diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 1f7526158b..e9b8e78edb 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     <property name="debuglevel" value="source,lines,vars"/>
 
     <!-- default version and SCM information -->
-    <property name="base.version" value="1.2.0-beta3"/>
+    <property name="base.version" value="1.2.0-rc1"/>
     <property name="scm.connection" value="scm:git://git.apache.org/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.developerConnection" value="scm:git://git.apache.org/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.url" value="http://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf?p=cassandra.git;a=tree"/>
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 3bb10aa74c..cfa1781131 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+cassandra (1.2.0~rc1) unstable; urgency=low
+
+  * New RC release
+
+ -- Sylvain Lebresne <slebresne@apache.org>  Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:09:08 +0100
+
 cassandra (1.2.0~beta3) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * New beta release