diff --git a/.DS_Store b/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f9625e1d
Binary files /dev/null and b/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index caa5c8d0e..f3c10840f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -446,8 +446,9 @@ This library uses [semantic versioning](http://semver.org/). For each release, t
 
 * Create a branch for the release, named like `release-1.0.6`
 * Replace all references of the current version number with the new version number (check this file [README.md](./README.md) and [common.gradle](./common.gradle)) and commit the changes
-* Run [`github_changelog_generator`](https://github.com/skywinder/Github-Changelog-Generator) to automate the update of the [CHANGELOG](./CHANGELOG.md). Once the CHANGELOG has completed, manually change the `Unreleased` heading and link with the current version number such as `v1.0.4`. Also ensure that the `Full Changelog` link points to the new version tag instead of the `HEAD`. Commit this change.
-* Add a tag and push to origin such as `git tag v1.0.4; git push origin v1.0.4`
+* Run [`github_changelog_generator`](https://github.com/skywinder/Github-Changelog-Generator) to update the [CHANGELOG](./CHANGELOG.md): `github_changelog_generator -u ably -p ably-java --header-label="# Changelog" --release-branch=release-1.0.6 --future-release=v1.0.6` 
+* Commit [CHANGELOG](./CHANGELOG.md)
+* Add a tag and push to origin such as `git tag v1.0.6; git push origin v1.0.6`
 * Make a PR against `develop`
 * Once the PR is approved, merge it into `develop`
 * Fast-forward the master branch: `git checkout master && git merge --ff-only develop && git push origin master`
diff --git a/android/.DS_Store b/android/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d539fa41b
Binary files /dev/null and b/android/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/common.gradle b/common.gradle
index ed55db5ad..5691a40c9 100644
--- a/common.gradle
+++ b/common.gradle
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 group = 'io.ably'
-version = '1.0.6'
+version = '1.0.8'
 description = """Ably java client library"""
 
 tasks.withType(Javadoc) {
diff --git a/deploy/.DS_Store b/deploy/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f82454409
Binary files /dev/null and b/deploy/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/gradle/.DS_Store b/gradle/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7fbcbb679
Binary files /dev/null and b/gradle/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/.DS_Store b/gradle/wrapper/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d50c38da0
Binary files /dev/null and b/gradle/wrapper/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/java/.DS_Store b/java/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6494192d5
Binary files /dev/null and b/java/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/lib/.DS_Store b/lib/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a874b576
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/transport/WebSocketTransport.java b/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/transport/WebSocketTransport.java
index 958f23bc7..ab340d145 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/transport/WebSocketTransport.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/transport/WebSocketTransport.java
@@ -291,7 +291,11 @@ private void checkActivity() {
 							timer = new Timer();
 					}
 				}
-				timer.schedule(new WsClientTimerTask(this), next - now);
+				try {
+					timer.schedule(new WsClientTimerTask(this), next - now);
+				} catch(IllegalStateException ise) {
+					Log.e(TAG, "Unexpected exception scheduling activity timer", ise);
+				}
 			} else {
 				/* Timeout has been reached. Close the connection. */
 				Log.e(TAG, "No activity for " + timeout + "ms, closing connection");
@@ -310,7 +314,11 @@ public WsClientTimerTask(WsClient client) {
 			}
 
 			public void run() {
-				client.checkActivity();
+				try {
+					client.checkActivity();
+				} catch(Throwable t) {
+					Log.e(TAG, "Unexpected exception in activity timer handler", t);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/types/BaseMessage.java b/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/types/BaseMessage.java
index b751ce636..61295f40c 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/types/BaseMessage.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/types/BaseMessage.java
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ public void decode(ChannelOptions opts) throws MessageDecodeException {
 							continue;
 
 						case "utf-8":
-							try { data = new String((byte[])data, "UTF-8"); } catch(UnsupportedEncodingException e) {}
+							String jsonText2 = ((String)data).trim();
+							data = jsonText2;
+
 							continue;
 
 						case "json":