diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8dbbddc18cb..88d5c86567b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
-## [0.4.0a1](https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-core/tree/0.4.0a1) (2025-01-29)
+## [0.5.0a1](https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-core/tree/0.5.0a1) (2025-01-31)
 
-[Full Changelog](https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-core/compare/0.3.8...0.4.0a1)
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-core/compare/0.4.0...0.5.0a1)
 
 **Merged pull requests:**
 
-- feat:multilang\_match [\#646](https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-core/pull/646) ([JarbasAl](https://github.com/JarbasAl))
+- feat:persona pipeline [\#648](https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-core/pull/648) ([JarbasAl](https://github.com/JarbasAl))
 
 
 
diff --git a/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py b/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py
index 92e8060694a..8c719495f13 100644
--- a/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py
+++ b/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 from ovos_utils.log import LOG, log_deprecation, deprecated
 from ovos_utils.metrics import Stopwatch
 from padacioso.opm import PadaciosoPipeline as PadaciosoService
+from ovos_persona import PersonaService
 import warnings
 
 
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ def _load_pipeline_plugins(self):
         self._common_qa = CommonQAService(self.bus, self.config.get("common_query"))
         self._stop = StopService(self.bus)
         self._ocp = OCPPipelineMatcher(self.bus, config=self.config.get("OCP", {}))
+        self._persona = PersonaService(self.bus, config=self.config.get("persona", {}))
 
     def update_skill_name_dict(self, message):
         """Messagebus handler, updates dict of id to skill name conversions."""
@@ -203,7 +205,9 @@ def get_pipeline(self, skips=None, session=None) -> Tuple[str, Callable]:
             "adapt_medium": self._adapt_service.match_medium,
             "fallback_medium": self._fallback.medium_prio,
             "adapt_low": self._adapt_service.match_low,
-            "fallback_low": self._fallback.low_prio
+            "fallback_low": self._fallback.low_prio,
+            "ovos-persona-pipeline-plugin-high": self._persona.match_high,
+            "ovos-persona-pipeline-plugin-low": self._persona.match_low
         }
         if self._padacioso_service is not None:
             matchers.update({
@@ -270,28 +274,28 @@ def _handle_deactivate(self, message):
     def _emit_match_message(self, match: Union[IntentHandlerMatch, PipelineMatch], message: Message, lang: str):
         """
         Emit a reply message for a matched intent, updating session and skill activation.
-        
+
         This method processes matched intents from either a pipeline matcher or an intent handler,
         creating a reply message with matched intent details and managing skill activation.
-        
+
         Args:
             match (Union[IntentHandlerMatch, PipelineMatch]): The matched intent object containing
                 utterance and matching information.
             message (Message): The original messagebus message that triggered the intent match.
             lang (str): The language of the pipeline plugin match
-        
+
         Details:
             - Handles two types of matches: PipelineMatch and IntentHandlerMatch
             - Creates a reply message with matched intent data
             - Activates the corresponding skill if not previously deactivated
             - Updates session information
             - Emits the reply message on the messagebus
-        
+
         Side Effects:
             - Modifies session state
             - Emits a messagebus event
             - Can trigger skill activation events
-        
+
         Returns:
             None
         """
diff --git a/ovos_core/version.py b/ovos_core/version.py
index d9f84775bc2..eb8b1f66024 100644
--- a/ovos_core/version.py
+++ b/ovos_core/version.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # START_VERSION_BLOCK
 VERSION_MAJOR = 0
-VERSION_MINOR = 4
+VERSION_MINOR = 5
 VERSION_BUILD = 0
-VERSION_ALPHA = 0
+VERSION_ALPHA = 1
 # END_VERSION_BLOCK
 
 # for compat with old imports
diff --git a/requirements/requirements.txt b/requirements/requirements.txt
index f2170d3750d..cbe30a2a348 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ padacioso>=1.0.0, <2.0.0
 ovos-adapt-parser>=1.0.5, <2.0.0
 ovos_ocp_pipeline_plugin>=1.0.10, <2.0.0
 ovos-common-query-pipeline-plugin>=1.0.5, <2.0.0
+ovos-persona>=0.4.4,<1.0.0
 
 ovos-utils[extras]>=0.6.0,<1.0.0
 ovos_bus_client>=0.1.4,<2.0.0