diff --git a/Control/Watchdog.hs b/Control/Watchdog.hs
--- a/Control/Watchdog.hs
+++ b/Control/Watchdog.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- |
 -- How to use:
--- 
+--
 -- > import Control.Watchdog
 -- > import Data.Time
 -- >
@@ -99,15 +99,16 @@
     , WatchdogAction
     ) where
 
+import Control.Applicative
 import Control.Concurrent
 import Control.Monad.State.Strict
 import Data.Time
 
-data WatchdogState = WatchdogState { wcInitialDelay :: Int
-                                   , wcMaximumDelay :: Int
-                                   , wcResetDuration :: Int
+data WatchdogState = WatchdogState { wcInitialDelay   :: Int
+                                   , wcMaximumDelay   :: Int
+                                   , wcResetDuration  :: Int
                                    , wcMaximumRetries :: Integer
-                                   , wcLoggingAction :: WatchdogLogger
+                                   , wcLoggingAction  :: WatchdogLogger
                                    }
 
 data WatchdogTaskStatus a = FailedImmediately String
@@ -115,7 +116,8 @@
                           | CompletedSuccessfully a
 
 newtype WatchdogAction a = WA { runWA :: StateT WatchdogState IO a }
-                           deriving (Monad, MonadIO, MonadState WatchdogState)
+                           deriving ( Functor, Applicative, Alternative
+                                    , Monad, MonadIO, MonadState WatchdogState)
 
 -- | Type synonym for a watchdog logger.
 type WatchdogLogger = String     -- ^ Error message returned by the task.
@@ -274,7 +276,7 @@
     stop <- getCurrentTime
     case status of
         Right result -> return $ CompletedSuccessfully result
-        Left err -> 
+        Left err ->
             let cutOff = fromIntegral resetDuration / 10 ^ (6 :: Integer)
             in if diffUTCTime stop start < cutOff
                         then return $ FailedImmediately err
diff --git a/watchdog.cabal b/watchdog.cabal
--- a/watchdog.cabal
+++ b/watchdog.cabal
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name:           watchdog
-version:        0.2.2.1
+version:        0.2.3
 author:         Jan Vornberger <jan@uos.de>
-copyright:      (c) 2012 - 2014 Jan Vornberger
+copyright:      (c) 2012 - 2017 Jan Vornberger
 maintainer:     Jan Vornberger <jan@uos.de>
 synopsis:       Simple control structure to re-try an action with exponential backoff
 description:    See Control.Watchdog for documentation.
@@ -18,10 +18,7 @@
 
 library
     build-depends: base == 4.*
-                   -- Wheezy: 4.5.0.0 (ghc)
-                   , time == 1.4.*
-                     -- Wheezy: 1.4.1 (ghc)
-                   , mtl == 2.1.*
-                     -- Wheezy: 2.1.1 (libghc-mtl-dev)
+                   , time >= 1.4 && < 1.9
+                   , mtl >= 2.1 && < 2.3
     exposed-modules: Control.Watchdog
     ghc-options: -Wall