diff --git a/ANNOUNCEMENT b/ANNOUNCEMENT
index 8cad87d8b..bfd9ba618 100644
--- a/ANNOUNCEMENT
+++ b/ANNOUNCEMENT
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-Announcement of ECL v8.12.0
-===========================
+Announcement of ECL v9.4.0
+==========================
 
 ECL stands for Embeddable Common-Lisp. The ECL project aims to produce an
 implementation of the Common-Lisp language which complies to the ANSI X3J13
@@ -23,17 +23,17 @@ releases, a CVS tree and some useful documentation.
 Notes for this release
 ======================
 
-This release is the last one before a major redesign of ECL, which will affect
-issues like Unicode streams and handling of interrupts.
+This release is the first one with a new design of ECL, which includes changes
+in the way streams are implemented, support for full Unicode character set,
+safety against interrupts and serious performance improvements.
 
-This is also the first one to follow the new numbering scheme, inspired by that
-of Ubuntu. The release number follows the scheme year.month.[0-9], where the
-last digit marks the patch release. The numbering is now incorporated in the
-library names, so that different versions of ECL may coexit on the same system.
+Known issues:
+
++ Threads and Unicode currently do not work in the Windows port.
 
 
-Changes since 0.9l
-==================
+Changes since 8.12.0
+====================
 
 See file src/CHANGELOG or browse it online
 
diff --git a/msvc/Makefile b/msvc/Makefile
index 128bc967f..c03695002 100644
--- a/msvc/Makefile
+++ b/msvc/Makefile
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ srcdir	= ..\src
 
 SHORT_SITE_NAME   =
 LONG_SITE_NAME    =
-ECL_VERSION       = 9.3.0
-ECL_VERSION_NUMBER= 90300
+ECL_VERSION       = 9.4.0
+ECL_VERSION_NUMBER= 90400
 ARCHITECTURE      = PENTIUM4
 SOFTWARE_TYPE     = NT
 SOFTWARE_VERSION  = 5.0
diff --git a/src/CHANGELOG b/src/CHANGELOG
index d18e358aa..67e4bcf9d 100644
--- a/src/CHANGELOG
+++ b/src/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-ECL 9.3.0:
+ECL 9.4.0:
 ==========
 
 * Streams:
diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index 911709b65..6a6c295c2 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # From configure.in Revision.
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
-# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.63 for ecl 9.3.0.
+# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.63 for ecl 9.4.0.
 #
 # Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
 # 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -595,8 +595,8 @@ SHELL=${CONFIG_SHELL-/bin/sh}
 # Identity of this package.
 PACKAGE_NAME='ecl'
 PACKAGE_TARNAME='ecl'
-PACKAGE_VERSION='9.3.0'
-PACKAGE_STRING='ecl 9.3.0'
+PACKAGE_VERSION='9.4.0'
+PACKAGE_STRING='ecl 9.4.0'
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT=''
 
 ac_unique_file="bare.lsp.in"
@@ -1365,7 +1365,7 @@ if test "$ac_init_help" = "long"; then
   # Omit some internal or obsolete options to make the list less imposing.
   # This message is too long to be a string in the A/UX 3.1 sh.
   cat <<_ACEOF
-\`configure' configures ecl 9.3.0 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
+\`configure' configures ecl 9.4.0 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
 
 Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [VAR=VALUE]...
 
@@ -1434,7 +1434,7 @@ fi
 
 if test -n "$ac_init_help"; then
   case $ac_init_help in
-     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of ecl 9.3.0:";;
+     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of ecl 9.4.0:";;
    esac
   cat <<\_ACEOF
 
@@ -1582,7 +1582,7 @@ fi
 test -n "$ac_init_help" && exit $ac_status
 if $ac_init_version; then
   cat <<\_ACEOF
-ecl configure 9.3.0
+ecl configure 9.4.0
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.63
 
 Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
@@ -1596,7 +1596,7 @@ cat >config.log <<_ACEOF
 This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
 running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.
 
-It was created by ecl $as_me 9.3.0, which was
+It was created by ecl $as_me 9.4.0, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.63.  Invocation command line was
 
   $ $0 $@
@@ -13205,7 +13205,7 @@ exec 6>&1
 # report actual input values of CONFIG_FILES etc. instead of their
 # values after options handling.
 ac_log="
-This file was extended by ecl $as_me 9.3.0, which was
+This file was extended by ecl $as_me 9.4.0, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.63.  Invocation command line was
 
   CONFIG_FILES    = $CONFIG_FILES
@@ -13264,7 +13264,7 @@ Report bugs to <bug-autoconf@gnu.org>."
 _ACEOF
 cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 ac_cs_version="\\
-ecl config.status 9.3.0
+ecl config.status 9.4.0
 configured by $0, generated by GNU Autoconf 2.63,
   with options \\"`$as_echo "$ac_configure_args" | sed 's/^ //; s/[\\""\`\$]/\\\\&/g'`\\"
 
diff --git a/src/configure.in b/src/configure.in
index 2e3687e10..66485e5c6 100644
--- a/src/configure.in
+++ b/src/configure.in
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ dnl  AUTOCONF configuration for ECL
 dnl  Giuseppe Attardi 25.1.1994
 dnl
 
-AC_INIT([ecl],[9.3.0],[])
+AC_INIT([ecl],[9.4.0],[])
 AC_REVISION([$Revision$])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([bare.lsp.in])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([${srcdir}/gmp])
diff --git a/src/lsp/config.lsp.in b/src/lsp/config.lsp.in
index 125ce3f08..ee1a0d659 100644
--- a/src/lsp/config.lsp.in
+++ b/src/lsp/config.lsp.in
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Returns, as a string, the location of the machine on which ECL runs."
 (defun lisp-implementation-version ()
   "Args:()
 Returns the version of your ECL as a string."
-  "@PACKAGE_VERSION@ (CVS 2008-07-12 18:54)")
+  "@PACKAGE_VERSION@")
 
 (defun machine-type ()
   "Args: ()