diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index dbbfbba..c4950e2 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+Overview of changes leading to 0.9.40
+Friday, March 20, 2015
+=====================================
+
+- Another hb-coretext crasher fix.  Ouch!
+- Happy Norouz!
+
+
 Overview of changes leading to 0.9.39
 Wednesday, March 4, 2015
 =====================================
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 166a121..5baad1f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 AC_PREREQ([2.64])
 AC_INIT([HarfBuzz],
-        [0.9.39],
+        [0.9.40],
         [http://bugs.freedesktop.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=harfbuzz],
         [harfbuzz],
         [http://harfbuzz.org/])