diff --git a/lib/couchit.js b/lib/couchit.js
index 27468dd..4ba0560 100644
--- a/lib/couchit.js
+++ b/lib/couchit.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const Db = require('./db');
 const Util = require('./util');
+const async = require('async');
 
 /**
  * class Couchit
@@ -12,14 +13,13 @@ function Couchit() {}
 Couchit.prototype.iterate = function(config, cb) {
   const tasks = config.tasks;
   const url = 'http://' + config.dbUser + ':' + config.dbPass + '@' + config.dbEndpoint + '/' + config.dbName;
-  const stat = { __docs: 0, __pages: 0, __save: 0, __remove: 0, __audit: 0, __hash: 0, __validate: 0 };
+  const stat = { __docs: 0, __pages: 0, __save: 0, __remove: 0, __audit: 0, __hash: 0, __validate: 0, __dereference: 0 };
   const start = new Date();
   const db = new Db(url);
   const util = new Util(stat, [], db.db, config);
 
   function _pageCb(rows) {
     const docsCount = (rows.length === config.pageSize + 1) ? config.pageSize : rows.length;
-
     util.increment('__docs', docsCount);
     util.increment('__pages', 1);
 
@@ -34,15 +34,13 @@ Couchit.prototype.iterate = function(config, cb) {
     const queuedDocs = util.getQueue().slice(0); // a copy of the queue
 
     if (queuedDocs.length >= config.batchSize) {
-      console.log('Updating %d doc%s', queuedDocs.length, queuedDocs.length > 1 ? 's' : '');
+      util.log('Updating %d doc%s', queuedDocs.length, queuedDocs.length > 1 ? 's' : '');
 
       db.update(queuedDocs, function(err, result) {
         if (err) {
           console.error(err.message);
         } else {
-          if (!config.quiet) {
-            console.log('Bulk update %d doc%s done', result.length, result.length > 1 ? 's' : '');
-          }
+          util.log('Bulk update %d doc%s done', result.length, result.length > 1 ? 's' : '');
         }
       });
       util.resetQueue();
@@ -50,30 +48,14 @@ Couchit.prototype.iterate = function(config, cb) {
   }
 
   function _endCb(err, result) {
-
-    function _report(err, result) {
-      const audit = util.getAudit();
-      const stat = util.getStat();
-
-      // Add elapsed time to stat object
-      stat.__elapsed = new Date() - start;
-
-      if (!config.quiet) {
-        console.log(util.createReport(stat));
-      }
-
-      // return a callback response object containing the stat object and audit array
-      cb(err, { stat, audit });
-    }
-
     const queue = util.getQueue();
 
+    // update the remaining queued documents
     if (queue.length > 0) {
-      // update the remaining queued documents
       db.update(queue, function(err, result) {
         function _wait() {
           if (db.done()) {
-            _report(err, result);
+            finalize(err, result);
           } else {
             setImmediate(_wait);
           }
@@ -82,8 +64,34 @@ Couchit.prototype.iterate = function(config, cb) {
       });
       // if queue is empty, then just report regardless there's an error or not
     } else {
-      _report(err, result);
+      finalize(err, result);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * To allow long-running asyncronous processes to complete before returning the
+     * callback that reflects the results of all procerssing, ensure there are no
+     * outstanding waits.
+     */
+    function finalize(err, result) {
+      async.whilst(
+        function() {
+          return util.doWaitsExist();
+        },
+        function(callback) {
+          setTimeout(callback, 100);
+        },
+        function(err, result) {
+          const audit = util.getAudit();
+          const stat = util.getStat();
+          stat.__elapsed = new Date() - start;
+          util.log(util.createReport(stat));
+
+          // return a callback response object containing the stat object and audit array
+          cb(err, { stat, audit });
+        }
+      );
     }
+
   }
 
   db.paginate(config.interval, config.startKey, config.endKey, config.pageSize, config.numPages, _pageCb, _endCb);
diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index 92858e8..3817ef5 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const hasher = require('node-object-hash')({ coerce: false }).hash;
 const Ajv = require('ajv');
+const $RefParser = require('json-schema-ref-parser');
 
 /**
  * Util is exposed to couchit.js task functions.
@@ -11,6 +12,36 @@ function Util(stat, queue, nano, config) {
   this.config = config;
   this.auditItems = [];
   this.hasher = hasher;
+
+  /**
+   * User-defined "wait" counter to allow for additional interator flow control
+   *
+   * A wait represents a single outstanding asyncronous process. Waits can be
+   * used by the developer inside the config.tasks file where desired to ensure
+   * longer-running processes such as Util.validate() are able to complete.
+   */
+  this.waits = 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns true if there are waits
+ */
+Util.prototype.doWaitsExist = function() {
+  return this.waits > 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Increment wait counter (use at the start of a process/function call)
+ */
+Util.prototype.incrementWaits = function() {
+  this.waits += 1;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Decrement wait counter (use at the process/function completion)
+ */
+Util.prototype.decrementWaits = function() {
+  this.waits -= 1;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -91,12 +122,14 @@ Util.prototype.remove = function(doc) {
 };
 
 /**
- * Log message.
+ * Wrapper for console.log() which prevents output if config.quiet === true
  *
  * @param {String} message: the message to log
  */
 Util.prototype.log = function(message) {
-  console.log(message);
+  if (!this.config.quiet) {
+    console.log(message);
+  }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -123,7 +156,7 @@ Util.prototype.getAudit = function() {
  * @return queue
  */
 Util.prototype.getQueue = function() {
-  console.log('| Retrieving page (' + this.config.pageSize + ' docs)');
+  this.log('| Retrieving page (' + this.config.pageSize + ' docs)');
   return this.queue;
 };
 
@@ -135,13 +168,32 @@ Util.prototype.resetQueue = function() {
 };
 
 /**
- * json-schema validation
+ * Validate based on json-schema
+ *
+ * Returns a promise.
  */
 Util.prototype.validate = function(schema, data) {
   this.count('__validate');
   const ajv = new Ajv({ allErrors: true }); // options can be passed, e.g. {allErrors: true}
-  const validate = ajv.compile(schema);
-  return validate(data);
+  const valid = ajv.validate(schema, data);
+
+  if (valid) {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
+
+  // If the schema does not validate, return a promise rejection with the reason
+  return Promise.reject(ajv.errorsText());
+}
+
+/**
+ * De-reference a json-schema reference file.
+ *
+ * Typically used with util.validate() to reference other json-schema
+ * files to allow re-use and avoid duplicating common schemas.
+ */
+Util.prototype.dereference = function(file) {
+  this.count('__dereference');
+  return $RefParser.dereference(file);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -161,6 +213,7 @@ Util.prototype.createReport = function(stat) {
     'Pages retrieved       : ' + stat.__pages + '\n' +
     'Hashes computed       : ' + stat.__hash + '\n' +
     'Schemas validated     : ' + stat.__validate + '\n' +
+    'Schemas dereferenced  : ' + stat.__dereference + '\n' +
     'Objects audited       : ' + stat.__audit + '\n' +
     'docs-per-sec          : ' + docsPerSecond + '\n' +
     'save-per-sec          : ' + savePerSecond + '\n' +
@@ -168,7 +221,7 @@ Util.prototype.createReport = function(stat) {
 
   Object.keys(stat).forEach(prop => {
     if (!prop.match(/^__.+/)) {
-      report += 'count - ' + prop + ': ' + stat[prop] + '\n';
+      report += '\ncount - ' + prop + ': ' + stat[prop];
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c621f5f..63ef97b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     "json-schema",
     "schema validator"
   ],
-  "version": "0.6.0",
+  "version": "0.7.0",
   "homepage": "http://github.com/dsquier/couchit",
   "author": "David Squier (dsquier@gmail.com)",
   "main": "./lib/couchit",
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@
     "lib": "./lib"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "ajv": "^5.1.5",
+    "ajv": "^5.2.0",
     "async": "^2.4.1",
-    "commander": "^2.9.0",
+    "commander": "^2.10.0",
+    "json-schema-ref-parser": "^3.1.2",
     "nano": "^6.3.0",
     "node-object-hash": "1.2.0"
   },