diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f97c30029..7ebaca2a1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #  initialize & set some vars
 # ============================
 
-AC_INIT([strongSwan],[5.9.9rc1])
+AC_INIT([strongSwan],[5.9.9rc2])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(m4_esyscmd([
 	echo tar-ustar
 	echo subdir-objects
diff --git a/testing/testing.conf b/testing/testing.conf
index 75ebfaf7f..cfdb38266 100644
--- a/testing/testing.conf
+++ b/testing/testing.conf
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ fi
 : ${KERNELVERSION=6.1.1}
 : ${KERNEL=linux-$KERNELVERSION}
 : ${KERNELTARBALL=$KERNEL.tar.xz}
-: ${KERNELCONFIG=$DIR/../config/kernel/config-6.0}
-: ${KERNELPATCH=ha-5.15-abicompat.patch.bz2}
+: ${KERNELCONFIG=$DIR/../config/kernel/config-6.1}
+: ${KERNELPATCH=ha-6.1-abicompat.patch.bz2}
 
 # strongSwan version used in tests
-: ${SWANVERSION=5.9.9rc1}
+: ${SWANVERSION=5.9.9rc2}
 
 # Build directory where the guest kernel and images will be built
 : ${BUILDDIR=$TESTDIR/build}