diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e65205c..ef11d6a 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 News (mainly features/major bug fixes)
 
-portage-next
+portage-2.3.53
 --------------
 * Renamed PORT_LOGDIR and PORT_LOGDIR_CLEAN variables to
   PORTAGE_LOGDIR and PORTAGE_LOGDIR_CLEAN to match other existing
   similar variables
+* Enable FEATURES={ipc,network,pid}-sandbox by default
 
 portage-2.3.42
 ----------------
diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES b/RELEASE-NOTES
index 87309e3..a8634fe 100644
--- a/RELEASE-NOTES
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES
@@ -1,6 +1,18 @@
 Release Notes; upgrade information mainly.
 Features/major bugfixes are listed in NEWS
 
+portage-2.3.53
+==================================
+* Bug Fixes:
+    - Bug 585986 prepend EPREFIX PATH, omit host PATH by default
+    - Bug 668538 add PORTAGE_LOGDIR alias for PORT_LOGDIR
+    - Bug 669496 drop privileges for git merge
+    - Bug 671472 compat_corouting save throw return
+    - Bug 671824 EBUILD_PHASES: add instprep
+    - Bug 672440 portage.process.spawn default env to os.environ
+    - Bug 673224 ExtractKernelVersion ParseError
+
+
 portage-2.3.52
 ==================================
 * Bug Fixes:
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b0bc514..839cb1c 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@
 
 setup(
 	name = 'portage',
-	version = '2.3.52',
+	version = '2.3.53',
 	url = 'https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Portage',
 	author = 'Gentoo Portage Development Team',
 	author_email = 'dev-portage@gentoo.org',