diff --git a/mopidy_iris/core.py b/mopidy_iris/core.py
index ea6066d0..527a0ccb 100755
--- a/mopidy_iris/core.py
+++ b/mopidy_iris/core.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from mopidy import config, ext
 from mopidy.core import CoreListener
 from pkg_resources import parse_version
 from tornado.escape import json_encode, json_decode
+from tornado.httpclient import AsyncHTTPClient
 
 from .system import IrisSystemThread
 
@@ -414,15 +415,16 @@ class IrisCore(pykka.ThreadingActor):
             return response
 
 
-    def get_version(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    async def get_version(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         callback = kwargs.get('callback', False)
         url = 'https://pypi.python.org/pypi/Mopidy-Iris/json'
+        http_client = AsyncHTTPClient()
 
         try:
-            response = urllib.request.urlopen(url, timeout=30).read()
-            response = json.loads(response)
-            latest_version = response['info']['version']
+            http_response = await http_client.fetch(url)
+            response_body = json.loads(http_response.body)
+            latest_version = response_body['info']['version']
 
             # compare our versions, and convert result to boolean
             upgrade_available = parse_version( latest_version ) > parse_version( self.version )
diff --git a/mopidy_iris/handlers.py b/mopidy_iris/handlers.py
index 67514bf2..58eeb9bf 100755
--- a/mopidy_iris/handlers.py
+++ b/mopidy_iris/handlers.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class WebsocketHandler(tornado.websocket.WebSocketHandler):
         iris.add_connection(connection=self, client=client)
 
 
-    def on_message(self, message):
+    async def on_message(self, message):
         logger.debug("Iris websocket message received: "+message)
 
         message = json_decode(message)
@@ -137,14 +137,14 @@ class HttpHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
         self.set_status(204)
         self.finish()
 
-    def get(self, slug=None):
+    async def get(self, slug=None):
 
         id = int(time.time())
 
         # make sure the method exists
         if hasattr(iris, slug):
             try:
-                getattr(iris, slug)(request=self, callback=lambda response, error=False: self.handle_result(id=id, method=slug, response=response, error=error))
+                await getattr(iris, slug)(request=self, callback=lambda response, error=False: self.handle_result(id=id, method=slug, response=response, error=error))
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(str(e))
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class HttpHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
             self.handle_result(id=id, error={'code': 32601, 'message': "Method "+slug+" does not exist"})
             return
 
-    def post(self, slug=None):
+    async def post(self, slug=None):
 
         id = int(time.time())
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class HttpHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
         # make sure the method exists
         if hasattr(iris, slug):
             try:
-                getattr(iris, slug)(data=params, request=self.request, callback=lambda response=False, error=False: self.handle_result(id=id, method=slug, response=response, error=error))
+                await getattr(iris, slug)(data=params, request=self.request, callback=lambda response=False, error=False: self.handle_result(id=id, method=slug, response=response, error=error))
 
             except HTTPError as e:
                 self.handle_result(id=id, error={'code': 32601, 'message': "Invalid JSON payload"})