diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3e3ae259..eb0acca2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+21/9/18 started 8.8.0
+
 23/9/18 started 8.7.1
 - update function list in docs [janko-m] 
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5da01561..8f6b182f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # also update the version number in the m4 macros below
 
-AC_INIT([vips], [8.7.1], [vipsip@jiscmail.ac.uk])
+AC_INIT([vips], [8.8.0], [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], [7])
-m4_define([vips_micro_version], [1])
+m4_define([vips_minor_version], [8])
+m4_define([vips_micro_version], [0])
 m4_define([vips_version],
           [vips_major_version.vips_minor_version.vips_micro_version])
 
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 384ee2e4..2165242d 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ bin_SCRIPTS = \
 	batch_rubber_sheet \
 	batch_crop \
 	vipsprofile \
-	vips-8.7
+	vips-8.8
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	vipsprofile \
-	vips-8.7 \
+	vips-8.8 \
 	light_correct.in \
 	shrink_width.in \
 	batch_image_convert.in \
diff --git a/tools/vips-8.7 b/tools/vips-8.8
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/vips-8.7
rename to tools/vips-8.8