diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index a5394330f..9395574ea 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 language: java
+jdk:
+    - oraclejdk8
+
+before_install:
+    - export JAVA7_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle
+    - export JAVA8_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle
 install:
     - TERM=dumb ./gradlew compileJava
 script:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 63438ef8a..12fa26511 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ If you are interested in contributing to the BRJS core toolkit then the followin
 
 You may need to run `git submodule sync` and `git submodule update` when changing branches if submodules have changed.
 
+#### Install JDK
+
+BRJS is written and compiled using Java 8, but we distribute it and run the tests against it using Java 7, courtesy of [retrolambda](https://github.com/orfjackal/retrolambda). Because of this, you will need to do the following:
+
+  * Install both Java 7 and Java 8 JDKs.
+  * Configure `JAVA7_HOME` to point to the Java 7 JDK home directory.
+  * Configure `JAVA8_HOME` to point to the Java 8 JDK home directory.
+  * Configure `JAVA_HOME` to point to either the Java 7 or the Java 8 JDK home directory, as you prefer.
+  * Configure the `path` environment variable to include `$JAVA_HOME/bin`.
+
+
 #### Build a Distributable Zip
 
 From the root `brjs` source directory:
diff --git a/brjs-core/build.gradle b/brjs-core/build.gradle
index 5f068cdcb..7f19fbc7d 100644
--- a/brjs-core/build.gradle
+++ b/brjs-core/build.gradle
@@ -1,7 +1,21 @@
 
 apply plugin: 'java'
+apply plugin: 'retrolambda'
 apply plugin: com.caplin.gradle.plugins.CompileOnly
 
+buildscript {
+	repositories {
+		mavenCentral()
+	}
+	dependencies {
+		classpath dependency('gradle-retrolambda')
+	}
+}
+
+retrolambda {
+	javaVersion JavaVersion.VERSION_1_7
+}
+
 sourceSets {
 	test {
 		java {
@@ -19,6 +33,8 @@ configurations {
 }
 
 dependencies {
+	retrolambdaConfig dependency('retrolambda')
+	
 	compile project(":brjs-logger")
 	compile dependency('commons-io')
 	compile dependency('commons-lang3')
@@ -67,11 +83,7 @@ javadoc {
 	/* info for JavaDoc options http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/tools/windows/javadoc.html#overviewcomment */
 	options.overview = "${sourceSets.main.java.srcDirs.toArray()[0]}/overview-summary.html"
 	maxMemory = "128m"
-}
-
-javadoc {
-	title = "BladeRunnerJS ${buildVersion}"
-	classpath += project.configurations.compileOnly
+	executable = "$System.env.JAVA8_HOME/bin/javadoc"
 }
 
 task javadocZip, type:Zip, dependsOn:javadoc, {
diff --git a/brjs-core/src/main/java/org/bladerunnerjs/testing/specutility/engine/NodeCommander.java b/brjs-core/src/main/java/org/bladerunnerjs/testing/specutility/engine/NodeCommander.java
index 5be91570f..8868ab151 100644
--- a/brjs-core/src/main/java/org/bladerunnerjs/testing/specutility/engine/NodeCommander.java
+++ b/brjs-core/src/main/java/org/bladerunnerjs/testing/specutility/engine/NodeCommander.java
@@ -19,41 +19,25 @@ public NodeCommander(SpecTest specTest, N node) {
 	}
 	
 	public CommanderChainer create() {
-		call(new Command() {
-			public void call() throws Exception {
-				node.create();
-			}
-		});
+		call(() -> node.create());
 		
 		return commanderChainer;
 	}
 	
 	public CommanderChainer populate() throws Exception {
-		call(new Command() {
-			public void call() throws Exception {
-				((BRJSNode) node).populate();
-			}
-		});
+		call(() -> ((BRJSNode) node).populate());
 		
 		return commanderChainer;
 	}
 	
 	public CommanderChainer delete() {
-		call(new Command() {
-			public void call() throws Exception {
-				node.delete();
-			}
-		});
+		call(() -> node.delete());
 		
 		return commanderChainer;
 	}
 	
 	public CommanderChainer ready() {
-		call(new Command() {
-			public void call() throws Exception {
-				node.ready();
-			}
-		});
+		call(() -> node.ready());
 		
 		return commanderChainer;
 	}
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 7511ef7dc..fb9591947 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ if (project.hasProperty(overrideMajorVersionPropertyName)) {
 }
 
 
+[ "JAVA8_HOME", "JAVA7_HOME" ].each { envName ->
+	def property = System.getenv()[envName]
+	if (property == null)
+	{
+		throw new GradleException("The environment variable '${envName} must be set for the build to work correctly, please make sure it is set. Refer to README.md for info on the dev environment setup.")
+	}
+}
+
 allprojects {
 	
 	ext {
@@ -73,9 +81,15 @@ subprojects { p ->
 	afterEvaluate { project ->
 		
 		if (project.plugins.hasPlugin(JavaPlugin)) {
-			sourceCompatibility = '1.7'
-			targetCompatibility = '1.7'
-					
+			if(project.name == 'brjs-core') {
+				sourceCompatibility = '1.8'
+				targetCompatibility = '1.8'
+			}
+			else {
+				sourceCompatibility = '1.7'
+				targetCompatibility = '1.7'
+			}
+			
 			project.tasks.withType(Test) { testTask ->
 				test {
 					testLogging {
diff --git a/dependencies.gradle b/dependencies.gradle
index 849610809..73bf69031 100644
--- a/dependencies.gradle
+++ b/dependencies.gradle
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ ext {
  * 			'jetty-all-server'	:	'org.eclipse.jetty.aggregate:jetty-all-server:8.1.0.v20120127'
  */
 Dependencies.putAll([
-
+	'gradle-retrolambda'		:	'me.tatarka:gradle-retrolambda:1.3.0',
+	'retrolambda'				:	'net.orfjackal.retrolambda:retrolambda:1.1.4',
+	
 	'jetty-all-server'			:	'org.eclipse.jetty.aggregate:jetty-all-server:7.6.4.v20120524',	/* version should be 7.x - this version uses servlet api v2.5 */
 	'jsp-2.1-glassfish'			:	'org.mortbay.jetty:jsp-2.1-glassfish:2.1.v20100127',
 	'jta'						:	'javax.transaction:jta:1.1',