diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 98c54c52e8..898c1e1c0c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ Note that ``PHAB_ID=#`` and ``RB_ID=#`` correspond to associated messages in com
 Unreleased
 ----------
 
+21.5.0
+------
+
 New Features
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7d6b93d214..3da52469e0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 # Finagle
 
-[![Build Status](https://github.com/twitter/finagle/workflows/continuous%20integration/badge.svg?branch=develop)](https://github.com/twitter/finagle/actions?query=workflow%3A%22continuous+integration%22+branch%3Adevelop)
+[![Build Status](https://github.com/twitter/finagle/workflows/continuous%20integration/badge.svg?branch=release)](https://github.com/twitter/finagle/actions?query=workflow%3A%22continuous+integration%22+branch%3Arelease)
 [![Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/twitter/finagle/branch/develop/graph/badge.svg)](https://codecov.io/gh/twitter/finagle)
 [![Project status](https://img.shields.io/badge/status-active-brightgreen.svg)](#status)
 [![Gitter](https://badges.gitter.im/twitter/finagle.svg)](https://gitter.im/twitter/finagle?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=badge&utm_campaign=pr-badge)
diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index e26e69eb44..54948e5ef9 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import Tests._
 import scoverage.ScoverageKeys
 
 // All Twitter library releases are date versioned as YY.MM.patch
-val releaseVersion = "21.5.0-SNAPSHOT"
+val releaseVersion = "21.5.0"
 
 val libthriftVersion = "0.10.0"
 
diff --git a/doc/src/sphinx/code/client-server-anatomy/build.sbt b/doc/src/sphinx/code/client-server-anatomy/build.sbt
index bb962164dd..b521b45549 100644
--- a/doc/src/sphinx/code/client-server-anatomy/build.sbt
+++ b/doc/src/sphinx/code/client-server-anatomy/build.sbt
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ version := "1.0"
 scalaVersion := "2.12.12"
 
 libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
-  "com.twitter" %% "finagle-core" % "21.4.0"
+  "com.twitter" %% "finagle-core" % "21.5.0"
 )
diff --git a/doc/src/sphinx/code/protocols/build.sbt b/doc/src/sphinx/code/protocols/build.sbt
index e41c3d7ede..2f2cbf2335 100644
--- a/doc/src/sphinx/code/protocols/build.sbt
+++ b/doc/src/sphinx/code/protocols/build.sbt
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ version := "1.0"
 scalaVersion := "2.12.13"
 
 libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
-  "com.twitter" %% "finagle-mysql" % "21.4.0"
+  "com.twitter" %% "finagle-mysql" % "21.5.0"
 )
diff --git a/doc/src/sphinx/code/quickstart/build.sbt b/doc/src/sphinx/code/quickstart/build.sbt
index 34f38e4155..707acbb693 100644
--- a/doc/src/sphinx/code/quickstart/build.sbt
+++ b/doc/src/sphinx/code/quickstart/build.sbt
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ lazy val root = (project in file(".")).
     )),
     name := "quickstart",
     libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
-      "com.twitter" %% "finagle-http" % "21.4.0"
+      "com.twitter" %% "finagle-http" % "21.5.0"
     )
   )
diff --git a/project/plugins.sbt b/project/plugins.sbt
index b2746873cc..c15b174549 100644
--- a/project/plugins.sbt
+++ b/project/plugins.sbt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 resolvers += Classpaths.sbtPluginReleases
 resolvers += Resolver.sonatypeRepo("snapshots")
 
-val releaseVersion = "21.5.0-SNAPSHOT"
+val releaseVersion = "21.5.0"
 
 addSbtPlugin("com.twitter" % "scrooge-sbt-plugin" % releaseVersion)