diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index edd30d46172..e4ef8ac234d 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ This file contains the main features as well as overviews of specific
 bug fixes (and other actions) for each version of Libfabric since
 version 1.0.
 
-v1.5.3, Fri Dec 15, 2017
+v1.5.3, Wed Dec 20, 2017
 ========================
 
 ## Core
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 920f5ff790b..67fa784e7b9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ dnl
 dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 AC_PREREQ([2.60])
-AC_INIT([libfabric], [1.5.3rc1], [ofiwg@lists.openfabrics.org])
+AC_INIT([libfabric], [1.5.3], [ofiwg@lists.openfabrics.org])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/fabric.c])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(config)
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR(config)