diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index dc3bbfc9..09cc930d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+Noteworthy changes in version 1.6.0 (unreleased) [C__/A__/R_]
+------------------------------------------------
+
+
 Noteworthy changes in version 1.5.4 (2015-04-13) [C24/A13/R3]
 ------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 298a22bf..2f477195 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ min_automake_version="1.14"
 # commit and push so that the git magic is able to work.  See below
 # for the LT versions.
 m4_define(mym4_version_major, [1])
-m4_define(mym4_version_minor, [5])
-m4_define(mym4_version_micro, [4])
+m4_define(mym4_version_minor, [6])
+m4_define(mym4_version_micro, [0])
 
 # Below is m4 magic to extract and compute the revision number, the
 # decimalized short revision number, a beta version string, and a flag