diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 26d6f90a2..1dfb23fef 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+Noteworthy changes in version 1.4.17 (unreleased)
+-------------------------------------------------
+
 Noteworthy changes in version 1.4.16 (2013-12-18)
 -------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index af78185b9..377bf067a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ min_automake_version="1.9.3"
 # (git tag -s gnupg-1.n.m) and run "./autogen.sh --force".  Please
 # bump the version number immediately *after* the release and do
 # another commit and push so that the git magic is able to work.
-m4_define([mym4_version], [1.4.16])
+m4_define([mym4_version], [1.4.17])
 
 # Below is m4 magic to extract and compute the git revision number,
 # the decimalized short revision number, a beta version string and a