diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 580ab03..dd81d27 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 endif()
 
 set(POPPLER_MAJOR_VERSION "0")
-set(POPPLER_MINOR_VERSION "43")
+set(POPPLER_MINOR_VERSION "44")
 set(POPPLER_MICRO_VERSION "0")
 set(POPPLER_VERSION "${POPPLER_MAJOR_VERSION}.${POPPLER_MINOR_VERSION}.${POPPLER_MICRO_VERSION}")
 
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@
 else(MSVC)
 add_library(poppler SHARED ${poppler_SRCS})
 endif(MSVC)
-set_target_properties(poppler PROPERTIES VERSION 60.0.0 SOVERSION 60)
+set_target_properties(poppler PROPERTIES VERSION 61.0.0 SOVERSION 61)
 target_link_libraries(poppler LINK_PRIVATE ${poppler_LIBS})
 install(TARGETS poppler RUNTIME DESTINATION bin LIBRARY DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX} ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX})
 
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 437a1c6..558efd8 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
+Release 0.44.0
+        core:
+         * Fix Compile in 32bit linux. Bug #95492
+         * Splash: type 3 chars. restore the current position also in output device. Bug #95344
+         * Splash: Improve rendering of some dotted lines. Bug #84693
+         * Refactor GooString::Set(). Bug #94201
+         * Fix typo in GfxPatchMeshShading::parse
+         * Fix memory leak in PSOutputDev::filterPSLabel
+         * Fix memory leak in SignatureHandler::getDefaultFirefoxCertDB_Linux
+         * Fix potential crash in SplashOutputDev::doUpdateFont
+         * Fix potential crash in TextPage::coalesce
+         * Remove call that does nothing
+
+        utils:
+         * pdftocairo: add -antialias option. Bug #94977
+
 Release 0.43.0
         core:
          * Implement sanity check for linearization usage. Bug #92482
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 72ea87d..8ff8ea5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 m4_define([poppler_version_major],[0])
-m4_define([poppler_version_minor],[43])
+m4_define([poppler_version_minor],[44])
 m4_define([poppler_version_micro],[0])
 m4_define([poppler_version],[poppler_version_major.poppler_version_minor.poppler_version_micro])
 
diff --git a/cpp/Doxyfile b/cpp/Doxyfile
index 88075af..8c65d6c 100644
--- a/cpp/Doxyfile
+++ b/cpp/Doxyfile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # This could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or
 # if some version control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 0.43.0
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 0.44.0
 
 # The OUTPUT_DIRECTORY tag is used to specify the (relative or absolute)
 # base path where the generated documentation will be put.
diff --git a/poppler/Makefile.am b/poppler/Makefile.am
index da15c8b..3eef543 100644
--- a/poppler/Makefile.am
+++ b/poppler/Makefile.am
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@
 	$(win32_libs)
 
 libpoppler_la_LDFLAGS =				\
-	-version-info 60:0:0			\
+	-version-info 61:0:0			\
 	@create_shared_lib@			\
 	@auto_import_flags@
 
diff --git a/qt4/src/Doxyfile b/qt4/src/Doxyfile
index 4d4f96b..ffbaec3 100644
--- a/qt4/src/Doxyfile
+++ b/qt4/src/Doxyfile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # This could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or
 # if some version control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 0.43.0
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 0.44.0
 
 # The OUTPUT_DIRECTORY tag is used to specify the (relative or absolute)
 # base path where the generated documentation will be put.
diff --git a/qt5/src/Doxyfile b/qt5/src/Doxyfile
index d2a9170..82d412c 100644
--- a/qt5/src/Doxyfile
+++ b/qt5/src/Doxyfile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # This could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or
 # if some version control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 0.43.0
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 0.44.0
 
 # The OUTPUT_DIRECTORY tag is used to specify the (relative or absolute)
 # base path where the generated documentation will be put.