diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 3ba8da2a80..9b4a122e6c 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ OpenSSL Releases
 OpenSSL 3.0
 -----------
 
-### Changes between 1.1.1 and 3.0 alpha 15 [22 Apr 2021]
+### Changes between 1.1.1 and 3.0 [xx XXX xxxx]
 
  * The default manual page suffix ($MANSUFFIX) has been changed to "ossl"
 
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index f697a2daa3..c5811b9bde 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 alpha 15 [in pre-release]
+### Major changes between OpenSSL 1.1.1 and OpenSSL 3.0 [under development]
 
   * Added suport for Kernel TLS (KTLS)
   * Changed the license to the Apache License v2.0.
diff --git a/VERSION.dat b/VERSION.dat
index 2b9af9615a..2e16aa375b 100644
--- a/VERSION.dat
+++ b/VERSION.dat
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 MAJOR=3
 MINOR=0
 PATCH=0
-PRE_RELEASE_TAG=alpha15
+PRE_RELEASE_TAG=alpha16-dev
 BUILD_METADATA=
-RELEASE_DATE="22 Apr 2021"
+RELEASE_DATE=""
 SHLIB_VERSION=3