diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 35254c7d64..2b57859b7c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@gmod/jbrowse",
   "main": "browser/main.js",
-  "version": "1.15.3-alpha.0",
+  "version": "1.15.3",
   "description": "JBrowse - client-side genome browser",
   "repository": "https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse.git",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/release-notes.md b/release-notes.md
index 95565c485e..7eb33c65a9 100644
--- a/release-notes.md
+++ b/release-notes.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{$NEXT}}
+# Release 1.15.3     2018-08-29 21:49:13 UTC
 
 ## Minor improvements
 
diff --git a/src/JBrowse/package.json b/src/JBrowse/package.json
index 6c256cbac8..d56e2e1a19 100644
--- a/src/JBrowse/package.json
+++ b/src/JBrowse/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "JBrowse",
-    "version": "1.15.3-alpha.0",
+    "version": "1.15.3",
     "copyright":"© 2007-2017 The Evolutionary Software Foundation",
     "main": "main",
     "dependencies": {
diff --git a/website/blog/2018-08-29-jbrowse-1-15-3.md b/website/blog/2018-08-29-jbrowse-1-15-3.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1612e4773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/blog/2018-08-29-jbrowse-1-15-3.md
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: JBrowse 1.15.3 maintenance release
+date: 2018-08-29
+tags: ["News","Software releases"]
+---
+
+JBrowse 1.15.3 has been released! This contains an bugfix introduced in 1.15.0 where typing a reference sequence name in the search bar did not navigate to it properly.
+It also contains a cool feature where "ultra minimal configs" can be specified by simply specifying a track label and urlTemplate
+
+For example, a directory containing indexed files like VCF, BAM, GFF3 tabix, and indexed FASTA can have a config simply like this in tracks.conf
+
+```
+[GENERAL]
+refSeqs=volvox.fa.fai
+[tracks.refseq]
+urlTemplate=volvox.fa
+[tracks.bam]
+urlTemplate=volvox-sorted.bam
+[tracks.cram]
+urlTemplate=volvox-sorted.cram
+[tracks.vcf]
+urlTemplate=volvox.filtered.vcf.gz
+[tracks.gff]
+urlTemplate=volvox.sort.gff3.gz
+[tracks.bed]
+urlTemplate=volvox.sort.bed.gz
+```
+
+Enjoy browsing!
+
+*   [JBrowse-1.15.3.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.15.3-release/JBrowse-1.15.3.zip) - minified release
+*   [JBrowse-1.15.3-dev.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/archive/1.15.3-release.zip) - use this if you modify jbrowse source code or use plugins
+*   [JBrowse-1.15.3-desktop-win32-x64.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.15.3-release/JBrowse-1.15.3-desktop-win32-x64.zip)
+*   [JBrowse-1.15.3-desktop-linux-x64.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.15.3-release/JBrowse-1.15.3-desktop-linux-x64.zip)
+*   [JBrowse-1.15.3-desktop-darwin-x64.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.15.3-release/JBrowse-1.15.3-desktop-darwin-x64.zip)
+
+
+
+
+## Minor improvements
+
+ * Add ability to automatically deduce the storeClass and trackType of files based on
+   the file extension of urlTemplate. This allows very minimal configs where only
+   track label and urlTemplate can be specified. (<a href="https://github.com/gmod/jbrowse/pull/1189">issue #1189</a>, <a href="https://github.com/cmdcolin">@cmdcolin</a>)
+
+## Bug fixes
+
+ * Fixed an issue with servers that use HTTP Basic Authentication on certain browsers,
+   notably some Chromium, Firefox 60 and earlier, and Safari. Thanks to Keiran Raine
+   for reporting and <a href="https://github.com/cmdcolin">@cmdcolin</a> for debugging. (<a href="https://github.com/gmod/jbrowse/issues/1186">issue #1186</a>, <a href="https://github.com/rbuels">@rbuels</a>)
+
+ * Fix issue where searching for reference sequence names would not be navigate to the
+   typed in reference sequence (<a href="https://github.com/gmod/jbrowse/issues/1193">issue #1193</a>, <a href="https://github.com/cmdcolin">@cmdcolin</a>)
+
diff --git a/website/siteConfig.js b/website/siteConfig.js
index 230f41b16a..6dbd138106 100644
--- a/website/siteConfig.js
+++ b/website/siteConfig.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const createVariableInjectionPlugin = variables => {
 };
 
 const v = {
-    "version": "1.15.2"
+    "version": "1.15.3"
 };
 const siteVariables = {
     "version": v.version,