diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 69f32b807f9..9c404161517 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #  initialize & set some vars
 # ============================
 
-AC_INIT([strongSwan],[5.9.6rc1])
+AC_INIT([strongSwan],[5.9.6])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(m4_esyscmd([
 	echo tar-ustar
 	echo subdir-objects
diff --git a/testing/testing.conf b/testing/testing.conf
index e2b564cbbcc..d8a437f1f70 100644
--- a/testing/testing.conf
+++ b/testing/testing.conf
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ fi
 : ${TESTDIR=/srv/strongswan-testing}
 
 # Kernel configuration
-: ${KERNELVERSION=5.17.3}
+: ${KERNELVERSION=5.17.5}
 : ${KERNEL=linux-$KERNELVERSION}
 : ${KERNELTARBALL=$KERNEL.tar.xz}
 : ${KERNELCONFIG=$DIR/../config/kernel/config-5.17}
 : ${KERNELPATCH=ha-5.15-abicompat.patch.bz2}
 
 # strongSwan version used in tests
-: ${SWANVERSION=5.9.6rc1}
+: ${SWANVERSION=5.9.6}
 
 # Build directory where the guest kernel and images will be built
 : ${BUILDDIR=$TESTDIR/build}