diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 46f6d34e1..ab8df26e5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 # will increment for each series until we revise our interfaces enough
 # that we can seriously expect ABI compatibility between series.
 #
-RELEASE = -release 2.0
+RELEASE = -release 2.1
 
 # This is the version info for the libevent binary API.  It has three
 # numbers:
@@ -32,22 +32,9 @@ RELEASE = -release 2.0
 #
 # Once an RC is out, DO NOT MAKE ANY ABI-BREAKING CHANGES IN THAT SERIES
 # UNLESS YOU REALLY REALLY HAVE TO.
-VERSION_INFO = 5:1:0
+VERSION_INFO = 1:0:0
 
 # History:          RELEASE    VERSION_INFO
-#  2.0.1-alpha --     2.0        1:0:0
-#  2.0.2-alpha --                2:0:0
-#  2.0.3-alpha --                2:0:0  (should have incremented; didn't.)
-#  2.0.4-alpha --                3:0:0
-#  2.0.5-beta  --                4:0:0
-#  2.0.6-rc    --     2.0        2:0:0
-#  2.0.7-rc    --     2.0        3:0:1
-#  2.0.8-rc    --     2.0        4:0:2
-#  2.0.9-rc    --     2.0        5:0:0 (ABI changed slightly)
-# Planned:
-#  2.0.10-stable--    2.0        5:1:0 (No ABI change)
-#
-# For Libevent 2.1:
 #  2.1.1-alpha --     2.1        1:0:0
 
 
diff --git a/WIN32-Code/event2/event-config.h b/WIN32-Code/event2/event-config.h
index fa14ae94c..c7f09ff25 100644
--- a/WIN32-Code/event2/event-config.h
+++ b/WIN32-Code/event2/event-config.h
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@
 /* #undef _EVENT_HAVE_WORKING_KQUEUE */
 
 /* Numeric representation of the version */
-#define _EVENT_NUMERIC_VERSION 0x02000a01
+#define _EVENT_NUMERIC_VERSION 0x02010001
 
 /* Name of package */
 #define _EVENT_PACKAGE "libevent"
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@
 #define _EVENT_TIME_WITH_SYS_TIME 1
 
 /* Version number of package */
-#define _EVENT_VERSION "2.0.10-stable-dev"
+#define _EVENT_VERSION "2.1.0-alpha-dev"
 
 /* Define to appropriate substitue if compiler doesnt have __func__ */
 #define _EVENT___func__ __FUNCTION__
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index f8f3e03b7..9678be816 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ AC_INIT(event.c)
 
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(libevent,2.0.10-stable-dev)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(libevent,2.1.0-alpha-dev)
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
-AC_DEFINE(NUMERIC_VERSION, 0x02000a01, [Numeric representation of the version])
+AC_DEFINE(NUMERIC_VERSION, 0x02010001, [Numeric representation of the version])
 
 dnl Initialize prefix.
 if test "$prefix" = "NONE"; then