diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 3a267d6c25..6b72bd771f 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ OpenSSL Releases
 OpenSSL 3.0
 -----------
 
-### Changes between 1.1.1 and 3.0 [xx XXX xxxx]
+### Changes between 1.1.1 and 3.0 alpha 5 [16 Jul 2020]
 
  * Deprecated the `ENGINE` API.  Engines should be replaced with providers
    going forward.
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index ed99e8cd00..8796092fe5 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ OpenSSL Releases
 OpenSSL 3.0
 -----------
 
-### Major changes between OpenSSL 1.1.1 and OpenSSL 3.0 [under development]
+### Major changes between OpenSSL 1.1.1 and OpenSSL 3.0 alpha 5 [in pre-release]
 
   * Deprecated the `ENGINE` API.
   * Added `OPENSSL_CTX`, a libcrypto library context.
diff --git a/VERSION.dat b/VERSION.dat
index 2ba82bbc93..a015897f03 100644
--- a/VERSION.dat
+++ b/VERSION.dat
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 MAJOR=3
 MINOR=0
 PATCH=0
-PRE_RELEASE_TAG=alpha5-dev
+PRE_RELEASE_TAG=alpha5
 BUILD_METADATA=
-RELEASE_DATE=""
+RELEASE_DATE="16 Jul 2020"
 SHLIB_VERSION=3