diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 39d4933e3..1e05cad52 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ author = 'Wenzel Jakob'
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = '1.8'
+version = '1.8.1'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = '1.8'
+release = version
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/release.rst b/docs/release.rst
index 1b24e3360..2ffca8b6f 100644
--- a/docs/release.rst
+++ b/docs/release.rst
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ To release a new version of pybind11:
     - Update version in ``docs/conf.py``
     - Tag release date in ``docs/changelog.rst``.
     - ``git add`` and ``git commit``.
-    - ``git tag -a vX.Y -m 'vX.Y release'``.
+    - ``git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m 'vX.Y.Z release'``.
     - ``git push``
     - ``git push --tags``.
     - ``python setup.py sdist upload``.
diff --git a/include/pybind11/common.h b/include/pybind11/common.h
index 5cab5e79d..b4419a4ac 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/common.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/common.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 #define PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR 1
 #define PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR 8
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH 1
 
 /// Include Python header, disable linking to pythonX_d.lib on Windows in debug mode
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
diff --git a/pybind11/_version.py b/pybind11/_version.py
index ceeb4afad..470daec90 100644
--- a/pybind11/_version.py
+++ b/pybind11/_version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-version_info = (1, 8)
+version_info = (1, 8, 1)
 __version__ = '.'.join(map(str, version_info))