diff --git a/dependencies/common/install-gwt b/dependencies/common/install-gwt
index fb6e63cabeb..70aaf07d601 100755
--- a/dependencies/common/install-gwt
+++ b/dependencies/common/install-gwt
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ LIB_DIR=$GWT_DIR/lib
 mkdir -p $LIB_DIR
 
 # gin
-GIN_VER=1.5
+GIN_VER=2.1.2
 GIN=gin-$GIN_VER
 GIN_ZIP=$GIN.zip
 if [ -d "$LIB_DIR/gin/$GIN_VER" ]
diff --git a/dependencies/windows/install-dependencies.cmd b/dependencies/windows/install-dependencies.cmd
index 8dd21056d18..eb940ef3962 100644
--- a/dependencies/windows/install-dependencies.cmd
+++ b/dependencies/windows/install-dependencies.cmd
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ set UNZIP_ARGS=-q
 set BASEURL=https://s3.amazonaws.com/rstudio-buildtools/
 set BOOST_GCC493_FILE=boost-1.63-win-rtools33-gcc493.zip
 set RTOOLS_FILE=Rtools33.exe
-set GIN_FILE=gin-1.5.zip
+set GIN_FILE=gin-2.1.2.zip
 set GWT_FILE=gwt-2.8.1.zip
 set SELENIUM_FILE=selenium-java-2.37.0.zip
 set SELENIUM_SERVER_FILE=selenium-server-standalone-2.37.0.jar
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ if not exist ..\..\src\gwt\lib (
 )
 pushd ..\..\src\gwt\lib
 
-if not exist gin\1.5 (
+if not exist gin\2.1.2 (
   wget %WGET_ARGS% "%BASEURL%%GIN_FILE%"
-  mkdir gin\1.5
+  mkdir gin\2.1.2
   echo Unzipping %GIN_FILE%
-  unzip %UNZIP_ARGS% "%GIN_FILE%" -d gin\1.5
+  unzip %UNZIP_ARGS% "%GIN_FILE%" -d gin\2.1.2
   del "%GIN_FILE%"
 )
 
diff --git a/src/gwt/.classpath b/src/gwt/.classpath
index 42f6200f0dd..a2f9198bf8b 100644
--- a/src/gwt/.classpath
+++ b/src/gwt/.classpath
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 	<classpathentry kind="src" path="test"/>
 	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER"/>
 	<classpathentry kind="con" path="com.google.gwt.eclipse.core.GWT_CONTAINER"/>
-	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/1.5/aopalliance.jar"/>
-	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/1.5/gin-1.5-post-gwt-2.2.jar" sourcepath="lib/gin/1.5/gin-1.5-post-gwt-2.2.jar"/>
-	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/1.5/guice-assistedinject-snapshot.jar"/>
-	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/1.5/guice-snapshot.jar"/>
-	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/1.5/javax.inject.jar"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/2.1.2/aopalliance.jar"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/2.1.2/gin-2.1.2.jar"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/2.1.2/guice-assistedinject-3.0.jar"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/2.1.2/guice-3.0.jar"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/gin/2.1.2/javax.inject.jar"/>
 	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/selenium/2.37.0/selenium-java-2.37.0-srcs.jar"/>
 	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/selenium/2.37.0/selenium-java-2.37.0.jar"/>
 	<classpathentry kind="lib" path="lib/junit-4.9b3.jar"/>
diff --git a/src/gwt/build.xml b/src/gwt/build.xml
index 8a04f034ba9..67d3c93e0d7 100644
--- a/src/gwt/build.xml
+++ b/src/gwt/build.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
    <path id="project.class.path">
       <pathelement location="bin"/>
       <fileset dir="${gwt.sdk}" includes="*.jar"/>
-      <fileset dir="lib/gin/1.5" includes="*.jar"/>
+      <fileset dir="lib/gin/2.1.2" includes="*.jar"/>
    </path>
 
    <path id="test.class.path">
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/ApplicationCommandManager.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/ApplicationCommandManager.java
index 466ec4faffa..f6981fc546f 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/ApplicationCommandManager.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/ApplicationCommandManager.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.RStudioGinjector;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.application.events.EventBus;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.commands.Commands;
+import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.views.files.model.FilesServerOperations;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.views.source.editors.text.events.EditorLoadedEvent;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.views.source.editors.text.events.EditorLoadedHandler;
 
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ public ApplicationCommandManager()
       RStudioGinjector.INSTANCE.injectMembers(this);
       
       bindings_ = new FileBacked<EditorKeyBindings>(
+            server_,
             KEYBINDINGS_PATH,
             false,
             EditorKeyBindings.create());
@@ -70,9 +72,10 @@ public void onRStudioKeybindingsChanged(RStudioKeybindingsChangedEvent event)
    }
    
    @Inject
-   private void initialize(EventBus events, Commands commands)
+   private void initialize(EventBus events, FilesServerOperations server, Commands commands)
    {
       events_ = events;
+      server_ = server;
       commands_ = commands;
    }
    
@@ -169,5 +172,6 @@ public void execute()
    
    // Injected ----
    private EventBus events_;
+   private FilesServerOperations server_;
    private Commands commands_;
 }
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/EditorCommandManager.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/EditorCommandManager.java
index c6df4addd90..7ccec6f07c6 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/EditorCommandManager.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/command/EditorCommandManager.java
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ public EditorCommandManager()
       manager_ = AceCommandManager.create();
       
       bindings_ = new FileBacked<EditorKeyBindings>(
+            files_,
             KEYBINDINGS_PATH,
             false,
             EditorKeyBindings.create());
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/files/FileBacked.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/files/FileBacked.java
index a095d2d6a7f..f16453b05f5 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/files/FileBacked.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/core/client/files/FileBacked.java
@@ -17,22 +17,21 @@
 import com.google.gwt.core.client.JavaScriptObject;
 import com.google.gwt.user.client.Command;
 import com.google.gwt.user.client.Timer;
-import com.google.inject.Inject;
 
 import org.rstudio.core.client.CommandWithArg;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.Debug;
-import org.rstudio.studio.client.RStudioGinjector;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.server.ServerError;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.server.ServerRequestCallback;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.views.files.model.FilesServerOperations;
 
 public class FileBacked<T extends JavaScriptObject>
 {
-   public FileBacked(String filePath,
+   public FileBacked(FilesServerOperations server,
+                     String filePath,
                      boolean logErrorIfNotFound,
                      T defaultValue)
    {
-      RStudioGinjector.INSTANCE.injectMembers(this);
+      server_ = server;
       filePath_ = filePath;
       logErrorIfNotFound_ = logErrorIfNotFound;
       object_ = defaultValue;
@@ -41,12 +40,6 @@ public FileBacked(String filePath,
       loading_ = false;
    }
    
-   @Inject
-   private void initialize(FilesServerOperations server)
-   {
-      server_ = server;
-   }
-   
    public boolean isLoaded()
    {
       return loaded_;
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/RStudio.gwt.xml b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/RStudio.gwt.xml
index f31a730b5c0..30468ab2295 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/RStudio.gwt.xml
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/RStudio.gwt.xml
@@ -116,4 +116,7 @@
 
    <!--<set-configuration-property name="CssResource.style" value="pretty" />-->
    <set-configuration-property name="UiBinder.useSafeHtmlTemplates" value="true" />
+
+   <!-- work around incompatibility between GWT 2.8 and Gin 2.1.2 -->
+   <set-configuration-property name="gin.classloading.exceptedPackages" value="com.google.gwt.core.client"/>
 </module>
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/RStudioGinjector.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/RStudioGinjector.java
index 617d919c8dc..ae4e9fdfc03 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/RStudioGinjector.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/RStudioGinjector.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 import org.rstudio.core.client.command.ShortcutManager;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.command.ShortcutViewer;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.command.UserCommandManager;
-import org.rstudio.core.client.files.FileBacked;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.files.filedialog.PathBreadcrumbWidget;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.theme.WindowFrame;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.widget.CaptionWithHelp;
@@ -195,7 +194,6 @@ public interface RStudioGinjector extends Ginjector
    void injectMembers(UserCommandManager manager);
    void injectMembers(EditorCommandManager manager);
    void injectMembers(ApplicationCommandManager manager);
-   void injectMembers(FileBacked<?> object);
    void injectMembers(TextEditingTargetNotebook notebook);
    void injectMembers(WindowFrame frame);
    void injectMembers(ShinyGadgetDialog dialog);
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/workbench/addins/AddinsCommandManager.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/workbench/addins/AddinsCommandManager.java
index 1ed0de53128..48cab997659 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/workbench/addins/AddinsCommandManager.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/workbench/addins/AddinsCommandManager.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.events.SessionInitEvent;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.events.SessionInitHandler;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.model.Session;
+import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.views.files.model.FilesServerOperations;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.workbench.views.source.SourceWindowManager;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -32,11 +33,13 @@ public class AddinsCommandManager
 {
    @Inject
    public AddinsCommandManager(EventBus events, 
+                               FilesServerOperations server,
                                final Session session)
    {
       events_ = events;
      
       bindings_ = new FileBacked<EditorKeyBindings>(
+            server,
             KEYBINDINGS_PATH,
             false,
             EditorKeyBindings.create());