diff --git a/docs/release-notes/version-2.9.md b/docs/release-notes/version-2.9.md
index e1ac9cb2a7c..da40da064b3 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes/version-2.9.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes/version-2.9.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # NetBox v2.9
 
-## v2.9.0 (FUTURE)
+## v2.9-beta1 (2020-07-23)
+
+**WARNING:** This is a beta release and is not suitable for production use. It is intended for development and evaluation purposes only. No upgrade path to the final v2.9 release will be provided from this beta, and users should assume that all data entered into the application will be lost. Please reference [the v2.9 beta documentation](https://netbox.readthedocs.io/en/develop-2.9/) for further information regarding this release.
 
 ### New Features
 
diff --git a/netbox/netbox/settings.py b/netbox/netbox/settings.py
index ee5b39a4732..20020767202 100644
--- a/netbox/netbox/settings.py
+++ b/netbox/netbox/settings.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from django.core.validators import URLValidator
 # Environment setup
 #
 
-VERSION = '2.9.0-dev'
+VERSION = '2.9-beta1'
 
 # Hostname
 HOSTNAME = platform.node()