diff --git a/.classpath b/.classpath
index a49fd93..a796b4d 100644
--- a/.classpath
+++ b/.classpath
@@ -22,16 +22,16 @@
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.8">
-		<attributes>
-			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
-		</attributes>
-	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.m2e.MAVEN2_CLASSPATH_CONTAINER">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry kind="con" path="com.google.gwt.eclipse.core.GWT_CONTAINER"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.8">
+		<attributes>
+			<attribute name="owner.project.facets" value="java"/>
+		</attributes>
+	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry kind="output" path="${webappDirectory}/WEB-INF/classes"/>
 </classpath>
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
index b257af7..6e80039 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.inlineJsrBytecode=enabled
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.8
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.7
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.forbiddenReference=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.7
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.8
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
index 735eb31..3f2dd2b 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <faceted-project>
   <fixed facet="wst.jsdt.web"/>
-  <installed facet="java" version="1.7"/>
   <installed facet="jst.web" version="2.3"/>
   <installed facet="wst.jsdt.web" version="1.0"/>
+  <installed facet="java" version="1.8"/>
 </faceted-project>
diff --git a/distro/changelog.xml b/distro/changelog.xml
index aa67917..52d73f8 100644
--- a/distro/changelog.xml
+++ b/distro/changelog.xml
@@ -1,15 +1,25 @@
 <ReleaseNotes>
-<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-4-0"	date="2017-05-12">
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-5-0"
+		date="2017-11-29">
+		<Change>Ported to GWT 2.8.1</Change>
+	</Changeset>
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-4-0"
+		date="2017-05-12">
 		<Change>Ported to Java 8</Change>
 	</Changeset>
-	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-3-0"	date="2016-11-24">
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-3-0"
+		date="2016-11-24">
 		<Change>Removed ASL session</Change>
 	</Changeset>
-	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-1-0"	date="2015-09-01">
-		<Change>fix for Bug #518 Wrong port in redirect email links (9090)</Change>
-		<Change>Feature #520 Invite Friends widget to make user entered email address lowercase</Change>
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-1-0"
+		date="2015-09-01">
+		<Change>fix for Bug #518 Wrong port in redirect email links (9090)
+		</Change>
+		<Change>Feature #520 Invite Friends widget to make user entered email
+			address lowercase</Change>
 	</Changeset>
-	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-0-0"	date="2015-07-02">
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets-widgets.invite-friends-widget.1-0-0"
+		date="2015-07-02">
 		<Change>First Release</Change>
 	</Changeset>
 </ReleaseNotes>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a4a109c..c7636a5 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 	<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.widgets</groupId>
 	<artifactId>invite-friends-widget</artifactId>
 	<packaging>jar</packaging>
-	<version>1.4.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>1.5.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<name>gCube Invites widget</name>
 	<description>
 		gCube Invites widget Widget is a GWT Widget that can be used to automatically send invites to VRE users
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@
 
 	<properties>
 		<!-- Convenience property to set the GWT version -->
-		<gwtVersion>2.7.0</gwtVersion>
+		<gwtVersion>2.8.1</gwtVersion>
 		<distroDirectory>distro</distroDirectory>
-		<maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
+		<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
 		<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@
 			<artifactId>invites-common-library</artifactId>
 			<version>[1.0.0-SNAPSHOT, 2.0.0-SNAPSHOT)</version>
 		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>xml-apis</groupId>
+			<artifactId>xml-apis</artifactId>
+			<version>2.6.2</version>
+		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.gcube.portal</groupId>
 			<artifactId>social-networking-library</artifactId>