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 d6a004c7a8..d500726ce1 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ 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 a1558c2330..d934c6b021 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/eth/downloader/downloader.go b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
index 8b181b8ad4..43f0e3db97 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/downloader.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/downloader.go
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ func (d *Downloader) UnregisterPeer(id string) error {
 	d.cancelLock.RUnlock()
 
 	if master {
-		d.Cancel()
+		d.cancel()
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -501,8 +501,10 @@ func (d *Downloader) spawnSync(fetchers []func() error) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-// Cancel cancels all of the operations and resets the queue.
-func (d *Downloader) Cancel() {
+// cancel aborts all of the operations and resets the queue. However, cancel does
+// not wait for the running download goroutines to finish. This method should be
+// used when cancelling the downloads from inside the downloader.
+func (d *Downloader) cancel() {
 	// Close the current cancel channel
 	d.cancelLock.Lock()
 	if d.cancelCh != nil {
@@ -514,6 +516,12 @@ func (d *Downloader) Cancel() {
 		}
 	}
 	d.cancelLock.Unlock()
+}
+
+// Cancel aborts all of the operations and waits for all download goroutines to
+// finish before returning.
+func (d *Downloader) Cancel() {
+	d.cancel()
 	d.cancelWg.Wait()
 }
 
diff --git a/params/version.go b/params/version.go
index 9d7f2ec838..81eebbbcf0 100644
--- a/params/version.go
+++ b/params/version.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ 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
+	VersionPatch = 6          // Patch version component of the current release
 	VersionMeta  = "unstable" // Version metadata to append to the version string
 )