diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 8decb929b9..f263cd11b4 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.8.5
+1.8.6
diff --git a/cmd/geth/main.go b/cmd/geth/main.go
index f12e5b6a0e..e3f837d719 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func init() {
 	// Initialize the CLI app and start Geth
 	app.Action = geth
 	app.HideVersion = true // we have a command to print the version
-	app.Copyright = "Copyright 2013-2017 The go-ethereum Authors"
+	app.Copyright = "Copyright 2013-2018 The go-ethereum Authors"
 	app.Commands = []cli.Command{
 		// See chaincmd.go:
 		initCommand,
diff --git a/cmd/geth/usage.go b/cmd/geth/usage.go
index 8c24eae8a6..51ba1c3b75 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/usage.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/usage.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import (
 var AppHelpTemplate = `NAME:
    {{.App.Name}} - {{.App.Usage}}
 
-   Copyright 2013-2017 The go-ethereum Authors
+   Copyright 2013-2018 The go-ethereum Authors
 
 USAGE:
    {{.App.HelpName}} [options]{{if .App.Commands}} command [command options]{{end}} {{if .App.ArgsUsage}}{{.App.ArgsUsage}}{{else}}[arguments...]{{end}}
diff --git a/params/version.go b/params/version.go
index e832c13401..81eebbbcf0 100644
--- a/params/version.go
+++ b/params/version.go
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	VersionMajor = 1        // Major version component of the current release
-	VersionMinor = 8        // Minor version component of the current release
-	VersionPatch = 5        // Patch version component of the current release
-	VersionMeta  = "stable" // Version metadata to append to the version string
+	VersionMajor = 1          // Major version component of the current release
+	VersionMinor = 8          // Minor version component of the current release
+	VersionPatch = 6          // Patch version component of the current release
+	VersionMeta  = "unstable" // Version metadata to append to the version string
 )
 
 // Version holds the textual version string.