diff --git a/src/controllers/user.js b/src/controllers/user.js
index caaab30546..bd3011619e 100644
--- a/src/controllers/user.js
+++ b/src/controllers/user.js
@@ -89,10 +89,26 @@ api.score = function(req, res, next) {
       delta: delta,
       _tmp: user._tmp
     }, saved.toJSON().stats));
-  });
 
-  // if it's a challenge task, sync the score
-  user.syncScoreToChallenge(task, delta);
+    // If it's a challenge task, sync the score. Do it in the background, we've already sent down a response
+    // and the user doesn't care what happens back there
+    if (!task.challenge || !task.challenge.id || task.challenge.broken) return;
+    if (task.type == 'reward') return; // we don't want to update the reward GP cost
+    Challenge.findById(task.challenge.id, 'habits dailys todos rewards', function(err, chal){
+      if (err) return next(err);
+      if (!chal) {
+        task.challenge.broken = 'CHALLENGE_DELETED';
+        user.markModified('tasks');
+        return user.save();
+      }
+      var t = chal.tasks[task.id];
+      if (!t) return chal.syncToUser(user); // this task was removed from the challenge, notify user
+      t.value += delta;
+      if (t.type == 'habit' || t.type == 'daily')
+        t.history.push({value: t.value, date: +new Date});
+      chal.save();
+    });
+  });
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/models/user.js b/src/models/user.js
index 93800629bf..9c1c5ba0cc 100644
--- a/src/models/user.js
+++ b/src/models/user.js
@@ -373,22 +373,6 @@ UserSchema.pre('save', function(next) {
   next();
 });
 
-UserSchema.methods.syncScoreToChallenge = function(task, delta){
-  if (!task.challenge || !task.challenge.id || task.challenge.broken) return;
-  if (task.type == 'reward') return; // we don't want to update the reward GP cost
-  var self = this;
-  Challenge.findById(task.challenge.id, function(err, chal){
-    if (err) throw err;
-    var t = chal.tasks[task.id];
-    if (!t) return chal.syncToUser(self); // this task was removed from the challenge, notify user
-    t.value += delta;
-    if (t.type == 'habit' || t.type == 'daily') {
-      t.history.push({value: t.value, date: +new Date});
-    }
-    chal.save();
-  });
-}
-
 UserSchema.methods.unlink = function(options, cb) {
   var cid = options.cid, keep = options.keep, tid = options.tid;
   var self = this;