diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index fa84c42c..62473ccf 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+15/4/17 started 8.6.0
+
 7/4/17 started 8.5.3
 - more link fixing in docs 
 - revise cache sizing again to help out of order errors under heavy load, thanks
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3aa57c61..15d088c5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # also update the version number in the m4 macros below
 
-AC_INIT([vips], [8.5.3], [vipsip@jiscmail.ac.uk])
+AC_INIT([vips], [8.6.0], [vipsip@jiscmail.ac.uk])
 # required for gobject-introspection
 AC_PREREQ(2.62)
 
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
 # user-visible library versioning
 m4_define([vips_major_version], [8])
-m4_define([vips_minor_version], [5])
-m4_define([vips_micro_version], [3])
+m4_define([vips_minor_version], [6])
+m4_define([vips_micro_version], [0])
 m4_define([vips_version],
           [vips_major_version.vips_minor_version.vips_micro_version])
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ VIPS_VERSION_STRING=$VIPS_VERSION-`date`
 #   binary interface changes not backwards compatible?: reset age to 0
 
 LIBRARY_CURRENT=49
-LIBRARY_REVISION=3
+LIBRARY_REVISION=4
 LIBRARY_AGE=7
 
 # patched into include/vips/version.h