diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 077926fbf7..aff7a8d8c4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ See https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge/wiki
 
 # Installing
 ## Binaries
-* Latest stable release [v1.8.0](https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge/releases/latest)
+* Latest stable release [v1.9.0](https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge/releases/latest)
 * Development releases (follows master) can be downloaded [here](https://dl.bintray.com/42wim/nightly/)  
 
 ## Building
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 73b5579849..ffc2de6e8c 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,18 @@
+# v1.9.0 (the refactor release)
+## New features
+* general: better debug messages
+* general: better support for environment variables override
+* general: Ability to disable sending join/leave messages to other gateways. #382
+* slack: Allow Slack @usergroups to be parsed as human-friendly names #379
+* slack: Provide better context for shared posts from Slack<=>Slack enhancement #369
+* telegram: Convert nicks automatically into HTML when MessageFormat is set to HTML #378
+* irc: Add DebugLevel option 
+
+## Bugfix
+* slack: Ignore restricted_action on channel join (slack). Closes #387
+* slack: Add slack attachment support to matterhook
+* slack: Update userlist on join (slack). Closes #372
+
 # v1.8.0
 ## New features
 * general: Send chat notification if media is too big to be re-uploaded to MediaServer. See #359
diff --git a/matterbridge.go b/matterbridge.go
index 13293ceda7..d260d34cac 100644
--- a/matterbridge.go
+++ b/matterbridge.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	version = "1.8.1-dev"
+	version = "1.9.0"
 	githash string
 )