diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 47472d33e..16cfa9a61 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@
     <target name="scala.compile" depends="init,resolve,gatk.compile,queue-extensions.generate,init.scala.compile" if="include.scala">
         <mkdir dir="${scala.classes}"/>
         <echo>Building Scala...</echo>
-        <scalac fork="true" jvmargs="-Xmx512m" destdir="${scala.classes}" classpathref="scala.dependencies" deprecation="yes" unchecked="yes">
+        <scalac fork="true" jvmargs="-Xmx512m" destdir="${scala.classes}" classpathref="scala.dependencies" deprecation="yes" unchecked="yes" addparams="-feature">
             <src refid="scala.source.path" />
             <src path="${queue-extensions.source.dir}" />
             <include name="**/*.scala" />
@@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@
 
     <target name="test.scala.compile" depends="test.java.compile,scala.compile" if="include.scala">
         <echo message="Scala: Compiling test cases!"/>
-        <scalac fork="true" jvmargs="-Xmx512m" destdir="${scala.test.classes}" deprecation="yes" unchecked="yes">
+        <scalac fork="true" jvmargs="-Xmx512m" destdir="${scala.test.classes}" deprecation="yes" unchecked="yes" addparams="-feature">
 	        <src refid="scala.test.source.path" />
             <classpath>
                 <path refid="build.results"/>
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/drmaa/DrmaaJobRunner.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/drmaa/DrmaaJobRunner.scala
index 9cfd69247..79fc8589f 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/drmaa/DrmaaJobRunner.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/drmaa/DrmaaJobRunner.scala
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class DrmaaJobRunner(val session: Session, val function: CommandLineFunction) ex
           // resource of the designated queue to SIGTERM
           session.control(jobId, Session.TERMINATE)
         } catch {
-          case e =>
+          case e: Exception =>
             logger.error("Unable to kill job " + jobId, e)
         }
       }
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/lsf/Lsf706JobRunner.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/lsf/Lsf706JobRunner.scala
index 1140c4945..ead29bbf5 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/lsf/Lsf706JobRunner.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/lsf/Lsf706JobRunner.scala
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ object Lsf706JobRunner extends Logging {
           if (LibBat.lsb_signaljob(runner.jobId, SIGTERM) < 0)
             logger.error(LibBat.lsb_sperror("Unable to kill job " + runner.jobId))
         } catch {
-          case e =>
+          case e: Exception=>
             logger.error("Unable to kill job " + runner.jobId, e)
         }
       }
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/shell/ShellJobRunner.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/shell/ShellJobRunner.scala
index 13b3c7cb3..e3528f54f 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/shell/ShellJobRunner.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/engine/shell/ShellJobRunner.scala
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ class ShellJobRunner(val function: CommandLineFunction) extends CommandLineJobRu
       try {
         controller.tryDestroy()
       } catch {
-        case e =>
-          logger.error("Unable to kill shell job: " + function.description)
+        case e: Exception =>
+          logger.error("Unable to kill shell job: " + function.description, e)
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/function/QFunction.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/function/QFunction.scala
index 81c76dd29..abbb63271 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/function/QFunction.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/function/QFunction.scala
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import org.broadinstitute.sting.queue.{QException, QSettings}
 import java.lang.IllegalStateException
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.queue.util._
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.io.IOUtils
+import scala.language.reflectiveCalls
 
 /**
  * The base interface for all functions in Queue.
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/library/ipf/vcf/VCFExtractSamples.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/library/ipf/vcf/VCFExtractSamples.scala
index 6dcc69854..ddff95f21 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/library/ipf/vcf/VCFExtractSamples.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/library/ipf/vcf/VCFExtractSamples.scala
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class VCFExtractSamples(inVCF: File, outVCF: File, samples: List[String]) extend
   @Argument(doc="The samples to extract from the VCF") var extractSamples : List[String] = samples
 
   var out : PrintWriter = _
-  var columns : List[Int] = 0 to 8 toList
+  var columns : List[Int] = (0 to 8).toList
 
   def run = {
     out = new PrintWriter(new PrintStream(outputVCF))
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/EmailMessage.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/EmailMessage.scala
index 4d3bf719c..96a5973be 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/EmailMessage.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/EmailMessage.scala
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.queue.util
 
 import org.apache.commons.mail.{MultiPartEmail, EmailAttachment}
-import java.io.{FileReader, File}
+import java.io.{IOException, FileReader, File}
 import javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress
 import scala.collection.JavaConversions._
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class EmailMessage extends Logging {
     try {
       Retry.attempt(() => send(settings), .5)
     } catch {
-      case e => logger.error("Error sending message: %n%s".format(this.toString), e)
+      case e: RetryException=> logger.error("Error sending message: %n%s".format(this.toString), e)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/PrimitiveOptionConversions.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/PrimitiveOptionConversions.scala
index 4acd27497..cb7b95b76 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/PrimitiveOptionConversions.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/PrimitiveOptionConversions.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.queue.util
 
+import scala.language.implicitConversions
+
 /**
  * An importable object that provides automatic primitive to option conversion.
  */
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/Retry.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/Retry.scala
index b112ed9a3..5b9e42a1e 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/Retry.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/Retry.scala
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ object Retry extends Logging {
         result = f()
         success = true
       } catch {
-        case e => {
+        case e: Exception=> {
           count += 1
           if (count < tries) {
             val minutes = wait(count-1)
diff --git a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/StringFileConversions.scala b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/StringFileConversions.scala
index 8e8a87abe..ff99cb346 100644
--- a/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/StringFileConversions.scala
+++ b/public/scala/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/util/StringFileConversions.scala
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.queue.util
 
 import java.io.{Serializable, File}
+import scala.language.implicitConversions
 
 /**
  * Converts String to/from File
diff --git a/public/scala/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/pipeline/PipelineTest.scala b/public/scala/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/pipeline/PipelineTest.scala
index e9a288117..251b1c511 100644
--- a/public/scala/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/pipeline/PipelineTest.scala
+++ b/public/scala/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/queue/pipeline/PipelineTest.scala
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ object PipelineTest extends BaseTest with Logging {
       println("Executing test %s with Queue arguments: %s".format(name, Utils.join(" ",command)))
       CommandLineProgram.start(instance, command)
     } catch {
-      case e =>
+      case e: Exception =>
         gotAnException = true
         if (expectedException != null) {
           // we expect an exception
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ object PipelineTest extends BaseTest with Logging {
         try {
           commandLine.shutdown()
         } catch {
-          case _ => /* ignore */
+          case _: Throwable => /* ignore */
         })
     }
   })