diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 4efae7a53..ec95549a1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ChangeLog :
 ===========
 
+2017/11/26 : 1.9-dev0
+
 2017/11/26 : 1.8.0
     - BUG/MEDIUM: stream: don't automatically forward connect nor close
     - BUG/MAJOR: stream: ensure analysers are always called upon close
diff --git a/README b/README
index 6bb85e214..1b012cc5e 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
                          ----------------------
                              HAProxy how-to
                          ----------------------
-                              version 1.8
+                              version 1.9
                              willy tarreau
                                2017/11/26
 
@@ -9,12 +9,11 @@
 1) How to build it
 ------------------
 
-This version is a stable version, which means that it belongs to a branch which
-will get some fixes for bugs as they are discovered. Versions which include the
-suffix "-dev" are development versions and should be avoided in production. If
-you are not used to build from sources or if you are not used to follow updates
-then it is recommended that instead you use the packages provided by your
-software vendor or Linux distribution. Most of them are taking this task
+This is a development version, so it is expected to break from time to time,
+to add and remove features without prior notification and it should not be used
+in production. If you are not used to build from sources or if you are not used
+to follow updates then it is recommended that instead you use the packages provided
+by your software vendor or Linux distribution. Most of them are taking this task
 seriously and are doing a good job at backporting important fixes. If for any
 reason you'd prefer a different version than the one packaged for your system,
 you want to be certain to have all the fixes or to get some commercial support,
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 27f9cd322..a87ac5621 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.8.0
+1.9-dev0
diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index ca48cab6d..d71ba3049 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
                                 HAProxy
                           Configuration Manual
                          ----------------------
-                              version 1.8
+                              version 1.9
                              willy tarreau
                               2017/11/26
 
diff --git a/doc/intro.txt b/doc/intro.txt
index 9313824f0..f2a27f1e6 100644
--- a/doc/intro.txt
+++ b/doc/intro.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
                              -----------------------
                               HAProxy Starter Guide
                              -----------------------
-                                   version 1.8
+                                   version 1.9
 
 
 This document is an introduction to HAProxy for all those who don't know it, as
diff --git a/doc/management.txt b/doc/management.txt
index 86ad048c6..2161b018f 100644
--- a/doc/management.txt
+++ b/doc/management.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
                              ------------------------
                              HAProxy Management Guide
                              ------------------------
-                                   version 1.8
+                                   version 1.9
 
 
 This document describes how to start, stop, manage, and troubleshoot HAProxy,
diff --git a/examples/haproxy.spec b/examples/haproxy.spec
index 4c3b365de..f68277516 100644
--- a/examples/haproxy.spec
+++ b/examples/haproxy.spec
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Summary: HA-Proxy is a TCP/HTTP reverse proxy for high availability environments
 Name: haproxy
-Version: 1.8.0
+Version: 1.9-dev0
 Release: 1
 License: GPL
 Group: System Environment/Daemons
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ fi
 %attr(0755,root,root) %config %{_sysconfdir}/rc.d/init.d/%{name}
 
 %changelog
+* Sun Nov 26 2017 Willy Tarreau <w@1wt.eu>
+- updated to 1.9-dev0
+
 * Sun Nov 26 2017 Willy Tarreau <w@1wt.eu>
 - updated to 1.8.0
 
diff --git a/include/common/version.h b/include/common/version.h
index a4105207e..4fcaa0f9e 100644
--- a/include/common/version.h
+++ b/include/common/version.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #ifdef  CONFIG_PRODUCT_BRANCH
 #define PRODUCT_BRANCH    CONFIG_PRODUCT_BRANCH
 #else
-#define PRODUCT_BRANCH   "1.8"
+#define PRODUCT_BRANCH   "1.9"
 #endif
 
 #ifdef  CONFIG_PRODUCT_URL