diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1150409..5df3e64 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@
     "level-mem": "^3.0.1",
     "lru-cache": "^5.1.1",
     "rlp": "^2.2.2",
-    "semaphore": "^1.1.0",
-    "util": "^0.12.0"
+    "semaphore": "^1.1.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@ethereumjs/config-nyc": "^1.1.1",
diff --git a/src/callbackify.ts b/src/callbackify.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d3fbc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/callbackify.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+function callbackifyOnRejected(reason: any, cb: any) {
+  // `!reason` guard inspired by bluebird (Ref: https://goo.gl/t5IS6M).
+  // Because `null` is a special error value in callbacks which means "no error
+  // occurred", we error-wrap so the callback consumer can distinguish between
+  // "the promise rejected with null" or "the promise fulfilled with undefined".
+  if (!reason) {
+    const newReason = new Error('Promise was rejected with a falsy value') as any
+    newReason.reason = reason
+    reason = newReason
+  }
+  return cb(reason)
+}
+
+export function callbackify(original: any): any {
+  if (typeof original !== 'function') {
+    throw new TypeError('The "original" argument must be of type Function')
+  }
+
+  // We DO NOT return the promise as it gives the user a false sense that
+  // the promise is actually somehow related to the callback's execution
+  // and that the callback throwing will reject the promise.
+  function callbackified(this: any) {
+    const args = []
+    for (let i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++) {
+      args.push(arguments[i])
+    }
+
+    const maybeCb = args.pop()
+    if (typeof maybeCb !== 'function') {
+      throw new TypeError('The last argument must be of type Function')
+    }
+
+    //tslint:disable-next-line no-invalid-this
+    const self = this
+    const cb = function() {
+      return maybeCb.apply(self, arguments)
+    }
+
+    // In true node style we process the callback on `nextTick` with all the
+    // implications (stack, `uncaughtException`, `async_hooks`)
+    //tslint:disable-next-line no-invalid-this
+    original.apply(this, args).then(
+      function(ret: any) {
+        process.nextTick(cb.bind(null, null, ret))
+      },
+      function(rej: any) {
+        process.nextTick(callbackifyOnRejected.bind(null, rej, cb))
+      },
+    )
+  }
+
+  Object.setPrototypeOf(callbackified, Object.getPrototypeOf(original))
+  Object.defineProperties(callbackified, Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors(original))
+
+  return callbackified
+}
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 2d67fb6..53ca579 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as async from 'async'
 import { BN, rlp } from 'ethereumjs-util'
 import Common from 'ethereumjs-common'
-import * as util from 'util'
+import { callbackify } from './callbackify'
 import DBManager from './dbManager'
 import {
   bodyKey,
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
     const self = this
 
     async.waterfall(
-      [(cb: any) => self._numberToHash(new BN(0), cb), util.callbackify(getHeads.bind(this))],
+      [(cb: any) => self._numberToHash(new BN(0), cb), callbackify(getHeads.bind(this))],
       err => {
         if (err) {
           // if genesis block doesn't exist, create one
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
    * @hidden
    */
   _getBlock(blockTag: Buffer | number | BN, cb: any) {
-    util.callbackify(this.dbManager.getBlock.bind(this.dbManager))(blockTag, cb)
+    callbackify(this.dbManager.getBlock.bind(this.dbManager))(blockTag, cb)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
    * @hidden
    */
   _batchDbOps(dbOps: any, cb: any): void {
-    util.callbackify(this.dbManager.batch.bind(this.dbManager))(dbOps, cb)
+    callbackify(this.dbManager.batch.bind(this.dbManager))(dbOps, cb)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
    * @hidden
    */
   _hashToNumber(hash: Buffer, cb: any): void {
-    util.callbackify(this.dbManager.hashToNumber.bind(this.dbManager))(hash, cb)
+    callbackify(this.dbManager.hashToNumber.bind(this.dbManager))(hash, cb)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
    * @hidden
    */
   _numberToHash(number: BN, cb: any): void {
-    util.callbackify(this.dbManager.numberToHash.bind(this.dbManager))(number, cb)
+    callbackify(this.dbManager.numberToHash.bind(this.dbManager))(number, cb)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
         if (err) {
           return cb(err)
         }
-        util.callbackify(this.dbManager.getHeader.bind(this.dbManager))(hash, number, cb)
+        callbackify(this.dbManager.getHeader.bind(this.dbManager))(hash, number, cb)
       },
     )
   }
@@ -1090,7 +1090,7 @@ export default class Blockchain {
         if (err) {
           return cb(err)
         }
-        util.callbackify(this.dbManager.getTd.bind(this.dbManager))(hash, number, cb)
+        callbackify(this.dbManager.getTd.bind(this.dbManager))(hash, number, cb)
       },
     )
   }