diff --git a/charts/fdb-operator/Chart.yaml b/charts/fdb-operator/Chart.yaml
index ebcdccf94..03bcd8a9d 100644
--- a/charts/fdb-operator/Chart.yaml
+++ b/charts/fdb-operator/Chart.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ version: 0.2.0
 
 # This is the version number of the application being deployed. This version number should be
 # incremented each time you make changes to the application.
-appVersion: v1.8.0
+appVersion: v1.8.1
 
 maintainers:
   - name: "foundationdb-ci"
diff --git a/charts/fdb-operator/values.yaml b/charts/fdb-operator/values.yaml
index 4bf3380e6..2f85c79dd 100644
--- a/charts/fdb-operator/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/fdb-operator/values.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 image:
   repository: foundationdb/fdb-kubernetes-operator
-  tag: v1.8.0
+  tag: v1.8.1
   pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 
 initContainers:
diff --git a/config/deployment/manager.yaml b/config/deployment/manager.yaml
index 4c108457f..91ceb66da 100644
--- a/config/deployment/manager.yaml
+++ b/config/deployment/manager.yaml
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ spec:
       containers:
       - command:
         - /manager
-        image: foundationdb/fdb-kubernetes-operator:v1.8.0
+        image: foundationdb/fdb-kubernetes-operator:v1.8.1
         name: manager
         env:
           - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/config/samples/deployment.yaml b/config/samples/deployment.yaml
index 9d52dc694..107928e2f 100644
--- a/config/samples/deployment.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/deployment.yaml
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ spec:
           valueFrom:
             fieldRef:
               fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-        image: foundationdb/fdb-kubernetes-operator:v1.8.0
+        image: foundationdb/fdb-kubernetes-operator:v1.8.1
         name: manager
         ports:
         - containerPort: 8080
diff --git a/docs/changelog/v1.8.1.md b/docs/changelog/v1.8.1.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c7b9d8b60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/v1.8.1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# v1.8.1
+
+## Changes
+
+### Operator
+
+- Make upgrades more reliable [#1283](https://github.com/FoundationDB/fdb-kubernetes-operator/pull/1283)
+- Unblock incompatible processes reconciler [#1306](https://github.com/FoundationDB/fdb-kubernetes-operator/pull/1306)
+- Ignore process groups if they have the sidecar unreachable condition in the bounce sub reconciler [#1313](https://github.com/FoundationDB/fdb-kubernetes-operator/pull/1313)
+- Correct error check for timeout [#1311](https://github.com/FoundationDB/fdb-kubernetes-operator/pull/1311)