diff --git a/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/AppContext.java b/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/AppContext.java
index bcfc14a3c..b0a2e37d7 100644
--- a/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/AppContext.java
+++ b/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/AppContext.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 /**
  * Instance of this class can hold application-specific objects for duration of application life span.
@@ -26,8 +27,7 @@
  */
 public class AppContext {
 
-    private Map context = new HashMap();
-
+    private static final AtomicReference<Map<String, Object>> contextReference = new AtomicReference<>(new HashMap<>());
 
     /**
      * Retrieves object by name
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class AppContext {
      * @return   object by name;
      */
     public Object get(String name){
-        return context.get(name);
+        return contextReference.get().get(name);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ public Object get(String name){
      * @param type type requested.
      * @return object by name
      */
-    public <T>  T get(String name, Class<T> type){
-        Object o = context.get(name);
+    public static  <T>  T get(String name, Class<T> type){
+        Object o = contextReference.get().get(name);
         return o == null? null : (T) o;
     }
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public <T>  T get(String name, Class<T> type){
      * @param name name of object
      * @param object - instance. 
      */
-    public void set(String name, Object object){
-        context.put(name, object);
+    public static void set(String name, Object object){
+        contextReference.get().put(name, object);
     }
 }
diff --git a/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/Bootstrap.java b/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/Bootstrap.java
index f9f644ea3..33903d0bf 100644
--- a/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/Bootstrap.java
+++ b/activeweb/src/main/java/org/javalite/activeweb/Bootstrap.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public abstract class Bootstrap implements InitConfig {
 
 
     /**
-     * Called when application is bootstraps.
+     * Called when application bootstraps.
      *
      * @param context app context instance
      */
diff --git a/activeweb/src/test/java/app/config/AppControllerConfig.java b/activeweb/src/test/java/app/config/AppControllerConfig.java
index a9b77127a..214a848d2 100644
--- a/activeweb/src/test/java/app/config/AppControllerConfig.java
+++ b/activeweb/src/test/java/app/config/AppControllerConfig.java
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@
 
 import app.controllers.DbExceptionController;
 import app.controllers.DoFiltersController;
-import app.controllers.RequestArgumentController;
 import app.controllers.filters.*;
 import org.javalite.activeweb.AbstractControllerConfig;
 import org.javalite.activeweb.AppContext;
-import org.javalite.activeweb.controller_filters.DBConnectionFilter;
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/activeweb/src/test/java/org/javalite/activeweb/RequestSpec.java b/activeweb/src/test/java/org/javalite/activeweb/RequestSpec.java
index b9f5589e3..184bdb3a0 100644
--- a/activeweb/src/test/java/org/javalite/activeweb/RequestSpec.java
+++ b/activeweb/src/test/java/org/javalite/activeweb/RequestSpec.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 import javax.servlet.ServletException;
 import javax.servlet.ServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.ServletResponse;
-import java.io.IOException;
 
 import static org.javalite.test.SystemStreamUtil.replaceError;
 import static org.javalite.test.SystemStreamUtil.restoreSystemErr;
@@ -38,11 +37,7 @@
  */
 public abstract class RequestSpec implements JSpecSupport {
 
-    protected FilterChain filterChain = new FilterChain() {
-        public void doFilter(ServletRequest servletRequest, ServletResponse servletResponse) throws IOException, ServletException {
-
-        }
-    };
+    protected FilterChain filterChain = (servletRequest, servletResponse) -> {};
     protected RequestDispatcher dispatcher;
     protected MockHttpServletRequest request;
     protected MockHttpServletResponse response;