diff --git a/DOCKER.md b/DOCKER.md
index c3d27c185a..3f321b48d5 100644
--- a/DOCKER.md
+++ b/DOCKER.md
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 
 Run the official iotaledger/iri container, passing the mandatory -p option:
 
-```docker run iotaledger/iri:v1.5.4 -p 14265```
+```docker run iotaledger/iri:v1.5.5-RC -p 14265```
 
 This will get your a running IRI with its API listening on port 14265, no neighbours and an empty database. The IRI Docker container by default expects data at /iri/data. Use the `-v` option of the `docker run` command to mount volumes so to have persistent data. You can also pass more command line options to the docker run command and those will be passed to IRI.
 
 If you want to use a iri.ini file with the docker container, supposing it's stored under /path/to/conf/iri.ini on your docker host, then pass `-v /path/to/conf:/iri/conf` and add -c /iri/conf/iri.ini as docker run arguments. So for example the `docker run` command above would become:
 
-```docker run -v /path/to/conf:/iri/conf -v /path/to/data:/iri/data iotaledger/iri:v1.5.4 -p 14265 -c /iri/conf/iri.ini```
+```docker run -v /path/to/conf:/iri/conf -v /path/to/data:/iri/data iotaledger/iri:v1.5.5-RC -p 14265 -c /iri/conf/iri.ini```
 
 Please refer to the IRI documentation for further command line options and iri.ini options.
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ ExecStart=/usr/bin/docker run \
 -p 14265:14265 \
 -p 15600:15600 \
 -p 14600:14600/udp  \
-iotaledger/iri:v1.5.4 \
+iotaledger/iri:v1.5.5-RC \
 -p 14265 \
 --zmq-enabled \
 --testnet
diff --git a/changelog.txt b/changelog.txt
index 572153392f..664f2020f7 100644
--- a/changelog.txt
+++ b/changelog.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+1.5.5
+    - Javadoc on API command methods (#943)
+    - Parse case insensitive boolean text (#966)
+    - re-enable `--remote` flag - opens API interface to all hosts (#953)
+    - fix generics in RocksDbPersistenceProvider (#956)
+    - Fix milestone start index default value (#941)
+    - Enable batch deletion in rocksDB (#939)
+    - Refactor Configuration (#910)
+    - Some TransactionValidator fixes regarding solidity (#913)
+    - Remove checkSolidity mocks (#908)
+    - Fix: TransactionValidator instance based / TransactionRequester fixed (#914)
+    - Changed Dockerfile to source java and maven from precompiled docker containers. (#929)
+    - Fix grammar in API responses (#884)
+    - Fix error in log statement (#829)
+    - Move sleep inside spawnSolidTransactionsPropagation loop (#911)
+    - Fix solidity propagation from bottom to top (#907)
+
 1.5.4
    - Update snapshot to 2018-09-17 17:00 UTC (#989)
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 6c91112581..4335f5e8d9 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
     <groupId>com.iota</groupId>
     <artifactId>iri</artifactId>
-    <version>1.5.4</version>
+    <version>1.5.5_RC</version>
 
     <name>IRI</name>
     <description>IOTA Reference Implementation</description>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/iota/iri/IRI.java b/src/main/java/com/iota/iri/IRI.java
index ff7d00e315..77adddfd13 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/iota/iri/IRI.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/iota/iri/IRI.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public class IRI {
 
     public static final String MAINNET_NAME = "IRI";
     public static final String TESTNET_NAME = "IRI Testnet";
-    public static final String VERSION = "1.5.4";
+    public static final String VERSION = "1.5.5_RC";
 
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
         // Logging is configured first before any references to Logger or LoggerFactory.