diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES b/RELEASE_NOTES
index a7270c2..01a65d8 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ Release notes
 *************
 
 
-Version 2.5.0
-*************
+Version 2.5.0rc1
+****************
 
 Release: 2022-08-15
 
diff --git a/docs/JUBE.pdf b/docs/JUBE.pdf
index 3ee59a5..c0cc53c 100644
Binary files a/docs/JUBE.pdf and b/docs/JUBE.pdf differ
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 02e08ff..f05cc4c 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
 # The short X.Y version.
 version = '2.5'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = '2.5.0'
+release = '2.5.0rc1'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/release_notes.rst b/docs/release_notes.rst
index 43db7f7..158fcc4 100644
--- a/docs/release_notes.rst
+++ b/docs/release_notes.rst
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 Release notes
 =============
 
-Version 2.5.0
-=============
+Version 2.5.0rc1
+================
 Release: 2022-08-15
 
 * Several independent workpackages within a step can be executed by multiple processes in parallel by stating `procs=#number_of_parallel_processes#` within the `step` tag. An example and a documentation entry was added.
diff --git a/jube2/conf.py b/jube2/conf.py
index bdfc303..bdc8e09 100644
--- a/jube2/conf.py
+++ b/jube2/conf.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
                         division)
 
 # general
-JUBE_VERSION = "2.5.0"
+JUBE_VERSION = "2.5.0rc1"
 ALLOWED_SCRIPTTYPES = set(["python", "perl", "shell"])
 ALLOWED_ADVANCED_MODETYPES = set(["tag", "env"])
 ALLOWED_MODETYPES = set(["text"]).union(ALLOWED_SCRIPTTYPES).union(
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3f3a440..274febb 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def rel_path(directory, new_root=""):
           'url': 'www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/jube',
           'download_url': 'www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/jube',
           'author_email': 'jube.jsc@fz-juelich.de',
-          'version': '2.5.0',
+          'version': '2.5.0rc1',
           'packages': ['jube2','jube2.result_types','jube2.util'],
           'package_data': {'jube2': ['help.txt']},
           'data_files': ([(os.path.join(SHARE_PATH, 'docu'),