diff --git a/core/rust1.34/Dockerfile b/core/rust1.34/Dockerfile
index 0377214..fbc0880 100644
--- a/core/rust1.34/Dockerfile
+++ b/core/rust1.34/Dockerfile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #
 
 # build go proxy from source
-FROM golang:1.15 AS builder_source
+FROM golang:1.16 AS builder_source
 ARG GO_PROXY_GITHUB_USER=apache
 ARG GO_PROXY_GITHUB_BRANCH=master
 RUN git clone --branch ${GO_PROXY_GITHUB_BRANCH} \
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ RUN git clone --branch ${GO_PROXY_GITHUB_BRANCH} \
    mv proxy /bin/proxy
 
 # or build it from a release
-FROM golang:1.15 AS builder_release
-ARG GO_PROXY_RELEASE_VERSION=1.15@1.17.0
+FROM golang:1.16 AS builder_release
+ARG GO_PROXY_RELEASE_VERSION=1.16@1.18.0
 RUN curl -sL \
   https://github.com/apache/openwhisk-runtime-go/archive/{$GO_PROXY_RELEASE_VERSION}.tar.gz\
   | tar xzf -\
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index 65cc0b3..0d49158 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ gradle.ext.openwhisk = [
 ]
 
 gradle.ext.scala = [
-    version: '2.11.8',
+    version: '2.12.7',
+    depVersion  : '2.12',
     compileFlags: ['-feature', '-unchecked', '-deprecation', '-Xfatal-warnings', '-Ywarn-unused-import']
 ]
 
@@ -34,3 +35,5 @@ gradle.ext.scalafmt = [
     config: new File(rootProject.projectDir, '.scalafmt.conf')
 ]
 
+gradle.ext.akka = [version : '2.6.12']
+gradle.ext.akka_http = [version : '10.2.4']
diff --git a/tests/build.gradle b/tests/build.gradle
index 1ae5a4b..09adf17 100644
--- a/tests/build.gradle
+++ b/tests/build.gradle
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ dependencies {
     compile "org.scala-lang:scala-library:${gradle.scala.version}"
     compile "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-tests:${gradle.openwhisk.version}:tests"
     compile "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-tests:${gradle.openwhisk.version}:test-sources"
+    implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-http2-support_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka_http.version}"
+    implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-http-xml_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka_http.version}"
+    implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-discovery_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka.version}"
+    implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-protobuf_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka.version}"
+    implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-remote_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka.version}"
+    implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-cluster_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka.version}"
 }
 
 tasks.withType(ScalaCompile) {