diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 1253ee9a..bbeac50e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ os:
   - linux
   # - osx
 julia:
-  - 0.5
+  - 0.6
 matrix:
   allow_failures:
     - julia: nightly
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index e796292b..2637f9bb 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 
 ---
 
-## 0.11 (current master/dev)
+## 0.12 (current master/dev)
+
+- 0.6 only
 
 #### 0.11.3
 
diff --git a/REQUIRE b/REQUIRE
index c5b623ea..39402c3d 100644
--- a/REQUIRE
+++ b/REQUIRE
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-julia 0.5
+julia 0.6-pre
 
 RecipesBase
 PlotUtils 0.4.1
diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index 6c2d129d..2f9caeca 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ ignoreNaN_extrema(x) = Base.extrema(x)
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
+# to cater for block matrices, Base.transpose is recursive.
+# This makes it impossible to create row vectors of String and Symbol with the transpose operator.
+# This solves this issue, internally in Plots at least.
+
+Base.transpose(x::Symbol) = x
+Base.transpose(x::String) = x
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------
+
 import Measures
 import Measures: Length, AbsoluteLength, Measure, BoundingBox, mm, cm, inch, pt, width, height, w, h
 const BBox = Measures.Absolute2DBox
diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index 0f2a959b..cd9c0158 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
                         rotation = sp[:xaxis][:rotation])
             for (cv, dv) in zip(xticks...)
                 # use xor ($) to get the right y coords
-                xi, yi = GR.wctondc(cv, (flip $ mirror) ? ymax : ymin)
+                xi, yi = GR.wctondc(cv, xor(flip, mirror) ? ymax : ymin)
                 # @show cv dv ymin xi yi flip mirror (flip $ mirror)
                 gr_text(xi, yi + (mirror ? 1 : -1) * 5e-3, string(dv))
             end
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
                         rotation = sp[:yaxis][:rotation])
             for (cv, dv) in zip(yticks...)
                 # use xor ($) to get the right y coords
-                xi, yi = GR.wctondc((flip $ mirror) ? xmax : xmin, cv)
+                xi, yi = GR.wctondc(xor(flip, mirror) ? xmax : xmin, cv)
                 # @show cv dv xmin xi yi
                 gr_text(xi + (mirror ? 1 : -1) * 1e-2, yi, string(dv))
             end
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index 6a935c95..8a78c9f5 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ end
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-abstract AbstractSurface
+abstract type AbstractSurface end
 
 "represents a contour or surface mesh"
 immutable Surface{M<:AMat} <: AbstractSurface
diff --git a/src/deprecated/colors.jl b/src/deprecated/colors.jl
index ebc75222..f73d5db6 100644
--- a/src/deprecated/colors.jl
+++ b/src/deprecated/colors.jl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-abstract ColorScheme
+abstract type ColorScheme end
 
 Base.getindex(scheme::ColorScheme, i::Integer) = getColor(scheme, i)
 
diff --git a/src/examples.jl b/src/examples.jl
index 7025999f..e4c13ca6 100644
--- a/src/examples.jl
+++ b/src/examples.jl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ PlotExample("Colors",
     [:(begin
         y = rand(100)
         plot(0:10:100,rand(11,4),lab="lines",w=3,palette=:grays,fill=0, α=0.6)
-        scatter!(y, zcolor=abs(y-.5), m=(:heat,0.8,stroke(1,:green)), ms=10*abs(y-0.5)+4, lab="grad")
+        scatter!(y, zcolor=abs.(y-.5), m=(:heat,0.8,stroke(1,:green)), ms=10*abs.(y-0.5)+4, lab="grad")
     end)]
 ),
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ PlotExample("Polar Plots",
     "",
     [:(begin
         Θ = linspace(0,1.5π,100)
-        r = abs(0.1randn(100)+sin(3Θ))
+        r = abs.(0.1randn(100)+sin.(3Θ))
         plot(Θ, r, proj=:polar, m=2)
     end)]
 ),
diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index 2e8063af..3ab41701 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ function plot(plt1::Plot, plts_tail::Plot...; kw...)
 
     # build our plot vector from the args
     n = length(plts_tail) + 1
-    plts = Array(Plot, n)
+    plts = Array{Plot}(n)
     plts[1] = plt1
     for (i,plt) in enumerate(plts_tail)
         plts[i+1] = plt
diff --git a/src/recipes.jl b/src/recipes.jl
index e8ea3096..a474bd74 100644
--- a/src/recipes.jl
+++ b/src/recipes.jl
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ end
     edge_x, edge_y, weights = x, y, z.surf
 
     float_weights = float(weights)
-    if is(float_weights, weights)
+    if float_weights === weights
         float_weights = deepcopy(float_weights)
     end
     for (i, c) in enumerate(float_weights)
diff --git a/src/series.jl b/src/series.jl
index f1ee5739..ca520168 100644
--- a/src/series.jl
+++ b/src/series.jl
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # This should cut down on boilerplate code and allow more focused dispatch on type
 # note: returns meta information... mainly for use with automatic labeling from DataFrames for now
 
-typealias FuncOrFuncs{F} Union{F, Vector{F}, Matrix{F}}
+const FuncOrFuncs{F} = Union{F, Vector{F}, Matrix{F}}
 
 all3D(d::KW) = trueOrAllTrue(st -> st in (:contour, :contourf, :heatmap, :surface, :wireframe, :contour3d, :image), get(d, :seriestype, :none))
 
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ end
 
 @recipe function f{T<:Colorant}(mat::AMat{T})
 	n, m = size(mat)
-	
+
     if is_seriestype_supported(:image)
         seriestype := :image
         SliceIt, 1:m, 1:n, Surface(mat)
diff --git a/src/subplots.jl b/src/subplots.jl
index 924cc6c0..ccd1478c 100644
--- a/src/subplots.jl
+++ b/src/subplots.jl
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ get_subplot(plt::Plot, k) = plt.spmap[k]
 get_subplot(series::Series) = series.d[:subplot]
 
 get_subplot_index(plt::Plot, idx::Integer) = Int(idx)
-get_subplot_index(plt::Plot, sp::Subplot) = findfirst(_ -> _ === sp, plt.subplots)
+get_subplot_index(plt::Plot, sp::Subplot) = findfirst(x -> x === sp, plt.subplots)
 
 series_list(sp::Subplot) = sp.series_list # filter(series -> series.d[:subplot] === sp, sp.plt.series_list)
 
diff --git a/src/types.jl b/src/types.jl
index 284b6534..06ddb065 100644
--- a/src/types.jl
+++ b/src/types.jl
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ const KW = Dict{Symbol,Any}
 
 immutable PlotsDisplay <: Display end
 
-abstract AbstractBackend
-abstract AbstractPlot{T<:AbstractBackend}
-abstract AbstractLayout
+abstract type AbstractBackend end
+abstract type AbstractPlot{T<:AbstractBackend} end
+abstract type AbstractLayout end
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index bc133c7a..8f51fc4d 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -355,8 +355,8 @@ function convert_to_polar(x, y, r_extrema = calc_r_extrema(x, y))
     x = zeros(n)
     y = zeros(n)
     for i in 1:n
-        x[i] = cycle(r,i) * cos(cycle(phi,i))
-        y[i] = cycle(r,i) * sin(cycle(phi,i))
+        x[i] = cycle(r,i) * cos.(cycle(phi,i))
+        y[i] = cycle(r,i) * sin.(cycle(phi,i))
     end
     x, y
 end
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ ok(tup::Tuple) = ok(tup...)
 # compute one side of a fill range from a ribbon
 function make_fillrange_side(y, rib)
     frs = zeros(length(y))
-    for (i, (yi, ri)) in enumerate(zip(y, Base.cycle(rib)))
+    for (i, (yi, ri)) in enumerate(zip(y, Base.Iterators.cycle(rib)))
         frs[i] = yi + ri
     end
     frs
diff --git a/test/imgcomp.jl b/test/imgcomp.jl
index c25c7850..994670f9 100644
--- a/test/imgcomp.jl
+++ b/test/imgcomp.jl
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ default(size=(500,300))
 # TODO: use julia's Condition type and the wait() and notify() functions to initialize a Window, then wait() on a condition that
 #       is referenced in a button press callback (the button clicked callback will call notify() on that condition)
 
-const _current_plots_version = v"0.11.3"
+const _current_plots_version = v"0.12.0"
 
 
 function image_comparison_tests(pkg::Symbol, idx::Int; debug = false, popup = isinteractive(), sigma = [1,1], eps = 1e-2)