diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 97a4d60c6745..95fb76f51307 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+3.11.8.1
+ * Reject empty options and invalid DC names in replication configuration while creating or altering a keyspace (CASSANDRA-12681)
+ * Wait for schema agreement rather than in flight schema requests when bootstrapping (CASSANDRA-15158)
+
 3.11.8
  * Correctly interpret SASI's `max_compaction_flush_memory_in_mb` setting in megabytes not bytes (CASSANDRA-16071)
  * Fix short read protection for GROUP BY queries (CASSANDRA-15459)
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 50d278e2b4d4..6931ef0c60ee 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     <property name="debuglevel" value="source,lines,vars"/>
 
     <!-- default version and SCM information -->
-    <property name="base.version" value="3.11.8"/>
+    <property name="base.version" value="3.11.8.1"/>
     <property name="scm.connection" value="scm:https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.developerConnection" value="scm:https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.url" value="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf?p=cassandra.git;a=tree"/>
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 55eea82121f0..a761d888d884 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+cassandra (3.11.8.1) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+ * New release
+
+ -- Cameron Zemek <cameron@instaclustr.com> Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:50:00 +1000
+
 cassandra (3.11.8) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   * New release