = version;
+    async checkVersion() {
+        if (this.remoteVersion < this.localVersion) {
+            this.remoteVersion = await this.ankiInvoke('version');
             if (this.remoteVersion < this.localVersion) {
                 return Promise.reject('extension and plugin versions incompatible');
             }
-        });
+        }
     }
 
-    ankiInvoke(action, params, pool) {
-        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-            if (pool && this.asyncPools.hasOwnProperty(pool)) {
-                this.asyncPools[pool].abort();
-            }
-
-            const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
-            xhr.addEventListener('loadend', () => {
-                if (pool) {
-                    delete this.asyncPools[pool];
-                }
-
-                if (xhr.responseText) {
-                    resolve(JSON.parse(xhr.responseText));
-                } else {
-                    reject('unable to connect to plugin');
-                }
-            });
-
-            xhr.open('POST', this.server);
-            xhr.send(JSON.stringify({action, params}));
-        });
+    ankiInvoke(action, params) {
+        return jsonRequest(this.server, 'POST', {action, params, version: this.localVersion});
     }
 }
diff --git a/ext/bg/js/anki-null.js b/ext/bg/js/anki-null.js
index 8dad6915..d82f0e68 100644
--- a/ext/bg/js/anki-null.js
+++ b/ext/bg/js/anki-null.js
@@ -18,27 +18,27 @@
 
 
 class AnkiNull {
-    addNote(note) {
-        return Promise.reject('unsupported action');
+    async addNote(note) {
+        return null;
     }
 
-    canAddNotes(notes) {
-        return Promise.resolve([]);
+    async canAddNotes(notes) {
+        return [];
     }
 
-    getDeckNames() {
-        return Promise.resolve([]);
+    async getDeckNames() {
+        return [];
     }
 
-    getModelNames() {
-        return Promise.resolve([]);
+    async getModelNames() {
+        return [];
     }
 
-    getModelFieldNames(modelName) {
-        return Promise.resolve([]);
+    async getModelFieldNames(modelName) {
+        return [];
     }
 
-    guiBrowse(query) {
-        return Promise.resolve([]);
+    async guiBrowse(query) {
+        return [];
     }
 }
diff --git a/ext/bg/js/translator.js b/ext/bg/js/translator.js
index aa11ea63..9232e529 100644
--- a/ext/bg/js/translator.js
+++ b/ext/bg/js/translator.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Translator {
 
         if (!this.deinflector) {
             const url = chrome.extension.getURL('/bg/lang/deinflect.json');
-            const reasons = await Translator.loadRules(url);
+            const reasons = await jsonRequest(url, 'GET');
             this.deinflector = new Deinflector(reasons);
         }
     }
@@ -124,22 +124,4 @@ class Translator {
 
         return definitions;
     }
-
-    static loadRules(url) {
-        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-            const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
-            xhr.overrideMimeType('application/json');
-            xhr.addEventListener('load', () => resolve(xhr.responseText));
-            xhr.addEventListener('error', () => reject('failed to execute network request'));
-            xhr.open('GET', url);
-            xhr.send();
-        }).then(responseText => {
-            try {
-                return JSON.parse(responseText);
-            }
-            catch (e) {
-                return Promise.reject('invalid JSON response');
-            }
-        });
-    }
 }
diff --git a/ext/bg/js/util.js b/ext/bg/js/util.js
index b8a60217..4f907923 100644
--- a/ext/bg/js/util.js
+++ b/ext/bg/js/util.js
@@ -428,6 +428,31 @@ function dictFieldFormat(field, definition, mode, options) {
     return field;
 }
 
+/*
+ * JSON
+ */
+
+function jsonRequest(url, action, params) {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+        xhr.overrideMimeType('application/json');
+        xhr.addEventListener('load', () => resolve(xhr.responseText));
+        xhr.addEventListener('error', () => reject('failed to execute network request'));
+        xhr.open(action, url);
+        if (params) {
+            xhr.send(JSON.stringify(params));
+        } else {
+            xhr.send();
+        }
+    }).then(responseText => {
+        try {
+            return JSON.parse(responseText);
+        }
+        catch (e) {
+            return Promise.reject('invalid JSON response');
+        }
+    });
+}
 
 /*
  * Helpers