diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index c544200689c38abf555a67276d6d3922eb46ba0d..9020358f083099a2f5830f7fe80f14b44054b511 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-RELEASE 5.3.alpha-svn
+RELEASE 5.4.alpha
diff --git a/lib/bootstrap.php b/lib/bootstrap.php
index d1d84b111418558458eb6fc7a18df53bf4c58793..e286e933ec315667a43c0011855f8cc3e02a0f2b 100644
--- a/lib/bootstrap.php
+++ b/lib/bootstrap.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 const DEFAULT_ENV = 'production';
 
 //software version - please leave it as it is!
-$SOFTWARE_VERSION = '5.3.alpha-svn';
+$SOFTWARE_VERSION = '5.4.alpha';
 
 // Store startup time
 $STUDIP_STARTUP_TIME = microtime(true);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8eb785fec7f7c9915485e91585f73718033896f4..bdd38654e7643a898e91c378fde86cdcc8424055 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "@studip/core",
-    "version": "5.0.0",
+    "version": "5.4.0",
     "description": "Stud.IP",
     "private": true,
     "scripts": {