diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 30f2fa913b95..f0d3e0cbf2f4 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 	<property name="src" value="src/main/java" />
 	<property name="target" location="target" />
 	<property name="bin" location="${target}/main" />
-	<property name="version-base" value="4.9-RC1" />
+	<property name="version-base" value="4.9b1" />
 	<property name="version-status" value="" />
 	<property name="version" value="${version-base}${version-status}" />
 	<property name="dist" value="junit${version}" />
diff --git a/doc/ReleaseNotes4.9b1.html b/doc/ReleaseNotes4.9b1.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1dafa141ee1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/ReleaseNotes4.9b1.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Can't open /Users/saff/git-repos/cry-overconfident-headline/junit/doc/ReleaseNotes4.9b1.txt: No such file or directory at build/Markdown.pl line 218.
+Use of uninitialized value $text in substitution (s///) at build/Markdown.pl line 245.
+Use of uninitialized value $text in substitution (s///) at build/Markdown.pl line 246.
+
diff --git a/src/main/java/junit/runner/Version.java b/src/main/java/junit/runner/Version.java
index 3b73d30dde38..73c881526360 100644
--- a/src/main/java/junit/runner/Version.java
+++ b/src/main/java/junit/runner/Version.java
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ private Version() {
 	}
 
 	public static String id() {
-		return "4.9-RC1";
+		return "4.9b1";
 	}
 	
 	public static void main(String[] args) {