diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java
index edf919f4e5..e10cedd625 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.EnableConfigurationProperties
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 
-
 /**
  * {@link EnableAutoConfiguration Auto-configuration} for exporting metrics to Wavefront.
  *
@@ -57,7 +56,9 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfiguration {
 
 	@Bean(destroyMethod = "stop")
 	@ConditionalOnMissingBean
-	public WavefrontMeterRegistry wavefrontMeterRegistry(WavefrontConfig config, Clock clock) {
+	public WavefrontMeterRegistry wavefrontMeterRegistry(WavefrontConfig config,
+			Clock clock) {
 		return new WavefrontMeterRegistry(config, clock);
 	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontProperties.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontProperties.java
index b05bbb3259..bb9fa170ae 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontProperties.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 package org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.wavefront;
 
+import java.net.URI;
+
 import org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.properties.StepRegistryProperties;
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.ConfigurationProperties;
 
@@ -27,36 +29,41 @@ import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.ConfigurationProperties;
  */
 @ConfigurationProperties("management.metrics.export.wavefront")
 public class WavefrontProperties extends StepRegistryProperties {
-	/**
-	 * The URI to publish metrics to. The URI could represent a Wavefront sidecar or the
-	 * Wavefront API host. This host could also represent an internal proxy set up in your environment
-	 * that forwards metrics data to the Wavefront API host.
-	 *
-	 * If publishing metrics to a Wavefront proxy (as described in https://docs.wavefront.com/proxies_installing.html),
-	 * the host must be in the proxy://HOST:PORT format.
-	 */
-	private String uri;
 
 	/**
-	 * Uniquely identifies the app instance that is publishing metrics to Wavefront. Defaults to the local host name.
+	 * URI to which metrics are published. May represent a Wavefront sidecar or the
+	 * Wavefront API host. This host could also represent an internal proxy set up in your
+	 * environment that forwards metrics data to the Wavefront API host.
+	 *
+	 * If publishing metrics to a Wavefront proxy (as described in
+	 * https://docs.wavefront.com/proxies_installing.html), the host must be in the
+	 * proxy://HOST:PORT format.
+	 */
+	private URI uri;
+
+	/**
+	 * Unique identifier for the app instance that is the source of metrics being
+	 * published to Wavefront. Defaults to the local host name.
 	 */
 	private String source;
 
 	/**
-	 * Required when publishing directly to the Wavefront API host, otherwise does nothing.
+	 * API token used when publishing metrics directly to the Wavefront API host.
 	 */
 	private String apiToken;
 
 	/**
-	 * Global prefix to separate metrics originating from this app's white box instrumentation from those originating from other Wavefront integrations when viewed in the Wavefront UI.
+	 * Global prefix to separate metrics originating from this app's white box
+	 * instrumentation from those originating from other Wavefront integrations when
+	 * viewed in the Wavefront UI.
 	 */
 	private String globalPrefix;
 
-	public String getUri() {
+	public URI getUri() {
 		return this.uri;
 	}
 
-	public void setUri(String uri) {
+	public void setUri(URI uri) {
 		this.uri = uri;
 	}
 
@@ -83,4 +90,5 @@ public class WavefrontProperties extends StepRegistryProperties {
 	public void setGlobalPrefix(String globalPrefix) {
 		this.globalPrefix = globalPrefix;
 	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter.java
index 0812c5498c..d2c6b1ca81 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter.java
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ import org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.properties.
  * @author Jon Schneider
  * @since 2.0.0
  */
-public class WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter extends PropertiesConfigAdapter<WavefrontProperties> implements WavefrontConfig {
+public class WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter
+		extends PropertiesConfigAdapter<WavefrontProperties> implements WavefrontConfig {
 
 	public WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter(WavefrontProperties properties) {
 		super(properties);
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ public class WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter extends PropertiesConfigAdapter<Wa
 
 	@Override
 	public String uri() {
-		return get(WavefrontProperties::getUri, WavefrontConfig.DEFAULT_DIRECT::uri);
+		return get(this::getUriAsString, WavefrontConfig.DEFAULT_DIRECT::uri);
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -54,6 +55,12 @@ public class WavefrontPropertiesConfigAdapter extends PropertiesConfigAdapter<Wa
 
 	@Override
 	public String globalPrefix() {
-		return get(WavefrontProperties::getGlobalPrefix, WavefrontConfig.super::globalPrefix);
+		return get(WavefrontProperties::getGlobalPrefix,
+				WavefrontConfig.super::globalPrefix);
 	}
+
+	private String getUriAsString(WavefrontProperties properties) {
+		return properties.getUri() == null ? null : properties.getUri().toString();
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/package-info.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/package-info.java
index aee9aff383..ca4ad6e6bc 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/package-info.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/package-info.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@
  */
 
 /**
- * Support for exporting actuator metrics to StatsD.
+ * Support for exporting actuator metrics to Wavefront.
  */
 package org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.wavefront;
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 98994dbb54..c954701f55 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/wavefront/WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -52,11 +52,16 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 				.doesNotHaveBean(WavefrontMeterRegistry.class));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void failsWithoutAnApiTokenWhenPublishingDirectly() {
+		this.runner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class)
+				.run((context) -> assertThat(context).hasFailed());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void autoConfigurationCanBeDisabled() {
 		this.runner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class)
-				.withPropertyValues(
-						"management.metrics.export.wavefront.enabled=false")
+				.withPropertyValues("management.metrics.export.wavefront.enabled=false")
 				.run((context) -> assertThat(context)
 						.doesNotHaveBean(WavefrontMeterRegistry.class)
 						.doesNotHaveBean(WavefrontConfig.class));
@@ -64,8 +69,7 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void allowsConfigToBeCustomized() {
-		this.runner
-				.withUserConfiguration(CustomConfigConfiguration.class)
+		this.runner.withUserConfiguration(CustomConfigConfiguration.class)
 				.run((context) -> assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(Clock.class)
 						.hasSingleBean(WavefrontMeterRegistry.class)
 						.hasSingleBean(WavefrontConfig.class).hasBean("customConfig"));
@@ -73,10 +77,8 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void allowsRegistryToBeCustomized() {
-		this.runner
-				.withUserConfiguration(CustomRegistryConfiguration.class)
-				.withPropertyValues(
-						"management.metrics.export.wavefront.api-token=abcde")
+		this.runner.withUserConfiguration(CustomRegistryConfiguration.class)
+				.withPropertyValues("management.metrics.export.wavefront.api-token=abcde")
 				.run((context) -> assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(Clock.class)
 						.hasSingleBean(WavefrontConfig.class)
 						.hasSingleBean(WavefrontMeterRegistry.class)
@@ -85,10 +87,8 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void stopsMeterRegistryWhenContextIsClosed() {
-		this.runner
-				.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class)
-				.withPropertyValues(
-						"management.metrics.export.wavefront.api-token=abcde")
+		this.runner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class)
+				.withPropertyValues("management.metrics.export.wavefront.api-token=abcde")
 				.run((context) -> {
 					WavefrontMeterRegistry registry = spyOnDisposableBean(
 							WavefrontMeterRegistry.class, context);
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 	static class BaseConfiguration {
 
 		@Bean
-		public Clock customClock() {
+		public Clock clock() {
 			return Clock.SYSTEM;
 		}
 
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ public class WavefrontMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 	static class CustomRegistryConfiguration {
 
 		@Bean(destroyMethod = "stop")
-		public WavefrontMeterRegistry customRegistry(WavefrontConfig config, Clock clock) {
+		public WavefrontMeterRegistry customRegistry(WavefrontConfig config,
+				Clock clock) {
 			return new WavefrontMeterRegistry(config, clock);
 		}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
index 6b30e5aaee..051ee33b31 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
@@ -1391,10 +1391,11 @@ content into your application. Rather, pick only the properties that you need.
 	management.metrics.export.statsd.polling-frequency=10s # How often gauges will be polled. When a gauge is polled, its value is recalculated and if the value has changed, it is sent to the StatsD server.
 	management.metrics.export.statsd.port=8125 # Port of the StatsD server to receive exported metrics.
 	management.metrics.export.statsd.queue-size=2147483647 # Maximum size of the queue of items waiting to be sent to the StatsD server.
-	management.metrics.export.wavefront.uri= # Optional custom URI for the Wavefront API or proxy.
-	management.metrics.export.wavefront.source= # Uniquely identifies the app instance that is publishing metrics to Wavefront. Defaults to the local host name.
-	management.metrics.export.wavefront.api-token= # Required when publishing directly to the Wavefront API host, otherwise does nothing.
-	management.metrics.export.wavefront.global-prefix= # Setting a global prefix separates metrics originating from this app's whitebox instrumentation from those originating from other Wavefront integrations.
+	management.metrics.export.wavefront.api-token= # API token used when publishing metrics directly to the Wavefront API host.
+	management.metrics.export.wavefront.enabled= # Whether exporting of metrics to this backend is enabled.
+	management.metrics.export.wavefront.global-prefix= # Global prefix to separate metrics originating from this app's white box instrumentation from those originating from other Wavefront integrations when viewed in the Wavefront UI.
+	management.metrics.export.wavefront.source= # Unique identifier for the app instance that is the source of metrics being published to Wavefront. Defaults to the local host name.
+	management.metrics.export.wavefront.uri= #  URI to which metrics are published. May represent a Wavefront sidecar or the Wavefront API host. This host could also represent an internal proxy set up in your environment that forwards metrics data to the Wavefront API host.
 	management.metrics.use-global-registry=true # Whether auto-configured MeterRegistry implementations should be bound to the global static registry on Metrics.
 	management.metrics.web.client.max-uri-tags=100 # Maximum number of unique URI tag values allowed. After the max number of tag values is reached, metrics with additional tag values are denied by filter.
 	management.metrics.web.client.record-request-percentiles=false # Whether instrumented requests record percentiles histogram buckets by default.