diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 39d4933..4e2c4ce 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = '1.8'
+version = '1.9'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = '1.8'
+release = '1.9.dev0'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/release.rst b/docs/release.rst
index 1b24e33..305b707 100644
--- a/docs/release.rst
+++ b/docs/release.rst
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     - update checksum to match the one computed by pypi
 - Get back to work
     - Update ``_version.py`` (add 'dev' and increment minor).
+    - Update version in ``docs/conf.py``
     - Update version macros in ``include/pybind11/common.h``
     - ``git add`` and ``git commit``.
       ``git push``
diff --git a/include/pybind11/common.h b/include/pybind11/common.h
index 5cab5e7..560be43 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/common.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/common.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #define PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR 1
-#define PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR 8
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR 9
 
 /// Include Python header, disable linking to pythonX_d.lib on Windows in debug mode
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
diff --git a/pybind11/_version.py b/pybind11/_version.py
index afa4cc9..be66f07 100644
--- a/pybind11/_version.py
+++ b/pybind11/_version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-version_info = (1, 8, 'dev0')
+version_info = (1, 9, 'dev0')
 __version__ = '.'.join(map(str, version_info))