diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 2e39eba..6fce17d 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 
 plugins {
-    id "org.sonarqube" version "2.2"
-    id "org.ajoberstar.github-pages" version "1.6.0-rc.1"
-    id "org.xbib.gradle.plugin.jbake" version "1.1.0"
+    id "org.sonarqube" version "2.6.1"
+    id "io.codearte.nexus-staging" version "0.11.0"
 }
 
-group = 'org.xbib'
-version = '1.0.0'
-
 printf "Host: %s\nOS: %s %s %s\nJVM: %s %s %s %s\nGroovy: %s\nGradle: %s\n" +
         "Build: group: ${project.group} name: ${project.name} version: ${project.version}\n",
         InetAddress.getLocalHost(),
@@ -24,10 +20,6 @@ printf "Host: %s\nOS: %s %s %s\nJVM: %s %s %s %s\nGroovy: %s\nGradle: %s\n" +
 apply plugin: 'java'
 apply plugin: 'maven'
 apply plugin: 'signing'
-apply plugin: 'findbugs'
-apply plugin: 'pmd'
-apply plugin: 'checkstyle'
-apply plugin: "jacoco"
 
 apply from: 'gradle/ext.gradle'
 
@@ -37,9 +29,9 @@ configurations {
 
 dependencies {
     testCompile "junit:junit:4.12"
-    testCompile "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:2.7"
-    testCompile "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-slf4j-impl:2.7"
-    wagon 'org.apache.maven.wagon:wagon-ssh-external:2.10'
+    testCompile "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:2.10.0"
+    testCompile "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-slf4j-impl:2.10.0"
+    wagon 'org.apache.maven.wagon:wagon-ssh:3.0.0'
 }
 
 sourceCompatibility = 1.8
@@ -72,4 +64,3 @@ if (project.hasProperty('signing.keyId')) {
 }
 
 apply from: 'gradle/publish.gradle'
-apply from: 'gradle/sonarqube.gradle'
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8056dc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+group = org.xbib
+name = metrics
+version = 1.1.0
+
+junit.version = 4.12
+wagon.version = 3.0.0
diff --git a/gradle/ext.gradle b/gradle/ext.gradle
index df63612..3b01be1 100644
--- a/gradle/ext.gradle
+++ b/gradle/ext.gradle
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ext {
-    user = 'xbib'
+    user = 'jprante'
     name = 'metrics'
     description = 'A stripped-down and modified version of Coda Hale Metrics'
     scmUrl = 'https://github.com/' + user + '/' + name
diff --git a/gradle/publish.gradle b/gradle/publish.gradle
index 9bf3098..376f190 100644
--- a/gradle/publish.gradle
+++ b/gradle/publish.gradle
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 
 task xbibUpload(type: Upload) {
+    group = 'publish'
     configuration = configurations.archives
     uploadDescriptor = true
     repositories {
         if (project.hasProperty("xbibUsername")) {
             mavenDeployer {
                 configuration = configurations.wagon
-                repository(url: 'scpexe://xbib.org/repository') {
+                repository(url: project.property('xbibUrl')) {
                     authentication(userName: xbibUsername, privateKey: xbibPrivateKey)
                 }
             }
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ task xbibUpload(type: Upload) {
 }
 
 task sonaTypeUpload(type: Upload) {
+    group = 'publish'
     configuration = configurations.archives
     uploadDescriptor = true
     repositories {
@@ -64,3 +66,7 @@ task sonaTypeUpload(type: Upload) {
         }
     }
 }
+
+nexusStaging {
+    packageGroup = "org.xbib"
+}
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar
index 6ffa237..8252d7e 100644
Binary files a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar and b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index 2cef9e8..eac7de5 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-#Tue Nov 01 15:47:24 CET 2016
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.6-rc-1-bin.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-3.1-bin.zip
diff --git a/gradlew b/gradlew
index 9aa616c..cccdd3d 100755
--- a/gradlew
+++ b/gradlew
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
 
 ##############################################################################
 ##
@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@ DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS=""
 # Use the maximum available, or set MAX_FD != -1 to use that value.
 MAX_FD="maximum"
 
-warn ( ) {
+warn () {
     echo "$*"
 }
 
-die ( ) {
+die () {
     echo
     echo "$*"
     echo
@@ -154,16 +154,19 @@ if $cygwin ; then
     esac
 fi
 
-# Split up the JVM_OPTS And GRADLE_OPTS values into an array, following the shell quoting and substitution rules
-function splitJvmOpts() {
-    JVM_OPTS=("$@")
+# Escape application args
+save () {
+    for i do printf %s\\n "$i" | sed "s/'/'\\\\''/g;1s/^/'/;\$s/\$/' \\\\/" ; done
+    echo " "
 }
-eval splitJvmOpts $DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS $JAVA_OPTS $GRADLE_OPTS
-JVM_OPTS[${#JVM_OPTS[*]}]="-Dorg.gradle.appname=$APP_BASE_NAME"
+APP_ARGS=$(save "$@")
+
+# Collect all arguments for the java command, following the shell quoting and substitution rules
+eval set -- $DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS $JAVA_OPTS $GRADLE_OPTS "\"-Dorg.gradle.appname=$APP_BASE_NAME\"" -classpath "\"$CLASSPATH\"" org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain "$APP_ARGS"
 
 # by default we should be in the correct project dir, but when run from Finder on Mac, the cwd is wrong
-if [[ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]] && [[ "$HOME" == "$PWD" ]]; then
+if [ "$(uname)" = "Darwin" ] && [ "$HOME" = "$PWD" ]; then
   cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 fi
 
-exec "$JAVACMD" "${JVM_OPTS[@]}" -classpath "$CLASSPATH" org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain "$@"
+exec "$JAVACMD" "$@"
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Meter.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Meter.java
index 04839fd..9b45fc1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Meter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Meter.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package org.xbib.metrics;
 
-import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
@@ -15,37 +15,51 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.LongAdder;
 public class Meter implements Metered {
     private static final long TICK_INTERVAL = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(5);
 
-    private final ExpWeightedMovingAverage m1Rate = ExpWeightedMovingAverage.oneMinuteEWMA();
-    private final ExpWeightedMovingAverage m5Rate = ExpWeightedMovingAverage.fiveMinuteEWMA();
-    private final ExpWeightedMovingAverage m15Rate = ExpWeightedMovingAverage.fifteenMinuteEWMA();
+    private final ScheduledExecutorService executorService;
+
+    private final ExpWeightedMovingAverage m1Rate;
+
+    private final ExpWeightedMovingAverage m5Rate;
+
+    private final ExpWeightedMovingAverage m15Rate;
+
+    private final LongAdder count;
 
-    private final LongAdder count = new LongAdder();
     private final AtomicLong lastTick;
+
     private final Clock clock;
+
     private long startedAt;
 
     private ScheduledFuture<?> future;
 
     /**
      * Creates a new {@link Meter}.
+     * @param executorService the executor service
      */
-    public Meter() {
-        this(Clock.defaultClock());
+    public Meter(ScheduledExecutorService executorService) {
+        this(executorService, Clock.defaultClock());
     }
 
     /**
      * Creates a new {@link Meter}.
      *
+     * @param executorService the executor service
      * @param clock the clock to use for the meter ticks
      */
-    public Meter(Clock clock) {
+    public Meter(ScheduledExecutorService executorService, Clock clock) {
+        this.executorService = executorService;
         this.clock = clock;
-        this.startedAt = this.clock.getTick();
         this.lastTick = new AtomicLong(startedAt);
+        m1Rate = ExpWeightedMovingAverage.oneMinuteEWMA();
+        m5Rate = ExpWeightedMovingAverage.fiveMinuteEWMA();
+        m15Rate = ExpWeightedMovingAverage.fifteenMinuteEWMA();
+        count = new LongAdder();
     }
 
-    public void spawn(long intervalSeconds) {
-        this.future = Executors.newScheduledThreadPool(1)
+    public void start(long intervalSeconds) {
+        this.startedAt = this.clock.getTick();
+        this.future = executorService
                 .scheduleAtFixedRate(this::tickIfNecessary, intervalSeconds, intervalSeconds, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     }
 
@@ -53,6 +67,11 @@ public class Meter implements Metered {
         future.cancel(false);
     }
 
+    public void shutdown() {
+        stop();
+        executorService.shutdownNow();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Mark the occurrence of an event.
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/MetricRegistry.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/MetricRegistry.java
index 43842cb..08001fd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/MetricRegistry.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/MetricRegistry.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import java.util.TreeSet;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ public class MetricRegistry implements MetricSet {
         MetricBuilder<Meter> METERS = new MetricBuilder<Meter>() {
             @Override
             public Meter newMetric() {
-                return new Meter();
+                return new Meter(Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor());
             }
 
             @Override
@@ -498,7 +499,7 @@ public class MetricRegistry implements MetricSet {
         MetricBuilder<Sampler> TIMERS = new MetricBuilder<Sampler>() {
             @Override
             public Sampler newMetric() {
-                return new Sampler();
+                return new Sampler(Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor());
             }
 
             @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Sampler.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Sampler.java
index 26bfcb5..f4680db 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Sampler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/metrics/Sampler.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.xbib.metrics;
 
 import java.io.Closeable;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 /**
@@ -17,18 +18,20 @@ public class Sampler implements Metered, Sampling {
     /**
      * Creates a new {@link Sampler} using an {@link ExponentiallyDecayingReservoir} and the default
      * {@link Clock}.
+     * @param executorService the executor service
      */
-    public Sampler() {
-        this(new ExponentiallyDecayingReservoir());
+    public Sampler(ScheduledExecutorService executorService) {
+        this(new ExponentiallyDecayingReservoir(), executorService);
     }
 
     /**
      * Creates a new {@link Sampler} that uses the given {@link Reservoir}.
      *
      * @param reservoir the {@link Reservoir} implementation the sampler should use
+     * @param executorService the executor service
      */
-    public Sampler(Reservoir reservoir) {
-        this(reservoir, Clock.defaultClock());
+    public Sampler(Reservoir reservoir, ScheduledExecutorService executorService) {
+        this(reservoir, Clock.defaultClock(), executorService);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -36,11 +39,12 @@ public class Sampler implements Metered, Sampling {
      *
      * @param reservoir the {@link Reservoir} implementation the sampler should use
      * @param clock     the {@link Clock} implementation the sampler should use
+     * @param executorService the executor service
      */
-    public Sampler(Reservoir reservoir, Clock clock) {
-        this.meter = new Meter(clock);
-        this.clock = clock;
+    public Sampler(Reservoir reservoir, Clock clock, ScheduledExecutorService executorService) {
         this.histogram = new Histogram(reservoir);
+        this.clock = clock;
+        this.meter = new Meter(executorService, clock);
     }
 
     /**