diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/2.40.0.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.40.0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..669a03518b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.40.0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+Git v2.40 Release Notes
+=======================
+
+UI, Workflows & Features
+
+ * "merge-tree" learns a new `--merge-base` option.
+
+ * "git jump" (in contrib/) learned to present the "quickfix list" to
+   its standard output (instead of letting it consumed by the editor
+   it invokes), and learned to also drive emacs/emacsclient.
+
+ * "git var UNKNOWN_VARIABLE" and "git var VARIABLE" with the variable
+   given an empty value used to behave identically.  Now the latter
+   just gives an empty output, while the former still gives an error
+   message.
+
+
+Performance, Internal Implementation, Development Support etc.
+
+ * `git bisect` becomes a builtin.
+
+ * The pack-bitmap machinery is taught to log the paths of redundant
+   bitmap(s) to trace2 instead of stderr.
+
+
+
+Fixes since v2.39
+-----------------
+
+ * Various leak fixes.
+   (merge ac95f5d36a ab/various-leak-fixes later to maint).
+
+ * Fix a bug where `pack-objects` would not respect multiple `--filter`
+   arguments when invoked directly.
+   (merge d4f7036887 rs/multi-filter-args later to maint).
+
+ * Other code cleanup, docfix, build fix, etc.
diff --git a/GIT-VERSION-GEN b/GIT-VERSION-GEN
index b2580ab851..c4c2d3e022 100755
--- a/GIT-VERSION-GEN
+++ b/GIT-VERSION-GEN
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 GVF=GIT-VERSION-FILE
-DEF_VER=v2.39.0
+DEF_VER=v2.39.GIT
 
 LF='
 '
diff --git a/RelNotes b/RelNotes
index 758368388a..47807bf257 120000
--- a/RelNotes
+++ b/RelNotes
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Documentation/RelNotes/2.39.0.txt
\ No newline at end of file
+Documentation/RelNotes/2.40.0.txt
\ No newline at end of file