diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8bbeb07..4891da8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Makefile for mspsim
 #
 # Needed stuff in the PATH:
-#  java, javac (JDK 1.6 or newer)
+#  java, javac (JDK 1.7 or newer)
 #
 # Under MS-DOS/Windows
 #  A GNU compatible Make (for example Cygwin's)
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ SPACE := ${EMPTY} ${EMPTY}
 LIBS := ${wildcard lib/*.jar}
 BUILD := build
 CLASSPATH=${subst ${SPACE},${SEPARATOR},$(BUILD)/ ${LIBS}}
-CCARGS=-deprecation -classpath ".${SEPARATOR}${CLASSPATH}" -d $(BUILD)
+CCARGS=-deprecation -Xlint:unchecked -source 1.7 -target 1.7 -classpath ".${SEPARATOR}${CLASSPATH}" -d $(BUILD)
 
 JAVAARGS=-classpath "${CLASSPATH}"
 
@@ -196,3 +196,6 @@ $(BUILD)/%.class : %.java $(BUILD)
 
 clean:
 	-$(RM) -r $(BUILD)
+
+distclean: clean
+	-$(RM) -f $(JARFILE)
diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index 015c8ba..5483169 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@ some tools for monitoring stack, setting breakpoints, and profiling.
 
 * System requirements
 
-You need a recent Java to run MSPSim. Java SE 1.5 or newer is
-recommended. The current version of MSPSim also requires make for
-compiling.
+You need a recent Java to run MSPSim. Java SE 1.7 or newer is recommended.
+The current version of MSPSim also requires make or ant for compiling.
 
 * Building MSPSim
 
@@ -60,4 +59,4 @@ Run the default example on the Sky node emulator by typing:
 - currently the emulator runs as if it can use all memory as RAM
   (e.g. flash writes, etc not supported)
 - no DMA implementation
-- timer system not 100% emulated
\ No newline at end of file
+- timer system not 100% emulated
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index be31c78..4155acb 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
   <property name="lib" location="lib"/>
   <property name="jarfile" location="mspsim.jar"/>
   <property name="javac.debug" value="true"/>
+  <property name="ant.build.javac.source" value="1.7"/>
+  <property name="ant.build.javac.target" value="1.7"/>
 
   <path id="classpath">
     <fileset dir="${lib}" includes="**/*.jar"/>
@@ -23,8 +25,11 @@
   </target>
 
   <target name="compile" depends="init" description="compile the source">
-    <javac srcdir="${src}" destdir="${build}" classpathref="classpath" debug="${javac.debug}"
-      includeantruntime="false"/>
+    <javac srcdir="${src}" destdir="${build}" classpathref="classpath"
+           debug="${javac.debug}" includeantruntime="false">
+      <compilerarg value="-Xlint:unchecked"/>
+      <compilerarg value="-deprecation"/>
+    </javac>
   </target>
 
   <target name="jar" depends="compile" description="generate MSPSim jar file" >
diff --git a/se/sics/mspsim/emulink/EmuLink.java b/se/sics/mspsim/emulink/EmuLink.java
index 2dd042f..155af60 100755
--- a/se/sics/mspsim/emulink/EmuLink.java
+++ b/se/sics/mspsim/emulink/EmuLink.java
@@ -324,9 +324,8 @@ public class EmuLink {
         }
     }
 
-    public void run() throws IOException {
-        try {
-            ServerSocket serverSocket = new ServerSocket(8000);
+    public void run() {
+        try (ServerSocket serverSocket = new ServerSocket(8000)) {
 
             while(true) {
 
@@ -356,7 +355,7 @@ public class EmuLink {
         }
     }
 
-    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
         EmuLink el = new EmuLink();
         el.run();
     }