diff --git a/.classpath b/.classpath
index dfe5f96..a8fcd35 100644
--- a/.classpath
+++ b/.classpath
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <classpath>
-	<classpathentry kind="src" output="target/my-vres-2.3.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/java">
+	<classpathentry kind="src" output="target/my-vres-2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/java">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="optional" value="true"/>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/my-vres-2.3.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/resources">
+	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/my-vres-2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/resources">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 			<attribute name="org.eclipse.jst.component.dependency" value="/WEB-INF/lib"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.7">
+	<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>
@@ -38,5 +38,5 @@
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/my-vres-2.3.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/my-vres-2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
 </classpath>
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
index 443e085..b257af7 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.inlineJsrBytecode=enabled
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.7
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.7
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
diff --git a/distro/changelog.xml b/distro/changelog.xml
index 81143e4..0fbe320 100644
--- a/distro/changelog.xml
+++ b/distro/changelog.xml
@@ -1,21 +1,31 @@
 <ReleaseNotes>
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.2-4-0"
+		date="2017-05-03">
+		<Change>Ported to Java8
+		</Change>
+	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.2-3-0"
 		date="2017-01-07">
-		<Change>Fix for bug not allowing to click on vre missing logos</Change>
-		<Change>Adapted so support VRE selection upon authorisation requests</Change>
+		<Change>Fix for bug not allowing to click on vre missing logos
+		</Change>
+		<Change>Adapted so support VRE selection upon authorisation requests
+		</Change>
 	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.2-2-0"
 		date="2016-11-17">
 		<Change>Removed ASL Session</Change>
 		<Change>Implemented Feature #4877 remove VRE association to single
-			Category constraint</Change>
+			Category constraint
+		</Change>
 	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.2-1-0"
 		date="2016-09-12">
 		<Change>Shows only the virtual groups available in the Site it is
-			deployed on</Change>
+			deployed on
+		</Change>
 		<Change>VRE was not updated in the portlet due to liferay versioning
-			of Document Library</Change>
+			of Document Library
+		</Change>
 	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.2-0-1"
 		date="2016-04-02">
@@ -24,7 +34,8 @@
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.1-6-0"
 		date="2015-11-22">
 		<Change>Bug #1855, does not show join welcome message to new users
-			anymore</Change>
+			anymore
+		</Change>
 		<Change>Feature #861, categorized VREs by virtualGroups</Change>
 	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.my-vres.1-5-0"
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 7131372..70328db 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.user</groupId>
 	<artifactId>my-vres</artifactId>
 	<packaging>war</packaging>
-	<version>2.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>2.4.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<name>My VREs Portlet</name>
 	<description>
 		gCube My VREs Portlet shows only the VO and VREs a user is member of, divided by category.
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 		<distroDirectory>distro</distroDirectory>
 		<liferay.version>6.2.5</liferay.version>
 		<maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
-		<maven.compiler.target>1.7</maven.compiler.target>
+		<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
 		<webappDirectory>${project.build.directory}/${project.build.finalName}</webappDirectory>
 
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@
 				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
 				<version>2.3.2</version>
 				<configuration>
-					<source>1.7</source>
-					<target>1.7</target>
+					<source>${maven.compiler.source}</source>
+					<target>${maven.compiler.target}</target>
 				</configuration>
 			</plugin>
 			<!-- SA Plugin -->