diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8cbdeb562..0a4011b45 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,26 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [2.39.0] - 2026-01-23
+
+### CI
+
+- Update Rust to 1.93.0.
+
+### Documentation
+
+- RELEASE.md: Push preparation commit to the main branch before tagging.
+- RELEASE.md: Add section about dealing with failed releases.
+
+### Fixes
+
+- Forward message with file ([#7755](https://github.com/chatmail/core/pull/7755)).
+- Do not additionally reduce the resolution of images that fit into the resolution-limit and are larger than the file-size-limit ([#7760](https://github.com/chatmail/core/pull/7760)).
+
+### Miscellaneous Tasks
+
+- Merge v2.38.0 into main branch.
+- Cleanup deprecated functions/defines ([#7763](https://github.com/chatmail/core/pull/7763)).
+
 ## [2.38.0] - 2026-01-22
 
 ### API-Changes
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 10b50f502..c11f26b6e 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "astral-tokio-tar",
@@ -1413,7 +1413,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-jsonrpc"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-channel 2.5.0",
@@ -1434,7 +1434,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-repl"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
@@ -1450,7 +1450,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-server"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
@@ -1479,7 +1479,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat_ffi"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 58a199a81..250b8dc36 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 edition = "2024"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 rust-version = "1.88"
diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
index 7e48419eb..329a076b8 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat_ffi"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 description = "Deltachat FFI"
 edition = "2018"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
index 3186386e7..2e8b216d8 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-jsonrpc"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 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 d453ce3e1..797ce73aa 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": "2.38.0"
+  "version": "2.39.0"
 }
diff --git a/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
index 6d18ff235..38dbd8abe 100644
--- a/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-repl"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 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 aed07f91d..7abc3db73 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 = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 description = "Python client for Delta Chat core JSON-RPC interface"
 classifiers = [
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
index a0a36977a..a976717ef 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-server"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 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 58592187b..ba790e304 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": "2.38.0"
+  "version": "2.39.0"
 }
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index 93d93ca28..13d51f852 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.38.0"
+version = "2.39.0"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 description = "Python bindings for the Delta Chat Core library using CFFI against the Rust-implemented libdeltachat"
 readme = "README.rst"
diff --git a/release-date.in b/release-date.in
index 8c7c1aa88..073b629b7 100644
--- a/release-date.in
+++ b/release-date.in
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2026-01-22
\ No newline at end of file
+2026-01-23
\ No newline at end of file