diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index e01027650..1bc678a4a 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,41 @@
 <!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0 -->
 <!-- Copyright Contributors to the Open Shading Language Project. -->
 
+Release 1.15 (Oct?? ??, 2026) -- compared to 1.15
+-------------------------------------------------------------
+
+### New minimum dependencies, toolchain, and compatibility changes:
+
+### ✏️  OSL Language, standard library, and oslc compiler (for shader writers):
+
+### ⛰️  API changes and new ShadingSystem features (for renderer writers):
+
+### ☀️  testshade/testrender/osltoy improvements
+
+### 🚀  SIMD batched shading mode
+
+### 🚀  OptiX GPU rendering
+
+### 🐛/🔧  Internals: fixes, improvements, and developer concerns
+
+### 🏗  Build/test/CI and platform ports
+* CMake build system and scripts:
+* Dependency version support:
+* Testing and Continuous integration (CI) systems:
+* Platform support:
+
+### 📚  Documentation
+
+### 🏢  Project Administration
+
+
+---
+
+---
+
+
+
+
 Release 1.15 (Dec ??, 2025) -- compared to 1.14
 -------------------------------------------------------------
 - Beta 1: Dec 8, 2025
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 933e1166e..17418d5b4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.19)
 
-set (OSL_VERSION "1.15.0.0")
+set (OSL_VERSION "1.16.0.0")
 set (OSL_VERSION_OVERRIDE "" CACHE STRING
      "Version override (use with caution)!")
 mark_as_advanced (OSL_VERSION_OVERRIDE)