diff --git a/readme.html b/readme.html
index fa7071c641..9cc7b39ba4 100644
--- a/readme.html
+++ b/readme.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 <body>
 <h1 id="logo" style="text-align: center">
 	<img alt="WordPress" src="wp-admin/images/wordpress-logo.png" />
-	<br /> Version 2.8.5
+	<br /> Version 2.8.6
 </h1>
 <p style="text-align: center">Semantic Personal Publishing Platform</p>
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 <h1>Upgrading</h1>
 <p>Before you upgrade anything, make sure you have backup copies of any files you may have modified such as <code>index.php</code>.</p>
-<h2>Upgrading from any previous WordPress to 2.8.5:</h2>
+<h2>Upgrading from any previous WordPress to 2.8.6:</h2>
 <ol>
 	<li>Delete your old WP files, saving ones you've modified.</li>
 	<li>Upload the new files.</li>
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 401a3a9598..a35e848a19 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '2.8.5';
+$wp_version = '2.8.6-beta';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.
