diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index f7fda9382af..c21a61c54a8 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -3,6 +3,38 @@ repositories (changes that are automatically handled by the format upgrade tools
 are not marked). Those prefixed with "(+)" are new command/option (since
 2.1.0~alpha2).
 
+2.2.0~beta1:
+* (*) Check and advertise to use Git for Windows [#5718 @rjbou - fix #5617]
+  * (+) Add the `--git-location` and `--no-git-location` arguments
+  * (+) Add a new `git-location` option on Windows
+* (*) When compiling opam on Windows with MinGW, the resulting opam binary now
+  contains libstdc++ instead of requiring the DLL to be distributed alongside
+  it or present in the environment [#5680 @kit-ty-kate - fixes #5647]
+  * (*) Add ./configure --enable-static to compile the opam binary statically
+    on Linux
+* Fix `opam env` containing carriage return on Cygwin
+  [#5715 @dra27 @rjbou @kit-ty-kate - fix #5684]
+  * Remove stray comments from pwsh and cmd env
+* Fix debug logs showing up regardless of verbosity on
+  macOS 12.7.1 / 13.6.3 / 14.2 and FreeBSD [#5769 @kit-ty-kate]
+  * Upgrade to, and require mccs >= 1.1+17
+* Fix `opam tree --dev` [#5687 @rjbou - fix #5675]
+* Fix `opam tree --no-switch`. Instead of emptying the current switch from its
+  installed packages, it load a fresh virtual switch [#5687 @rjbou - fix #5675]
+* Display a more precise message when Ctrl-C'ing during an opam switch creation
+  ("Switch left partially installed") [#5713 @rjbou - fix #5710]
+* Improve and fix the release scripts (already used for 2.2.0~alpha3)
+  * Workaround incorrect `NGROUPS_MAX` in `<limits.h>` in musl for release
+    builds [#5383 @dra27]
+  * Fix check for adding `-lsha_stubs` only on `master` on OpenBSD
+    [#5733 @punchagan]
+* Improve the documentation [#5775 lukstafi]
+* Improve and extend the tests [#5687 #5742 @rjbou]
+* Improve the test infrastructure [#5723 @dra27]
+* API changes:
+  * `OpamSystem.apply_cygpath`: runs `cygpath` over the argument
+    [#5723 @dra27 - function itself added in #3348]
+
 2.2.0~alpha3:
 * Add `x-env-path-rewrite` extensions field to specify the rewriting rules for
   environment variables defined in `setenv` and `build-env`, useful for
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d094416fb00..e68d52eff57 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
-# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.71 for opam 2.2.0~alpha4~dev.
+# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.71 for opam 2.2.0~beta1.
 #
 #
 # Copyright (C) 1992-1996, 1998-2017, 2020-2021 Free Software Foundation,
@@ -609,8 +609,8 @@ MAKEFLAGS=
 # Identity of this package.
 PACKAGE_NAME='opam'
 PACKAGE_TARNAME='opam'
-PACKAGE_VERSION='2.2.0~alpha4~dev'
-PACKAGE_STRING='opam 2.2.0~alpha4~dev'
+PACKAGE_VERSION='2.2.0~beta1'
+PACKAGE_STRING='opam 2.2.0~beta1'
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT=''
 PACKAGE_URL=''
 
@@ -1335,7 +1335,7 @@ 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 opam 2.2.0~alpha4~dev to adapt to many kinds of systems.
+\`configure' configures opam 2.2.0~beta1 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
 
 Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [VAR=VALUE]...
 
@@ -1397,7 +1397,7 @@ fi
 
 if test -n "$ac_init_help"; then
   case $ac_init_help in
-     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of opam 2.2.0~alpha4~dev:";;
+     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of opam 2.2.0~beta1:";;
    esac
   cat <<\_ACEOF
 
@@ -1514,7 +1514,7 @@ fi
 test -n "$ac_init_help" && exit $ac_status
 if $ac_init_version; then
   cat <<\_ACEOF
-opam configure 2.2.0~alpha4~dev
+opam configure 2.2.0~beta1
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.71
 
 Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -1711,7 +1711,7 @@ 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 opam $as_me 2.2.0~alpha4~dev, which was
+It was created by opam $as_me 2.2.0~beta1, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.71.  Invocation command line was
 
   $ $0$ac_configure_args_raw
@@ -7941,7 +7941,7 @@ cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<\_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 # report actual input values of CONFIG_FILES etc. instead of their
 # values after options handling.
 ac_log="
-This file was extended by opam $as_me 2.2.0~alpha4~dev, which was
+This file was extended by opam $as_me 2.2.0~beta1, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.71.  Invocation command line was
 
   CONFIG_FILES    = $CONFIG_FILES
@@ -7996,7 +7996,7 @@ ac_cs_config_escaped=`printf "%s\n" "$ac_cs_config" | sed "s/^ //; s/'/'\\\\\\\\
 cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 ac_cs_config='$ac_cs_config_escaped'
 ac_cs_version="\\
-opam config.status 2.2.0~alpha4~dev
+opam config.status 2.2.0~beta1
 configured by $0, generated by GNU Autoconf 2.71,
   with options \\"\$ac_cs_config\\"
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 01beda32059..6f30c58867a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 dnl The line below must be formatted AC_INIT([opam],[VERSION]) with no extra spaces
-AC_INIT([opam],[2.2.0~alpha4~dev])
+AC_INIT([opam],[2.2.0~beta1])
 AC_COPYRIGHT(Copyright 2012-2019 OcamlPro SAS)
 
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
diff --git a/master_changes.md b/master_changes.md
index c889b63c5e7..3585f9ba4bb 100644
--- a/master_changes.md
+++ b/master_changes.md
@@ -11,15 +11,12 @@ moved, etc.), please update the _API updates_ part (it helps opam library
 users)
 
 ## Version
-  * Bump version to 2.2.0~alpha4~dev [#5732 @kit-ty-kate]
 
 ## Global CLI
 
 ## Plugins
 
 ## Init
-  * Check and advertise to use Git for Windows [#5718 @rjbou - fix #5617]
-  * Add the `--git-location` and `--no-git-location` arguments [#5718 @rjbou]
 
 ## Config report
 
@@ -30,7 +27,6 @@ users)
 ## Remove
 
 ## Switch
-  * Precise message for Ctrl-c-ed opam switch creation "Switch left partially installed" [#5713 @rjbou - fix #5710]
 
 ## Config
 
@@ -41,13 +37,10 @@ users)
 ## Show
 
 ## Var/Option
-  * Add a new git-location option on Windows [#5718 @rjbou]
 
 ## Update / Upgrade
 
 ## Tree
-  * Fix `--dev` option, force dev dependencies when option is given [#5687 @rjbou - fix #5675]
-  * Fix `--no-switch` option, instead of emptying switch from it installed packages, load a virtual switch at the beginning when `--no-switch` is given [#5687 @rjbou - fix #5675]
 
 ## Exec
 
@@ -62,8 +55,6 @@ users)
 ## Clean
 
 ## Env
-  * Fix `opam env` containing carriage return on Cygwin [#5715 @dra27 @rjbou @kit-ty-kate - fix #5684]
-  * Remove stray comments from pwsh and cmd env [#5715 @dra27]
 
 ## Opamfile
 
@@ -76,15 +67,10 @@ users)
 ## VCS
 
 ## Build
-  * Vendor mccs.1.1+17 [#5769 @kit-ty-kate]
-  * Require mccs >= 1.1+17 [#5769 @kit-ty-kate]
-  * Add ./configure --enable-static to compile the opam binary statically [#5680 @kit-ty-kate - fixes #5647]
 
 ## Infrastructure
 
 ## Release scripts
-  * Workaround incorrect `NGROUPS_MAX` in `<limits.h>` in musl for release builds [#5383 @dra27]
-  * Fix check for adding `-lsha_stubs` only on `master` on OpenBSD [#5733 @punchagan]
 
 ## Admin
 
@@ -95,7 +81,6 @@ users)
 ## Opam file format
 
 ## Solver
-  * Fix debug logs showing up regardless of verbosity on macOS 12.7.1 / 13.6.3 / 14.2 and FreeBSD [#5769 @kit-ty-kate]
 
 ## Client
 
diff --git a/opam-client.opam b/opam-client.opam
index 8a50955c9f1..31788c7d889 100644
--- a/opam-client.opam
+++ b/opam-client.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Client library for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 Actions on the opam root, switches, installations, and front-end.
diff --git a/opam-core.opam b/opam-core.opam
index f95eb8df384..ea785ce28a3 100644
--- a/opam-core.opam
+++ b/opam-core.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Core library for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 Small standard library extensions, and generic system interaction modules used by opam.
diff --git a/opam-devel.opam b/opam-devel.opam
index 6286a5b92b1..cdb4e61b6e5 100644
--- a/opam-devel.opam
+++ b/opam-devel.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Bootstrapped development binary for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 This package compiles (bootstraps) opam. For consistency and safety of the installation, the binaries are not installed into the PATH, but into lib/opam-devel, from where the user can manually install them system-wide.
diff --git a/opam-format.opam b/opam-format.opam
index 06ce8312620..7f98bfcda2d 100644
--- a/opam-format.opam
+++ b/opam-format.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Format library for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 Definition of opam datastructures and its file interface.
diff --git a/opam-installer.opam b/opam-installer.opam
index a916d859b1a..faa01f966fa 100644
--- a/opam-installer.opam
+++ b/opam-installer.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Installation of files to a prefix, following opam conventions"
 description: """
 opam-installer is a small tool that can read *.install files, as defined by opam [1], and execute them to install or remove package files without going through opam.
diff --git a/opam-repository.opam b/opam-repository.opam
index ed0003646a4..50544d51534 100644
--- a/opam-repository.opam
+++ b/opam-repository.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Repository library for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 This library includes repository and remote sources handling, including curl/wget, rsync, git, mercurial, darcs backends.
diff --git a/opam-solver.opam b/opam-solver.opam
index 1152133d764..6a444ab595a 100644
--- a/opam-solver.opam
+++ b/opam-solver.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Solver library for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 Solver and Cudf interaction. This library is based on the Cudf and Dose libraries, and handles calls to the external solver from opam.
diff --git a/opam-state.opam b/opam-state.opam
index 503d202db3f..20ebd522926 100644
--- a/opam-state.opam
+++ b/opam-state.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "State library for opam 2.2"
 description: """
 Handling of the ~/.opam hierarchy, repository and switch states.
diff --git a/opam.opam b/opam.opam
index 73e8eaa1cf0..3281d51a3d3 100644
--- a/opam.opam
+++ b/opam.opam
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 opam-version: "2.0"
-version: "2.2.0~alpha4~dev"
+version: "2.2.0~beta1"
 synopsis: "Meta-package for Dune"
 maintainer: "opam-devel@lists.ocaml.org"
 authors: [