diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 6f20a489..9280f27f 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 Release notes for C-Blosc2
 ==========================
 
+Changes from 2.16.0 to 2.16.1
+=============================
+
+#XXX version-specific blurb XXX#
+
+
 Changes from 2.15.2 to 2.16.0
 =============================
 
@@ -10,6 +16,7 @@ Changes from 2.15.2 to 2.16.0
 * Add 12-byte sse2 unshuffle implementation. Thanks to Tom Birch (@froody).
 * Better description of the Blosc2 format as a whole.
 
+
 Changes from 2.15.1 to 2.15.2
 =============================
 
diff --git a/include/blosc2.h b/include/blosc2.h
index c07368d3..9ec8aa28 100644
--- a/include/blosc2.h
+++ b/include/blosc2.h
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Version numbers */
 #define BLOSC2_VERSION_MAJOR    2    /* for major interface/format changes  */
 #define BLOSC2_VERSION_MINOR    16   /* for minor interface/format changes  */
-#define BLOSC2_VERSION_RELEASE  0    /* for tweaks, bug-fixes, or development */
+#define BLOSC2_VERSION_RELEASE  1    /* for tweaks, bug-fixes, or development */
 
-#define BLOSC2_VERSION_STRING   "2.16.0"  /* string version.  Sync with above! */
+#define BLOSC2_VERSION_STRING   "2.16.1.dev"  /* string version.  Sync with above! */
 #define BLOSC2_VERSION_DATE     "$Date:: 2025-02-12 #$"    /* date version year-month-day */