diff --git a/NEWS.txt b/NEWS.txt
index 232f3cd..f81dc53 100644
--- a/NEWS.txt
+++ b/NEWS.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@
 'sstableloader' tool. You can upgrade the file format of your snapshots
 using the provided 'sstableupgrade' tool.
 
+2.1.21
+======
+
+Upgrading
+---------
+    - Nothing specific to this release, but please see 2.1 if you are upgrading
+      from a previous version.
+
 2.1.20
 ======
 
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index ce47717..f6fc1f6 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     <property name="debuglevel" value="source,lines,vars"/>
 
     <!-- default version and SCM information -->
-    <property name="base.version" value="2.1.20"/>
+    <property name="base.version" value="2.1.21"/>
     <property name="scm.connection" value="scm:git://git.apache.org/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.developerConnection" value="scm:git://git.apache.org/cassandra.git"/>
     <property name="scm.url" value="http://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf?p=cassandra.git;a=tree"/>
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 5b22031..0c3a00f 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+cassandra (2.1.21) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New release
+
+ -- Michael Shuler <mshuler@apache.org>  Fri, 01 Feb 2019 12:28:58 -0600
+
 cassandra (2.1.20) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   * New release