diff --git a/barge-core/pom.xml b/barge-core/pom.xml
index 5d86216..47199c2 100644
--- a/barge-core/pom.xml
+++ b/barge-core/pom.xml
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.10</version>
+        <version>2.13</version>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </reporting>
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
           <plugin>
             <groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
             <artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>0.7.2.201409121644</version>
             <executions>
               <execution>
                 <id>jacoco-initialize</id>
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/BatchExecutor.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/BatchExecutor.java
index 2d0fa8e..f9a5211 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/BatchExecutor.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/BatchExecutor.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class BatchExecutor extends BatchExecutorImpl {
   @Override
   public void execute(EventReader toExecute) {
 
-    Optional<Map> oldContext = Optional.fromNullable(MDC.getCopyOfContextMap());
+    Optional<Map<String, String>> oldContext = Optional.fromNullable(MDC.getCopyOfContextMap());
     MDC.setContextMap(contextMap);
 
     super.execute(toExecute);
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NotLeaderException.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NotLeaderException.java
index 0187b79..bb046ec 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NotLeaderException.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NotLeaderException.java
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 package org.robotninjas.barge;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Optional;
+
 public class NotLeaderException extends RaftException {
 
-  private final Replica leader;
+  private final Optional<Replica> leader;
 
-  public NotLeaderException(Replica leader) {
+  public NotLeaderException(Optional<Replica> leader) {
     this.leader = leader;
   }
 
-  public Replica getLeader() {
+  public Optional<Replica> getLeader() {
     return leader;
   }
 }
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/RaftCoreModule.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/RaftCoreModule.java
index 4a69fb3..60a053d 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/RaftCoreModule.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/RaftCoreModule.java
@@ -116,6 +116,12 @@ public Builder withLogDir(File logDir) {
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder withExecutor(Executor executor) {
+      this.executor = Optional.of(executor);
+
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public RaftCoreModule build() {
       checkState(config.isPresent());
       checkState(stateMachine.isPresent());
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/LogModule.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/LogModule.java
index 75014b3..12cf991 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/LogModule.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/LogModule.java
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 import journal.io.api.Journal;
 import journal.io.api.JournalBuilder;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.StateMachine;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import java.io.File;
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@
 
 public class LogModule extends PrivateModule {
 
+  private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LogModule.class);
+
   private final File logDirectory;
   private final StateMachine stateMachine;
   private final Executor executor;
@@ -68,11 +72,10 @@ Journal getJournal() {
       Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread(new Runnable() {
         @Override
         public void run() {
-          //noinspection EmptyCatchBlock
           try {
             journal.close();
           } catch (IOException e) {
-            //TODO log it
+            LOGGER.error("Error closing journal", e);
           }
         }
       }));
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftJournal.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftJournal.java
index d4c2ff6..e15e656 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftJournal.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftJournal.java
@@ -170,6 +170,14 @@ public void replay(Visitor visitor) {
 
   }
 
+  public void close() {
+    try {
+      journal.close();
+    } catch (IOException e) {
+      propagate(e);
+    }
+  }
+
   static interface Visitor {
 
     void term(Mark mark, long term);
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftLog.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftLog.java
index f1c3483..103b78c 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftLog.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/log/RaftLog.java
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ public void append(RaftJournal.Mark mark, Entry entry, long index) {
         lastLogIndex, currentTerm, commitIndex, votedFor.orNull());
   }
 
+  public void close() {
+    LOGGER.debug("Closing raft log and journal");
+    journal.close();
+  }
+
   private SettableFuture<Object> storeEntry(final long index, @Nonnull Entry entry) {
     LOGGER.debug("{} storing {}", config.local(), entry);
     RaftJournal.Mark mark = journal.appendEntry(entry, index);
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/BaseState.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/BaseState.java
index da9b3f1..8878d83 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/BaseState.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/BaseState.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public abstract class BaseState implements State {
 
   private final StateType type;
   private final RaftLog log;
-  private Optional<Replica> leader;
+  private Optional<Replica> leader = Optional.absent();
 
   protected BaseState(@Nullable StateType type, @Nonnull RaftLog log) {
     this.log = checkNotNull(log);
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ protected RaftLog getLog() {
     return log;
   }
 
+  public Optional<Replica> getLeader() {
+    return leader;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void destroy(RaftStateContext ctx) {
   }
@@ -173,7 +177,7 @@ public ListenableFuture<Object> commitOperation(@Nonnull RaftStateContext ctx, @
     StateType stateType = ctx.type();
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(stateType);
     if (stateType.equals(FOLLOWER)) {
-      throw new NotLeaderException(leader.get());
+      throw new NotLeaderException(leader);
     } else if (stateType.equals(CANDIDATE)) {
       throw new NoLeaderException();
     }
@@ -183,6 +187,7 @@ public ListenableFuture<Object> commitOperation(@Nonnull RaftStateContext ctx, @
   @Override
   public void doStop(RaftStateContext ctx) {
     ctx.setState(this, STOPPED);
+    log.close();
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/Leader.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/Leader.java
index 911294c..0134e0f 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/Leader.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/Leader.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import org.robotninjas.barge.log.RaftLog;
 import static org.robotninjas.barge.state.Raft.StateType.FOLLOWER;
 import static org.robotninjas.barge.state.Raft.StateType.LEADER;
+import static org.robotninjas.barge.state.Raft.StateType.STOPPED;
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -181,6 +182,10 @@ List<ListenableFuture<AppendEntriesResponse>> sendRequests(final RaftStateContex
       Futures.addCallback(response, new FutureCallback<AppendEntriesResponse>() {
           @Override
           public void onSuccess(@Nullable AppendEntriesResponse result) {
+            if (ctx.type().equals(STOPPED)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             updateCommitted();
             checkTermOnResponse(ctx, result);
           }
diff --git a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/RaftPredicates.java b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/RaftPredicates.java
index 6115882..9b93121 100644
--- a/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/RaftPredicates.java
+++ b/barge-core/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/state/RaftPredicates.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 class RaftPredicates {
 
   @Nonnull
-  static Predicate<AppendEntriesResponse> appendSuccessul() {
+  static Predicate<AppendEntriesResponse> appendSuccessful() {
     return AppendSuccessPredicate.Success;
   }
 
diff --git a/barge-jax-rs/pom.xml b/barge-jax-rs/pom.xml
index 00eed4f..5158f67 100644
--- a/barge-jax-rs/pom.xml
+++ b/barge-jax-rs/pom.xml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>jul-to-slf4j</artifactId>
-      <version>1.7.4</version>
+      <version>${slf4j.version}</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty.websocket</groupId>
       <artifactId>websocket-api</artifactId>
-      <version>9.1.0.v20131115</version>
+      <version>${jetty.version}</version>
     </dependency>
     
     <dependency>
@@ -75,13 +75,13 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty.websocket</groupId>
       <artifactId>websocket-server</artifactId>
-      <version>9.1.0.v20131115</version>
+      <version>${jetty.version}</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty.websocket</groupId>
       <artifactId>websocket-client</artifactId>
-      <version>9.1.0.v20131115</version>
+      <version>${jetty.version}</version>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
     
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
     <plugins>
       <plugin>
         <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.1</version>
+        <version>2.3</version>
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <phase>package</phase>
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@
               <goal>shade</goal>
             </goals>
             <configuration>
+              <artifactSet>
+                <excludes>
+                  <exclude>org.glassfish.hk2.external:aopalliance-repackaged</exclude>
+                  <exclude>org.glassfish.hk2.external:javax.inject</exclude>
+                </excludes>
+              </artifactSet>
               <filters>
                 <filter>
                   <artifact>*:*</artifact>
diff --git a/barge-jax-rs/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResource.java b/barge-jax-rs/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResource.java
index e47984d..758d21a 100644
--- a/barge-jax-rs/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResource.java
+++ b/barge-jax-rs/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResource.java
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@
  */
 package org.robotninjas.barge.jaxrs;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Optional;
 import com.google.common.base.Throwables;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.ClusterConfig;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.NotLeaderException;
+import org.robotninjas.barge.Replica;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.api.AppendEntries;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.api.AppendEntriesResponse;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.api.RequestVote;
@@ -97,7 +99,11 @@ public Response commit(byte[] operation) {
 
       return Response.noContent().build();
     } catch (NotLeaderException e) {
-      return Response.status(Response.Status.FOUND).location(((HttpReplica) e.getLeader()).getUri()).build();
+      Optional<Replica> leader = e.getLeader();
+      if (leader.isPresent() == false) {
+          return Response.status(Response.Status.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).build(); // FIXME find better solution for missing leader
+      }
+      return Response.status(Response.Status.FOUND).location(((HttpReplica) leader.get()).getUri()).build();
     } catch (Exception e) {
       throw Throwables.propagate(e);
     }
diff --git a/barge-jax-rs/src/test/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResourceTest.java b/barge-jax-rs/src/test/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResourceTest.java
index fe829ee..1bb5eee 100644
--- a/barge-jax-rs/src/test/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResourceTest.java
+++ b/barge-jax-rs/src/test/java/org/robotninjas/barge/jaxrs/BargeResourceTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.robotninjas.barge.jaxrs;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Optional;
 import com.google.common.base.Throwables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.Futures;
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.ClusterConfig;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.NotLeaderException;
+import org.robotninjas.barge.Replica;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.api.AppendEntriesResponse;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.api.RequestVoteResponse;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.state.Raft;
@@ -94,7 +96,8 @@ public void onPOSTCommitReturn204GivenServiceReturnsResponse() throws Exception
   @Test
   public void onPOSTCommitReturn302WithLeaderURIGivenRaftThrowsNotLeaderException() throws Exception {
     URI leaderURI = new URI("http://localhost:1234");
-    when(raftService.commitOperation("foo".getBytes())).thenThrow(new NotLeaderException(new HttpReplica(leaderURI)));
+    Replica replica = new HttpReplica(leaderURI);
+    when(raftService.commitOperation("foo".getBytes())).thenThrow(new NotLeaderException(Optional.of(replica)));
 
     Response value = client().target("/commit")
         .request()
diff --git a/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftModule.java b/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftModule.java
index c1c2c66..63a294a 100644
--- a/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftModule.java
+++ b/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftModule.java
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 import com.google.inject.PrivateModule;
 
+import org.robotninjas.barge.RaftCoreModule.Builder;
 import org.robotninjas.barge.state.AbstractListenersModule;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 
 public class NettyRaftModule extends PrivateModule {
@@ -13,12 +15,14 @@ public class NettyRaftModule extends PrivateModule {
   private final File logDir;
   private final StateMachine stateMachine;
   private final long timeout;
+  private final Executor executor;
 
-  public NettyRaftModule(NettyClusterConfig config, File logDir, StateMachine stateMachine, long timeout) {
+  public NettyRaftModule(NettyClusterConfig config, File logDir, StateMachine stateMachine, long timeout, Executor executor) {
     this.config = config;
     this.logDir = logDir;
     this.stateMachine = stateMachine;
     this.timeout = timeout;
+    this.executor = executor;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -29,12 +33,17 @@ protected void configureListeners() {
         }
       });
 
-    install(RaftCoreModule.builder()
-        .withTimeout(timeout)
-        .withConfig(config)
-        .withLogDir(logDir)
-        .withStateMachine(stateMachine)
-        .build());
+    Builder builder = RaftCoreModule.builder()
+      .withTimeout(timeout)
+      .withConfig(config)
+      .withLogDir(logDir)
+      .withStateMachine(stateMachine);
+
+    if (executor != null) {
+      builder.withExecutor(executor);
+    }
+
+    install(builder.build());
 
     install(new RaftProtoRpcModule(config.local()));
 
diff --git a/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftService.java b/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftService.java
index eb67899..f541fd3 100644
--- a/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftService.java
+++ b/barge-rpc-proto/src/main/java/org/robotninjas/barge/NettyRaftService.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static com.google.common.base.Throwables.propagate;
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ public static class Builder {
     private final NettyClusterConfig config;
     private File logDir = Files.createTempDir();
     private long timeout = TIMEOUT;
+    private Executor executor;
     private StateTransitionListener listener;
 
     protected Builder(NettyClusterConfig config) {
@@ -145,9 +147,14 @@ public Builder logDir(File logDir) {
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder executor(Executor executor) {
+      this.executor = executor;
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public NettyRaftService build(StateMachine stateMachine) {
       NettyRaftService nettyRaftService = Guice.createInjector(
-        new NettyRaftModule(config, logDir, stateMachine, timeout))
+        new NettyRaftModule(config, logDir, stateMachine, timeout, executor))
         .getInstance(NettyRaftService.class);
 
       if (listener != null) {
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index be7dc93..30b088f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@
   </modules>
 
   <properties>
+    <project.encoding>UTF-8</project.encoding>
+    <project.build.sourceEncoding>${project.encoding}</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+    <slf4j.version>1.7.7</slf4j.version>
+    <guice.version>3.0</guice.version>
+    <jetty.version>9.2.5.v20141112</jetty.version>
     <jersey.version>2.8</jersey.version>
     <jackson.version>2.2.2</jackson.version>
   </properties>
@@ -75,37 +80,37 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
         <artifactId>protobuf-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.5.0</version>
+        <version>2.6.1</version>
       </dependency>
       
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.guava</groupId>
         <artifactId>guava</artifactId>
-        <version>15.0</version>
+        <version>18.0</version>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.inject</groupId>
         <artifactId>guice</artifactId>
-        <version>3.0</version>
+        <version>${guice.version}</version>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.inject.extensions</groupId>
         <artifactId>guice-assistedinject</artifactId>
-        <version>3.0</version>
+        <version>${guice.version}</version>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.inject.extensions</groupId>
         <artifactId>guice-multibindings</artifactId>
-        <version>3.0</version>
+        <version>${guice.version}</version>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
         <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.5</version>
+        <version>${slf4j.version}</version>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
@@ -117,7 +122,7 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.github.sbtourist</groupId>
         <artifactId>journalio</artifactId>
-        <version>1.4.1</version>
+        <version>1.4.2</version>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
@@ -167,7 +172,7 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.code.findbugs</groupId>
         <artifactId>jsr305</artifactId>
-        <version>1.3.9</version>
+        <version>3.0.0</version>
         <scope>compile</scope>
         <optional>true</optional>
       </dependency>
@@ -176,7 +181,7 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
         <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
-        <version>1.0.11</version>
+        <version>1.1.2</version>
         <scope>runtime</scope>
         <optional>true</optional>
       </dependency>
@@ -184,7 +189,7 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.javassist</groupId>
         <artifactId>javassist</artifactId>
-        <version>3.18.1-GA</version>
+        <version>3.18.2-GA</version>
         <scope>runtime</scope>
         <optional>true</optional>
       </dependency>
@@ -193,38 +198,37 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>junit</groupId>
         <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
-        <version>4.9</version>
+        <version>4.11</version>
         <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
         <artifactId>mockito-all</artifactId>
-        <version>1.8.0</version>
+        <version>1.10.8</version>
         <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
         <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
-        <version>1.5.0</version>
+        <version>1.7.0</version>
         <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
 
     </dependencies>
   </dependencyManagement>
-  
+
   <build>
     <pluginManagement>
       <plugins>
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
           <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>2.5.1</version>
+          <version>3.2</version>
           <configuration>
             <source>1.7</source>
             <target>1.7</target>
-            <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
           </configuration>
         </plugin>
 
@@ -246,7 +250,7 @@
 
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>2.2-beta-2</version>
+          <version>2.5.2</version>
         </plugin>
 
       </plugins>