diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 2b0a34526b..932c18a6c8 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     <property name="debuglevel" value="source,lines,vars"/>
 
     <!-- default version and SCM information -->
-    <property name="base.version" value="4.0-rc1"/>
+    <property name="base.version" value="4.0-rc2"/>
     <property name="scm.connection" value="scm:https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.developerConnection" value="scm:https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.url" value="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf?p=cassandra.git;a=tree"/>
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index bde2f1e8e1..b19e982dda 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+cassandra (4.0~rc2) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
+
+  * New release
+
+ -- Mick Semb Wever <mck@apache.org>  Wed, 21 Apr 2021 19:24:28 +0200
+
 cassandra (4.0~rc1) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   * New release