diff --git a/curator/_version.py b/curator/_version.py
index 1ab2c18b..ba6c074b 100644
--- a/curator/_version.py
+++ b/curator/_version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-__version__ = '5.3.0.dev1'
+__version__ = '5.3.0.alpha1'
 
diff --git a/docs/Changelog.rst b/docs/Changelog.rst
index fe0f474b..47be7af3 100644
--- a/docs/Changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/Changelog.rst
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 Changelog
 =========
 
-5.3.0 (? ? ?)
--------------
+5.3.0.alpha1 (25 October 2017)
+------------------------------
 
 **New Features**
 
diff --git a/docs/asciidoc/index.asciidoc b/docs/asciidoc/index.asciidoc
index cd710622..086acf10 100644
--- a/docs/asciidoc/index.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/asciidoc/index.asciidoc
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-:curator_version: 5.3.0.dev1
+:curator_version: 5.3.0.alpha1
 :curator_major: 5
 :curator_doc_tree: 5.3
 :es_py_version: 5.4.0
 :es_doc_tree: 5.6
-:pybuild_ver: 3.6.2
+:pybuild_ver: 3.6.3
 :ref:  http://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/{es_doc_tree}
 
 [[curator-reference]]