diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8bca56aa..780a662c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -253,8 +253,8 @@ See the [main Jackson contribution guidelines](https://github.com/FasterXML/jack
 
 If you are going to write code, choose the appropriate base branch:
 
-- `2.16` for bugfixes against the current stable version
-- `2.17` for additive functionality & features or [minor](https://semver.org), backwards compatible changes to existing behavior to be included in the next minor version release
+- `2.17` for bugfixes against the current stable version
+- `2.18` for additive functionality & features or [minor](https://semver.org), backwards compatible changes to existing behavior to be included in the next minor version release
 - `master` for significant changes to existing behavior, which will be part of Jackson 3.0
 
 ### Failing tests
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 659a1784..8087088d 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
         <connection>scm:git:git@github.com:FasterXML/jackson-module-kotlin.git</connection>
         <developerConnection>scm:git:git@github.com:FasterXML/jackson-module-kotlin.git</developerConnection>
         <url>https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-module-kotlin</url>
-        <tag>jackson-module-kotlin-2.17.1</tag>
+        <tag>jackson-module-kotlin-2.18.0-rc1</tag>
     </scm>
 
     <properties>