diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e93560525..a78109b12 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+Noteworthy changes in version 1.4.18 (unreleased)
+-------------------------------------------------
+
+
 Noteworthy changes in version 1.4.17 (2014-06-23)
 -------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/README b/README
index 5d1edbd98..4a0783905 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 		    GnuPG - The GNU Privacy Guard
 		   -------------------------------
-                            Version 1.4.17
+                            Version 1.4.18
 
 	 Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
                    2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 93527e903..96f09d75d 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], [1.4.17])
+m4_define([mym4_version], [1.4.18])
 
 # Below is m4 magic to extract and compute the git revision number,
 # the decimalized short revision number, a beta version string and a