diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 031899f39..7981de32f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [2.9.0] - 2025-07-31
+
+### Features / Changes
+
+- repl: Add import-vcard and make-vcard commands ([#7048](https://github.com/chatmail/core/pull/7048)).
+
+### Fixes
+
+- Display correct timer value for ephemeral timer changes.
+- Get_chat_msgs_ex(): Report local midnight in ChatItem::DayMarker.
+
+### Refactor
+
+- Rename add_or_lookup_key_contacts_by_address_list() to add_or_lookup_key_contacts().
+- Don't call add_or_lookup_key_contacts() in advance.
+
 ## [2.8.0] - 2025-07-28
 
 ### Features / Changes
@@ -6561,3 +6577,4 @@ https://github.com/chatmail/core/pulls?q=is%3Apr+is%3Aclosed
 [2.6.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.5.0..v2.6.0
 [2.7.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.6.0..v2.7.0
 [2.8.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.7.0..v2.8.0
+[2.9.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.8.0..v2.9.0
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 6beef96a1..387d35d8a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1285,7 +1285,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-broadcast",
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-jsonrpc"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-channel 2.3.1",
@@ -1417,7 +1417,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-repl"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
@@ -1433,7 +1433,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-server"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
@@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat_ffi"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4007c64f3..88c38384d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 edition = "2024"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 rust-version = "1.85"
diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
index 74534ff12..fb5f0123b 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat_ffi"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 description = "Deltachat FFI"
 edition = "2018"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
index ff850c785..55f917c0c 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-jsonrpc"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 description = "DeltaChat JSON-RPC API"
 edition = "2021"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json
index 54f6764bc..b1274de98 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json
@@ -54,5 +54,5 @@
   },
   "type": "module",
   "types": "dist/deltachat.d.ts",
-  "version": "2.8.0"
+  "version": "2.9.0"
 }
diff --git a/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
index 9b3cffcbe..58eeb3394 100644
--- a/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-repl"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 edition = "2021"
 repository = "https://github.com/chatmail/core"
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml b/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml
index d6f4c5bda..2a00c7a85 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-client"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 description = "Python client for Delta Chat core JSON-RPC interface"
 classifiers = [
     "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
index 9904acec5..fb88dc53a 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-server"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 description = "DeltaChat JSON-RPC server"
 edition = "2021"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json b/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json
index 0ed3d196e..699eb34c8 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@
   },
   "type": "module",
   "types": "index.d.ts",
-  "version": "2.8.0"
+  "version": "2.9.0"
 }
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index 63f551190..5eec62243 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.8.0"
+version = "2.9.0"
 description = "Python bindings for the Delta Chat Core library using CFFI against the Rust-implemented libdeltachat"
 readme = "README.rst"
 requires-python = ">=3.8"
diff --git a/release-date.in b/release-date.in
index 73a681797..6502bf4a0 100644
--- a/release-date.in
+++ b/release-date.in
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2025-07-28
\ No newline at end of file
+2025-07-31
\ No newline at end of file