diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 71103ad..ad78c91 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 		<java.version>1.8</java.version>
 		
 		<!-- dependecy versions -->
-		<jackson-datatype-json-org.version>1.8.0</jackson-datatype-json-org.version>
+		<jackson.version>2.8.5</jackson.version>
 		<junit.jupiter.version>5.0.0-M2</junit.jupiter.version>
 		<junit.platform.version>1.0.0-M2</junit.platform.version>
 		<junit.vintage.version>4.12.0-M2</junit.vintage.version>
@@ -75,9 +75,14 @@
 	
 	<dependencies>
 		<dependency>
-			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson</groupId>
-			<artifactId>jackson-datatype-json-org</artifactId>
-			<version>${jackson-datatype-json-org.version}</version>
+    			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
+    			<artifactId>jackson-core</artifactId>
+    			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
+		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
+			<artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
+			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/GossipRunner.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/GossipRunner.java
index c765ed6..1ae609c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/GossipRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/GossipRunner.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 
-import org.json.JSONException;
+
 
 public class GossipRunner {
 
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@
         gossipService.start();
       } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
         System.err.println("The given file is not found!");
-      } catch (JSONException e) {
-        System.err.println("The given file is not in the correct JSON format!");
       } catch (IOException e) {
         System.err.println("Could not read the configuration file: " + e.getMessage());
       } catch (InterruptedException e) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettings.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettings.java
index 93757bd..079aaa0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettings.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettings.java
@@ -25,17 +25,18 @@
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.json.JSONArray;
-import org.json.JSONException;
-import org.json.JSONObject;
+
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 
 /**
  * This object represents the settings used when starting the gossip service.
  * 
- * @author harmenw
  */
 public class StartupSettings {
   private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(StartupSettings.class);
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@
    *           Thrown when reading the file gives problems.
    * @throws URISyntaxException 
    */
-  public static StartupSettings fromJSONFile(File jsonFile) throws JSONException,
+  public static StartupSettings fromJSONFile(File jsonFile) throws  
           FileNotFoundException, IOException, URISyntaxException {
     // Read the file to a String.
     StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer();
@@ -170,32 +171,31 @@
         buffer.append(line.trim());
       }
     }
-    
-    JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONArray(buffer.toString()).getJSONObject(0);
-    String uri = jsonObject.getString("uri");
-    String id = jsonObject.getString("id");
-    int gossipInterval = jsonObject.getInt("gossip_interval");
-    int cleanupInterval = jsonObject.getInt("cleanup_interval");
-    String cluster = jsonObject.getString("cluster");
+    ObjectMapper om = new ObjectMapper();
+    JsonNode root = om.readTree(jsonFile);
+    JsonNode jsonObject = root.get(0);
+    String uri = jsonObject.get("uri").textValue();
+    String id = jsonObject.get("id").textValue();
+    int gossipInterval = jsonObject.get("gossip_interval").intValue();
+    int cleanupInterval = jsonObject.get("cleanup_interval").intValue();
+    String cluster = jsonObject.get("cluster").textValue();
     if (cluster == null){
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("cluster was null. It is required");
     }
     URI uri2 = new URI(uri);
     StartupSettings settings = new StartupSettings(id, uri2, new GossipSettings(gossipInterval,
             cleanupInterval), cluster);
-
-    // Now iterate over the members from the config file and add them to the settings.
     String configMembersDetails = "Config-members [";
-    JSONArray membersJSON = jsonObject.getJSONArray("members");
-    for (int i = 0; i < membersJSON.length(); i++) {
-      JSONObject memberJSON = membersJSON.getJSONObject(i);
-      URI uri3 = new URI(memberJSON.getString("uri"));
-      RemoteGossipMember member = new RemoteGossipMember(memberJSON.getString("cluster"),
+    JsonNode membersJSON = jsonObject.get("members");
+    Iterator<JsonNode> it = membersJSON.iterator();
+    while (it.hasNext()){
+      JsonNode child = it.next();
+      URI uri3 = new URI(child.get("uri").textValue());
+      RemoteGossipMember member = new RemoteGossipMember(child.get("cluster").asText(),
               uri3, "", 0);
       settings.addGossipMember(member);
       configMembersDetails += member.getAddress();
-      if (i < (membersJSON.length() - 1))
-        configMembersDetails += ", ";
+      configMembersDetails += ", ";
     }
     log.info(configMembersDetails + "]");
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java
index 064df59..29f4688 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpGossipDataMessage;
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpSharedGossipDataMessage;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.codehaus.jackson.map.ObjectMapper;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+
 
 /**
  * [The active thread: periodically send gossip request.] The class handles gossiping the membership
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/GossipCore.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/GossipCore.java
index 258a159..0ab56a0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/GossipCore.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/GossipCore.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
-import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.DiscardPolicy;
@@ -52,7 +51,9 @@
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpNotAMemberFault;
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpSharedGossipDataMessage;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.codehaus.jackson.map.ObjectMapper;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+
 
 public class GossipCore {
   
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/PassiveGossipThread.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/PassiveGossipThread.java
index 2e1fd81..b54a963 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/PassiveGossipThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/PassiveGossipThread.java
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
 
 import org.apache.gossip.model.Base;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.codehaus.jackson.map.ObjectMapper;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 
 /**
  * [The passive thread: reply to incoming gossip request.] This class handles the passive cycle,
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/random/RandomGossipManager.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/random/RandomGossipManager.java
index e7e19da..26541ca 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/random/RandomGossipManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/manager/random/RandomGossipManager.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import org.apache.gossip.GossipSettings;
 import org.apache.gossip.event.GossipListener;
 import org.apache.gossip.manager.GossipManager;
-import org.apache.gossip.manager.impl.OnlyProcessReceivedPassiveGossipThread;
 
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.List;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/model/Base.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/model/Base.java
index 92b38cd..4551f2a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/model/Base.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/gossip/model/Base.java
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpGossipDataMessage;
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpNotAMemberFault;
 import org.apache.gossip.udp.UdpSharedGossipDataMessage;
-import org.codehaus.jackson.annotate.JsonSubTypes;
-import org.codehaus.jackson.annotate.JsonSubTypes.Type;
-import org.codehaus.jackson.annotate.JsonTypeInfo;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonTypeInfo;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonSubTypes;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonSubTypes.Type;
+
 
 @JsonTypeInfo(  
         use = JsonTypeInfo.Id.CLASS,  
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettingsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettingsTest.java
index 55c297b..1c0826b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettingsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/gossip/StartupSettingsTest.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 package org.apache.gossip;
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.json.JSONException;
 
 import io.teknek.tunit.TUnit;
 
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@
 
   
   @Test
-  public void testUsingSettingsFile() throws IOException, InterruptedException, JSONException, URISyntaxException {
+  public void testUsingSettingsFile() throws IOException, InterruptedException, URISyntaxException {
     File settingsFile = File.createTempFile("gossipTest",".json");
     log.debug( "Using settings file: " + settingsFile.getAbsolutePath() );
     settingsFile.deleteOnExit();