diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 26c36fd..f1e627e 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     <description>EPICS web socket server</description>
     <packaging>${packaging.type}</packaging>
     <properties>
-        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <java.version>17</java.version>
     </properties>
     <dependencies>
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/Vtype2Json.java b/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/Vtype2Json.java
index 7170d77..e3670ec 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/Vtype2Json.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/Vtype2Json.java
@@ -53,24 +53,24 @@ public static String toJson(final String name, final VType value, final VType la
         g.writeStringField("type", "update");
         g.writeStringField("pv", name);
 
-        if (value instanceof VNumber)
-            handleNumber(g, (VNumber) value, last_value);
-        else if (value instanceof VString)
-            handleString(g, (VString) value, last_value);
-        else if (value instanceof VEnum)
-            handleEnum(g, (VEnum) value, last_value);
-        else if (value instanceof VByteArray)
-            handleBytes(g, (VNumberArray) value, last_value);
+        if (value instanceof VNumber vNumber)
+            handleNumber(g, vNumber, last_value);
+        else if (value instanceof VString vString)
+            handleString(g, vString, last_value);
+        else if (value instanceof VEnum  vEnum)
+            handleEnum(g, vEnum, last_value);
+        else if (value instanceof VByteArray vByteArray)
+            handleBytes(g, vByteArray, last_value);
 
         // Serialize double and float arrays as b64dbl
-        else if (value instanceof VDoubleArray)
-            handleDoubles(g, (VNumberArray) value, last_value);
-        else if (value instanceof VFloatArray)
-            handleFloats(g, (VNumberArray) value, last_value);
+        else if (value instanceof VDoubleArray vDoubleArray)
+            handleDoubles(g, vDoubleArray, last_value);
+        else if (value instanceof VFloatArray vFloatArray)
+            handleFloats(g, vFloatArray, last_value);
 
             // Serialize remaining number arrays (int) as b64int
-        else if (value instanceof VNumberArray)
-            handleInts(g, (VNumberArray) value, last_value);
+        else if (value instanceof VNumberArray vNumberArray)
+            handleInts(g, vNumberArray, last_value);
 
         else if (value != null)
         {
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ private static void handleString(final JsonGenerator g, final VString value, fin
     {
         final AlarmSeverity severity = value.getAlarm().getSeverity();
         if (last_value == null  ||
-            (last_value instanceof VString  &&
-             ((VString) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity))
+            (last_value instanceof VString  vString &&
+             vString.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity))
             g.writeStringField("severity", value.getAlarm().getSeverity().name());
 
         g.writeStringField("text", value.getValue());
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@ private static void handleNumber(final JsonGenerator g, final VNumber value, fin
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ private static void handleDoubles(final JsonGenerator g, final VNumberArray valu
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ private static void handleInts(final JsonGenerator g, final VNumberArray value,
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                    ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                    vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
@@ -277,8 +277,8 @@ private static void handleEnum(final JsonGenerator g, final VEnum value, final V
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                    ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                    vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
@@ -300,8 +300,8 @@ private static void handleFloats(final JsonGenerator g, final VNumberArray value
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                    ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                    vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
@@ -329,8 +329,8 @@ private static void handleShorts(final JsonGenerator g, final VNumberArray value
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                    ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                    vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
@@ -358,8 +358,8 @@ private static void handleBytes(final JsonGenerator g, final VNumberArray value,
         else
         {
             // Add severity if it changed
-            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber)  &&
-                    ((VNumber) last_value).getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
+            if ((last_value instanceof VNumber vNumber)  &&
+                    vNumber.getAlarm().getSeverity() != severity)
                 g.writeStringField("severity", severity.name());
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/WebSocketPV.java b/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/WebSocketPV.java
index 0f48bdd..917ac85 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/WebSocketPV.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pvws/ws/WebSocketPV.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2019-2022 UT-Battelle, LLC.
+ * Copyright (c) 2019-2026 UT-Battelle, LLC.
  * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the LICENSE
  * which accompanies this distribution
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public void start() throws Exception
      */
     private void handleUpdates(final VType value)
     {
-        if (value instanceof Array  && !subscribed_for_array)
+        if (value instanceof Array array  && !subscribed_for_array)
         {
             // If the data turns out to be array values,
             // re-subscribe at a (slower) 'array' rate.
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ private void handleUpdates(final VType value)
             // so we won't be able to cancel that subscription right away.
             // Instead, we'll create a separate 'array_subscription',
             // and in a later update we then dispose the initial subscription.
-            final Array array = (Array) value;
             logger.log(Level.FINE, () -> "Re-subscribing to array " + name + ", " + array.getSizes());
 
             subscribed_for_array = true;