diff --git a/iiwa_msgs/.gitignore b/iiwa_msgs/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b003be30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iiwa_msgs/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+rosjava_messages
diff --git a/iiwa_msgs/CMakeLists.txt b/iiwa_msgs/CMakeLists.txt
index bdb8836e..67004415 100644
--- a/iiwa_msgs/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/iiwa_msgs/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@ project(iiwa_msgs)
 
 find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
     actionlib_msgs
-    message_generation
-    cmake_modules
     geometry_msgs
-    std_msgs
-)
+    message_generation
+    std_msgs)
 
 # Declare the message files to be built
 add_message_files(DIRECTORY msg)
@@ -15,6 +13,6 @@ add_service_files(DIRECTORY srv)
 add_action_files(DIRECTORY action)
 
 # Actually generate the language-specific message and service files
-generate_messages(DEPENDENCIES std_msgs geometry_msgs actionlib_msgs)
+generate_messages(DEPENDENCIES actionlib_msgs geometry_msgs std_msgs)
 
-catkin_package(CATKIN_DEPENDS message_runtime std_msgs geometry_msgs) 
+catkin_package(CATKIN_DEPENDS actionlib_msgs geometry_msgs message_runtime std_msgs ) 
diff --git a/iiwa_msgs/Dockerfile b/iiwa_msgs/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d560a2e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iiwa_msgs/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+FROM ros:kinetic-ros-base
+
+# use bash to be able to source the ros files
+SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
+
+# upgrade ros packages
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    apt-get install --only-upgrade ros-kinetic-* -y && \
+    apt-get install python-wstool -y
+
+# setup catkin_ws for java 6 message generation  
+RUN mkdir -p /catkin_ws
+WORKDIR /catkin_ws
+RUN source /ros_entrypoint.sh && \
+    wstool init src && \
+    wstool set -y -t src genjava --git https://github.com/Tuebel/genjava.git --version=kinetic_java6 && \
+    wstool update -t src && \
+    rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y && \
+    catkin_make
+
+# add and generate the message.
+ADD . /catkin_ws/src/iiwa_msgs
+
+# disbale message generation for all but java if using catkin_make.
+# note that the jars generated via catkin_make seem to be empty
+# ENV ROS_LANG_DISABLE "gencpp;geneus;genlisp;gennodejs;genpy"
diff --git a/iiwa_msgs/README.md b/iiwa_msgs/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d307934a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iiwa_msgs/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Message Generation
+
+# CPP, Python, ...
+These messages should be automatically generated when calling `catkin_make` or `catkin build` in the workspace.
+
+## Java Messages - Docker
+Since genjava has only support for Kinetic and earlier versions of ROS, a DOCKERFILE has been written.
+Specifically, we use a fork of the genjava package which will generate the messages for Java 6, which is the latest Sunrise supports.
+This file can be used to setup the build environment on any system that supports Docker.
+To build the DOCKERFILE simply **navigate to this directory** in a shell and call:
+```bash
+docker build --tag iiwa_msgs:latest . 
+```
+
+Now, the messages can be generated and copied to the host.
+```bash
+docker run --name iiwa_msgs -it iiwa_msgs:latest /bin/bash -c \
+  "source devel/setup.bash && \
+  genjava_message_artifacts --verbose -p iiwa_msgs actionlib_msgs geometry_msgs std_msgs"
+docker cp iiwa_msgs:/catkin_ws/devel/share/maven/org/ros/rosjava_messages rosjava_messages
+docker rm iiwa_msgs
+```
+
+The generated files will end up in a directory called `rosjava_messages` in your current directory.
+In the leaf directories you will find the .jar files which can be copied to `iiwa_ros_java/ROSJavaLib`.
+Make sure to replace all four files since they depend on each other.
+In the Sunrise Workbench, refresh the files view and edit the build path: remove the old versions and add the new versions from ROSJavaLib.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/iiwa_msgs/package.xml b/iiwa_msgs/package.xml
index 5096ca14..3c188277 100644
--- a/iiwa_msgs/package.xml
+++ b/iiwa_msgs/package.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <package format="2">
-<name>iiwa_msgs</name>
+  <name>iiwa_msgs</name>
   <version>2.3.1</version>
   <description>ROS Messages to communicate with a KUKA LBR IIWA Robot</description>
   <author email="salvo.virga@tum.de">Salvo Virga</author>
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@
   <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
 
   <depend>actionlib_msgs</depend>
-  <depend>message_generation</depend>
-  <depend>message_runtime</depend>
   <depend>std_msgs</depend>
   <depend>geometry_msgs</depend>
+
+  <build_depend>message_generation</build_depend>
+
+  <exec_depend>message_runtime</exec_depend>
 </package>