diff --git a/.version b/.version
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9268dae24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.8.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 586287a9c8..6a22d24f0e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ project(libpmemobj-cpp C CXX)
 set(VERSION_MAJOR 1)
 set(VERSION_MINOR 8)
 set(VERSION_PATCH 1)
-set(VERSION_PRERELEASE rc1)
+#set(VERSION_PRERELEASE rc1)
 
 set(VERSION ${VERSION_MAJOR}.${VERSION_MINOR})
 if (VERSION_PATCH GREATER 0)
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 200ae49f5d..e973cd5b1c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 Fri Jan 24 2020 Szymon Romik <szymon.romik@intel.com>
 
-	* Version 1.8.1-rc1
+	* Version 1.8.1
 
 	This release fixes minor bugs.
 
-	Notable change:
+	Notable changes:
 	- fix compilation error in concurrent_hash_map
 	- fix possible deadlock in erase method in concurrent_hash_map