diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ac14ec0ccb2..433ea8d8b4e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ The latest stable SDK release can be retrieved from [Maven Central](https://sear
 ```gradle
 ext {
     versions = [
-        commercetools: "16.3.0"
+        commercetools: "16.4.0"
     ]
 }
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ dependencies {
 
 ```maven
 <properties>
-    <commercetools.version>16.3.0</commercetools.version>
+    <commercetools.version>16.4.0</commercetools.version>
 </properties>
 <dependencies>
     <dependency>
diff --git a/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml b/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml
index 326ef3064a7..5b7cf01b9c6 100644
--- a/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
         </plugins>
     </build>
     <properties>
-        <commercetools.version>16.4.0-SNAPSHOT</commercetools.version>
+        <commercetools.version>16.5.0-SNAPSHOT</commercetools.version>
     </properties>
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml b/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml
index 5f516f007af..2dc462aa341 100644
--- a/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
         </plugins>
     </build>
     <properties>
-        <commercetools.version>16.4.0-SNAPSHOT</commercetools.version>
+        <commercetools.version>16.5.0-SNAPSHOT</commercetools.version>
     </properties>
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle b/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle
index c871075ed1b..a6204963088 100644
--- a/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ repositories {
 
 ext {
     versions = [
-            commercetools: "16.4.0-SNAPSHOT",
+            commercetools: "16.5.0-SNAPSHOT",
             newrelic: "8.0.1"
     ]
 }
diff --git a/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle b/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle
index 684626fc595..25570b0ab8f 100644
--- a/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ repositories {
 
 ext {
     versions = [
-            commercetools: "16.4.0-SNAPSHOT",
+            commercetools: "16.5.0-SNAPSHOT",
     ]
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/spring/build.gradle b/examples/spring/build.gradle
index cf20855e2ec..850ff026f82 100644
--- a/examples/spring/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/spring/build.gradle
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ spotless {
 
 ext {
     versions = [
-        commercetools: "16.4.0-SNAPSHOT",
+        commercetools: "16.5.0-SNAPSHOT",
         newrelic: "7.7.0"
     ]
 }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 079880ad0d8..f1435488dcf 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#Fri Sep 29 10:22:48 UTC 2023
+#Tue Oct 10 10:09:35 UTC 2023
 kotlinVersion=1.5.30
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx2048m
-version=16.4.0-SNAPSHOT
+version=16.5.0-SNAPSHOT
diff --git a/reference.txt b/reference.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 229db6b87bd..00000000000
--- a/reference.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-587bcbd88d61bb33cc14e6cf42904cf8886c20ae