diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 3ae857ef3..c9af0f368 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,22 @@
+Overview of changes leading to 1.9.0
+Monday, September 10, 2018
+====================================
+- Added 'cmap' API to hb_face_t.
+- Face-builder API.
+- hb-ot-font re-creation should be much leaner now, as the
+  font tables it uses are cached on hb_face_t now.
+- Internal source header file name changes:
+  hb-*-private.hh is renamed to hb-*.hh.
+
+New API:
++HB_UNICODE_MAX
++hb_face_collect_unicodes()
++hb_face_collect_variation_selectors()
++hb_face_collect_variation_unicodes()
++hb_face_builder_create()
++hb_face_builder_add_table()
+
+
 Overview of changes leading to 1.8.8
 Tuesday, August 14, 2018
 ====================================
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 55cc12b3f..1c6980871 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 AC_PREREQ([2.64])
 AC_INIT([HarfBuzz],
-        [1.8.8],
+        [1.9.0],
         [https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/issues/new],
         [harfbuzz],
         [http://harfbuzz.org/])
diff --git a/src/hb-face.cc b/src/hb-face.cc
index 2fb5a0a36..92c341523 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.cc
+++ b/src/hb-face.cc
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ hb_face_get_table_tags (const hb_face_t *face,
  * @face: font face.
  * @out: set to add Unicode characters covered by @face to.
  *
- * Since: REPLACEME
+ * Since: 1.9.0
  */
 void
 hb_face_collect_unicodes (hb_face_t *face,
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ hb_face_collect_unicodes (hb_face_t *face,
  *
  *
  *
- * Since: REPLACEME
+ * Since: 1.9.0
  */
 void
 hb_face_collect_variation_selectors (hb_face_t *face,
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ hb_face_collect_variation_selectors (hb_face_t *face,
  *
  *
  *
- * Since: REPLACEME
+ * Since: 1.9.0
  */
 void
 hb_face_collect_variation_unicodes (hb_face_t *face,
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ _hb_face_builder_reference_table (hb_face_t *face, hb_tag_t tag, void *user_data
  *
  * Return value: (transfer full) New face.
  *
- * Since: REPLACEME
+ * Since: 1.9.0
  **/
 hb_face_t *
 hb_face_builder_create (void)
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ hb_face_builder_create (void)
  * Add table for @tag with data provided by @blob to the face.  @face must
  * be created using hb_face_builder_create().
  *
- * Since: REPLACEME
+ * Since: 1.9.0
  **/
 hb_bool_t
 hb_face_builder_add_table (hb_face_t *face, hb_tag_t tag, hb_blob_t *blob)
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode.h b/src/hb-unicode.h
index 226c5d5c9..c8d87e4d1 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode.h
+++ b/src/hb-unicode.h
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 
+/**
+ * HB_UNICODE_MAX
+ *
+ * Since: 1.9.0
+ */
 #define HB_UNICODE_MAX 0x10FFFFu
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-version.h b/src/hb-version.h
index e0816d1e6..346495104 100644
--- a/src/hb-version.h
+++ b/src/hb-version.h
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 
 #define HB_VERSION_MAJOR 1
-#define HB_VERSION_MINOR 8
-#define HB_VERSION_MICRO 8
+#define HB_VERSION_MINOR 9
+#define HB_VERSION_MICRO 0
 
-#define HB_VERSION_STRING "1.8.8"
+#define HB_VERSION_STRING "1.9.0"
 
 #define HB_VERSION_ATLEAST(major,minor,micro) \
 	((major)*10000+(minor)*100+(micro) <= \