diff --git a/lib/core/Project.js b/lib/core/Project.js
index 071768cb..1ed55eb7 100644
--- a/lib/core/Project.js
+++ b/lib/core/Project.js
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ var semver = require('semver');
 var mout = require('mout');
 var rimraf = require('rimraf');
 var promptly = require('promptly');
-var bowerJson = require('bower-json');
 var endpointParser = require('bower-endpoint-parser');
 var Logger = require('bower-logger');
 var Manager = require('./Manager');
 var defaultConfig = require('../config');
 var md5 = require('../util/md5');
 var createError = require('../util/createError');
+var readJson = require('../util/readJson');
+var validLink = require('../util/validLink');
 
 function Project(config, logger) {
     // This is the only architecture component that ensures defaults
@@ -309,43 +310,6 @@ Project.prototype.uninstall = function (names, options) {
     });
 };
 
-Project.prototype.hasJson = function () {
-    return this._readJson()
-    .then(function (json) {
-        return json ? this._jsonFile : false;
-    }.bind(this));
-};
-
-Project.prototype.getJson = function () {
-    return this._readJson();
-};
-
-Project.prototype.saveJson = function (forceCreate) {
-    var file;
-    var jsonStr = JSON.stringify(this._json, null, '  ') + '\n';
-    var jsonHash = md5(jsonStr);
-
-    // Save only if there's something different
-    if (jsonHash === this._jsonHash) {
-        return Q.resolve();
-    }
-
-    // Error out if the json file does not exist, unless force create
-    // is true
-    if (!this._jsonFile && !forceCreate) {
-        this._logger.warn('no-json', 'No bower.json file to save to');
-        return Q.resolve();
-    }
-
-    file = this._jsonFile || path.join(this._config.cwd, 'bower.json');
-    return Q.nfcall(fs.writeFile, file, jsonStr)
-    .then(function () {
-        this._jsonHash = jsonHash;
-        this._jsonFile = file;
-        return this._json;
-    }.bind(this));
-};
-
 Project.prototype.getTree = function () {
     return this._analyse()
     .spread(function (json, tree, flattened) {
@@ -425,6 +389,43 @@ Project.prototype.walkTree = function (node, fn, onlyOnce) {
     }
 };
 
+Project.prototype.saveJson = function (forceCreate) {
+    var file;
+    var jsonStr = JSON.stringify(this._json, null, '  ') + '\n';
+    var jsonHash = md5(jsonStr);
+
+    // Save only if there's something different
+    if (jsonHash === this._jsonHash) {
+        return Q.resolve();
+    }
+
+    // Error out if the json file does not exist, unless force create
+    // is true
+    if (!this._jsonFile && !forceCreate) {
+        this._logger.warn('no-json', 'No bower.json file to save to');
+        return Q.resolve();
+    }
+
+    file = this._jsonFile || path.join(this._config.cwd, 'bower.json');
+    return Q.nfcall(fs.writeFile, file, jsonStr)
+    .then(function () {
+        this._jsonHash = jsonHash;
+        this._jsonFile = file;
+        return this._json;
+    }.bind(this));
+};
+
+Project.prototype.hasJson = function () {
+    return this._readJson()
+    .then(function (json) {
+        return json ? this._jsonFile : false;
+    }.bind(this));
+};
+
+Project.prototype.getJson = function () {
+    return this._readJson();
+};
+
 Project.prototype.getManager = function () {
     return this._manager;
 };
@@ -515,37 +516,17 @@ Project.prototype._readJson = function () {
     }
 
     // Read local json
-    return this._json = Q.nfcall(bowerJson.find, this._config.cwd)
-    .then(function (filename) {
-        // If it is a component.json, warn about the deprecation
-        if (path.basename(filename) === 'component.json') {
-            process.nextTick(function () {
-                that._logger.warn('deprecated', 'You are using the deprecated component.json file', {
-                    json: filename
-                });
-            });
+    return this._json = readJson(this._config.cwd, {
+        name: path.basename(this._config.cwd) || 'root'
+    })
+    .spread(function (json, deprecated) {
+        var jsonStr;
+
+        if (deprecated) {
+            that._logger.warn('deprecated', 'You are using the deprecated ' + deprecated + ' file');
         }
 
-        that._jsonFile = filename;
-
-        // Read it
-        return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, filename)
-        .fail(function (err) {
-            throw createError('Something went wrong while reading ' + filename, err.code, {
-                details: err.message,
-                data: {
-                    filename: filename
-                }
-            });
-        });
-    }, function () {
-        // No json file was found, assume one
-        return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.parse, {
-            name: path.basename(that._config.cwd) || 'root'
-        });
-    })
-    .then(function (json) {
-        var jsonStr = JSON.stringify(json, null, '  ') + '\n';
+        jsonStr = JSON.stringify(json, null, '  ') + '\n';
         that._jsonHash = md5(jsonStr);
         return that._json = json;
     });
@@ -576,8 +557,8 @@ Project.prototype._readInstalled = function () {
             var metaFile = path.join(componentsDir, filename);
 
             // Read package metadata
-            return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, metaFile)
-            .then(function (pkgMeta) {
+            return readJson(metaFile)
+            .spread(function (pkgMeta) {
                 decEndpoints[name] = {
                     name: name,
                     source: pkgMeta._source,
@@ -585,8 +566,7 @@ Project.prototype._readInstalled = function () {
                     canonicalDir: path.dirname(metaFile),
                     pkgMeta: pkgMeta
                 };
-            // Ignore if failed to read file
-            }, function () {});
+            });
         });
 
         // Wait until all files have been read
@@ -600,6 +580,7 @@ Project.prototype._readInstalled = function () {
 
 Project.prototype._readLinks = function () {
     var componentsDir;
+    var that = this;
 
     // Read directory, looking for links
     componentsDir = path.join(this._config.cwd, this._config.directory);
@@ -608,44 +589,41 @@ Project.prototype._readLinks = function () {
         var promises;
         var decEndpoints = {};
 
-        // Filter only those that are links
         promises = filenames.map(function (filename) {
             var dir = path.join(componentsDir, filename);
 
-            return Q.nfcall(fs.lstat, dir)
-            .then(function (stat) {
-                if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
-                    return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.find, dir)
-                    .then(function (jsonFile) {
-                        return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, jsonFile)
-                        .then(function (pkgMeta) {
-                            var name = path.basename(filename);
+            // Filter only those that are valid links
+            return validLink(dir)
+            .spread(function (valid, err) {
+                var name;
 
-                            decEndpoints[name] = {
-                                name: name,
-                                source: dir,
-                                target: '*',
-                                canonicalDir: dir,
-                                pkgMeta: pkgMeta,
-                                linked: true
-                            };
-                        })
-                        .fail(function (err) {
-                            throw createError('Failed to read ' + filename, err.code, {
-                                details: err.message,
-                                data: {
-                                    filename: filename
-                                }
-                            });
+                if (!valid) {
+                    if (err) {
+                        that._logger.debug('read-link', 'Link ' + dir + ' is invalid', {
+                            filename: dir,
+                            error: err
                         });
-                    }, function () {
-                        // No json file was found, assume one
-                        return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.parse, {
-                            name: path.basename(dir)
-                        });
-                    });
+                    }
+                    return;
                 }
-            }, function () {});
+
+                name = path.basename(dir);
+                return readJson(dir, { name: name })
+                .spread(function (json, deprecated) {
+                    if (deprecated) {
+                        that._logger.warn('deprecated', 'Package ' + name + ' is using the deprecated ' + deprecated);
+                    }
+
+                    decEndpoints[name] = {
+                        name: name,
+                        source: dir,
+                        target: '*',
+                        canonicalDir: dir,
+                        pkgMeta: json,
+                        linked: true
+                    };
+                });
+            });
         });
 
         // Wait until all links have been read
diff --git a/lib/core/ResolveCache.js b/lib/core/ResolveCache.js
index 3be26498..2de2e47a 100644
--- a/lib/core/ResolveCache.js
+++ b/lib/core/ResolveCache.js
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@ var path = require('path');
 var semver = require('semver');
 var mout = require('mout');
 var Q = require('q');
-var bowerJson = require('bower-json');
 var mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 var rimraf = require('rimraf');
 var LRU = require('lru-cache');
-var createError = require('../util/createError');
+var readJson = require('../util/readJson');
 var copy = require('../util/copy');
 var md5 = require('../util/md5');
 
@@ -325,14 +324,9 @@ ResolveCache.prototype._getPkgRelease = function (pkgMeta) {
 ResolveCache.prototype._readPkgMeta = function (dir) {
     var filename = path.join(dir, '.bower.json');
 
-    return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, filename)
-    .fail(function (err) {
-        throw createError('Something went wrong while reading ' + filename, err.code || 'EMALFORMED', {
-            details: err.message,
-            data: {
-                json: filename
-            }
-        });
+    return readJson(filename)
+    .spread(function (json) {
+        return json;
     });
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/core/resolvers/FsResolver.js b/lib/core/resolvers/FsResolver.js
index c49855e6..b6233e18 100644
--- a/lib/core/resolvers/FsResolver.js
+++ b/lib/core/resolvers/FsResolver.js
@@ -37,15 +37,14 @@ FsResolver.isTargetable = function () {
 //       is an archive file, by piping read stream to the zip extractor
 //       This will likely increase the complexity of code but might worth it
 FsResolver.prototype._resolve = function () {
-    return this._readJson(this._source)
-    .then(this._copy.bind(this))
+    return this._copy()
     .then(this._extract.bind(this))
     .then(this._rename.bind(this));
 };
 
 // -----------------
 
-FsResolver.prototype._copy = function (meta) {
+FsResolver.prototype._copy = function () {
     var that = this;
 
     return Q.nfcall(fs.stat, this._source)
@@ -55,18 +54,19 @@ FsResolver.prototype._copy = function (meta) {
         var promise;
 
         that._sourceStat = stat;
-
-        // Pass in the ignore to the copy options to avoid copying ignored files
-        // Also, pass in the mode to avoid additional stat calls when copying
-        copyOpts = {
-            mode: stat.mode,
-            ignore: meta.ignore
-        };
+        copyOpts = { mode: stat.mode };
 
         // If it's a folder
         if (stat.isDirectory()) {
             dst = that._tempDir;
-            promise = copy.copyDir(that._source, that._tempDir, copyOpts)
+
+            // Read the bower.json inside the folder, so that we
+            // copy only the necessary files if it has ignore specified
+            promise = that._readJson(that._source)
+            .then(function (json) {
+                copyOpts.ignore = json.ignore;
+                return copy.copyDir(that._source, dst, copyOpts);
+            })
             .then(function () {
                 // Resolve to null because it's a dir
                 return;
diff --git a/lib/core/resolvers/Resolver.js b/lib/core/resolvers/Resolver.js
index a05aeacb..c2cb865b 100644
--- a/lib/core/resolvers/Resolver.js
+++ b/lib/core/resolvers/Resolver.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var Q = require('q');
 var tmp = require('tmp');
 var mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
-var bowerJson = require('bower-json');
+var readJson = require('../../util/readJson');
 var createError = require('../../util/createError');
 var removeIgnores = require('../../util/removeIgnores');
 
@@ -61,10 +61,15 @@ Resolver.prototype.hasNew = function (canonicalDir, pkgMeta) {
     } else {
         metaFile = path.join(canonicalDir, '.bower.json');
 
-        promise = Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, metaFile)
-        .then(function (pkgMeta) {
+        promise = readJson(metaFile)
+        .spread(function (pkgMeta) {
             return that._hasNew(canonicalDir, pkgMeta);
-        }, function () {
+        }, function (err) {
+            that._logger.debug('read-json', 'Failed to read ' + metaFile, {
+                filename: metaFile,
+                error: err
+            });
+
             return true;  // Simply resolve to true if there was an error reading the file
         });
     }
@@ -151,33 +156,17 @@ Resolver.prototype._createTempDir = function () {
 };
 
 Resolver.prototype._readJson = function (dir) {
-    dir = dir || this._tempDir;
+    var that = this;
 
-    return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.find, dir)
-    .then(function (filename) {
-        // If it is a component.json, warn about the deprecation
-        if (path.basename(filename) === 'component.json') {
-            this._logger.warn('deprecated', 'Package ' + this._name + ' is using the deprecated component.json file', {
-                json: filename
-            });
+    dir = dir || this._tempDir;
+    return readJson(dir, { name: this._name })
+    .spread(function (json, deprecated) {
+        if (deprecated) {
+            that._logger.warn('deprecated', 'Package ' + that._name + ' is using the deprecated ' + deprecated);
         }
 
-        // Read it
-        return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, filename)
-        .fail(function (err) {
-            throw createError('Something went wrong while reading ' + filename, err.code, {
-                details: err.message,
-                data: {
-                    json: filename
-                }
-            });
-        });
-    }.bind(this), function () {
-        // No json file was found, assume one
-        return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.parse, {
-            name: this._name
-        });
-    }.bind(this));
+        return json;
+    });
 };
 
 Resolver.prototype._applyPkgMeta = function (meta) {
diff --git a/lib/util/readJson.js b/lib/util/readJson.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..48a60f6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/readJson.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+var path = require('path');
+var bowerJson = require('bower-json');
+var Q = require('q');
+
+function readJson(file, options) {
+    options = options || {};
+
+    // Read
+    return Q.nfcall(bowerJson.read, file, options)
+    .spread(function (json, jsonFile) {
+        var deprecated;
+
+        jsonFile = path.basename(jsonFile);
+        deprecated = jsonFile === 'component.json' ? jsonFile : false;
+
+        return [json, deprecated];
+    }, function (err) {
+        // No json file was found, assume one
+        if (err.code === 'ENOENT' && options.name) {
+            return [bowerJson.parse({ name: options.name }), false];
+        }
+
+        err.details = err.message;
+
+        if (err.file) {
+            err.message = 'Failed to read ' + err.file;
+            err.data = { filename: err.file };
+        } else {
+            err.message = 'Failed to read json from ' + file;
+        }
+
+        throw err;
+    });
+}
+
+module.exports = readJson;
diff --git a/lib/util/validLink.js b/lib/util/validLink.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b510cb3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/validLink.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+var Q = require('q');
+var fs = require('graceful-fs');
+
+function validLink(file) {
+    // Filter only those that are valid links
+    return Q.nfcall(fs.lstat, file)
+    .then(function (stat) {
+        if (!stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+            return [false, null];
+        }
+
+        return Q.nfcall(fs.stat, file)
+        .then(function () {
+            return [true, null];
+        });
+    })
+    .fail(function (err) {
+        return [false, err];
+    });
+}
+
+module.exports = validLink;
+
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9cd64b43..c63b4cae 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "abbrev": "~1.0.4",
     "bower-config": "~0.2.0",
     "bower-endpoint-parser": "~0.1.0",
-    "bower-json": "~0.1.0",
+    "bower-json": "~0.2.0",
     "bower-logger": "~0.1.0",
     "bower-registry-client": "~0.1.1",
     "chmodr": "~0.1.0",