diff --git a/src/site/apt/news.apt b/src/site/apt/news.apt
index 6d5f954..d31645d 100644
--- a/src/site/apt/news.apt
+++ b/src/site/apt/news.apt
@@ -30,6 +30,69 @@
 
 HttpComponents Project News
 
+* 18 January 2018 - HttpComponents HttpClient 5.0-beta1 released
+
+    This is the first BETA release of HttpClient 5.0. The 5.0 release serices introduces
+    support for the HTTP/2 protocol and event driven messaging APIs consistent for all
+    supported HTTP protocol versions.
+
+    HttpClient ships with two client implementations:
+
+    * HttpClient Classic is based on the classic (blocking) I/O model; largely compatible
+      with the 4.x APIs; supports HTTP/1.1 only.
+
+    * HttpClient Async is based on NIO model; new event driven APIs consistent for all supported
+      HTTP protocol versions; supports both HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.
+
+    []
+
+    Notable new features in this release:
+
+    * New asynchronous HTTP cache backend APIs
+
+    * Fully asynchronous HTTP cache backend based on Memcached
+
+    * Support for bulk cache retrieval
+
+    []
+
+    Notable changes and features included in the 5.0 series are:
+
+    * Support for the HTTP/2 protocol and conformance to requirements and
+      recommendations of the latest HTTP/2 protocol specification documents
+      (RFC 7540, RFC 7541.)
+
+      Supported features:
+
+        * HPACK header compression
+
+        * Stream multiplexing (client and server)
+
+        * Flow control
+
+        * Response push
+
+        * Message trailers
+
+        * Expect-continue handshake
+
+        * Connection validation (ping)
+
+        * Application-layer protocol negotiation (ALPN) on Java 9.0.1+
+
+        * TLS 1.2 security features
+
+    * Improved conformance to requirements and recommendations of the latest HTTP/1.1 protocol
+      specification documents (RFC 7230, RFC 7231.)
+
+    * New connection pool implementation with lax connection limit guarantees and better
+      performance under higher concurrency due to absence of a global pool lock.
+
+    * Package name space changed to 'org.apache.hc.client5'.
+
+    * Maven group id changed to 'org.apache.httpcomponents.client5'.
+
+
 * 15 January 2018 - HttpComponents HttpCore 5.0-beta2 released
 
     This BETA release fixes a number of defects found since the previous release and
@@ -107,14 +170,6 @@
     This is a major release that introduces support for the HTTP/2 protocol and event driven
     messaging APIs consistent for all supported HTTP protocol versions.
 
-    HttpClient ships with two client implementations:
-
-    * HttpClient Classic is based on the classic (blocking) I/O model; largely compatible
-    with the 4.x APIs; supports HTTP/1.1 only.
-
-    * HttpClient Async is based on NIO model; new event driven APIs consistent for all supported
-    HTTP protocol versions; supports both HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.
-
     Notable new features in this release:
 
     * Asynchronous HttpClient implementations optimized for HTTP/2 multiplexed request execution.
@@ -122,45 +177,6 @@
     * Full support for HTTP caching by asynchronous HttpClient implementations including
       streaming message exchanages.
 
-
-    Notable changes and features included in the 5.0 series are:
-
-    * Support for the HTTP/2 protocol and conformance to requirements and
-      recommendations of the latest HTTP/2 protocol specification documents
-      (RFC 7540, RFC 7541.)
-
-      Supported features:
-
-        ** HPACK header compression
-
-        ** Stream multiplexing (client and server)
-
-        ** Flow control
-
-        ** Response push
-
-        ** Message trailers
-
-        ** Expect-continue handshake
-
-        ** Connection validation (ping)
-
-        ** Application-layer protocol negotiation (ALPN) on Java 9.0.1+
-
-        ** TLS 1.2 security features
-
-    * Improved conformance to requirements and recommendations of the latest HTTP/1.1 protocol
-      specification documents (RFC 7230, RFC 7231.)
-
-    * Redesigned connection pool implementation with reduced pool lock contention.
-
-    * Package name space changed to 'org.apache.hc.client5'.
-
-    * Maven group id changed to 'org.apache.httpcomponents.client5'.
-
-    * Apache Log4j2 logging APIs used for internal logging instead of Commons Logging APIs.
-
-
 *  6 November 2017 - HttpComponents HttpCore 5.0-beta1 released
 
     This is a major release that renders HttpCore API incompatible with the stable 4.x branch
diff --git a/src/site/apt/status.apt b/src/site/apt/status.apt
index 7359207..af80f05 100644
--- a/src/site/apt/status.apt
+++ b/src/site/apt/status.apt
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@
 * {HttpComponents HttpClient 5.x}
 
     HttpClient 5.x branch is the current unstable development branch. The main focus of the 5.0
-    series is ensuring full compliance with RFC 7230, RFC 7231, laying a foundation for transition
-    to HTTP/2.0 and incremental API improvements.  
+    series is providing full-featured support for HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 and ensuring full compliance
+    with RFC 7230, RFC 7231, RFC 7540 and RFC 7541. While 5.0 APIs are likely to change somewhat
+    in the course of BETA development phase the branch is considered feature complete. No major
+    API changes are expected.
 
 * {HttpComponents HttpAsyncClient 4.1.x}
 
diff --git a/src/site/site.xml b/src/site/site.xml
index 44a8c71..935ed78 100644
--- a/src/site/site.xml
+++ b/src/site/site.xml
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
       <item name="Get Involved" href="get-involved.html"/>
     </menu>
     <menu name="Components">
-      <item name="HttpClient 5.0 alpha" collapse="true" href="httpcomponents-client-5.0.x/index.html">
+      <item name="HttpClient 5.0 beta" collapse="true" href="httpcomponents-client-5.0.x/index.html">
         <item name="Quick Start" href="httpcomponents-client-5.0.x/quickstart.html"/>
         <item name="Examples (Classic)" href="httpcomponents-client-5.0.x/examples.html"/>
         <item name="Examples (Async)" href="httpcomponents-client-5.0.x/examples-async.html"/>
diff --git a/src/site/xdoc/downloads.xml b/src/site/xdoc/downloads.xml
index 0732f29..df64644 100644
--- a/src/site/xdoc/downloads.xml
+++ b/src/site/xdoc/downloads.xml
@@ -156,44 +156,44 @@
     <p>Recent releases of HttpCore can be found <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpcore">here</a></p>
   </subsection>
 
-  <subsection name="HttpClient 5.0-alpha3">
+  <subsection name="HttpClient 5.0-beta1">
     <a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/KEYS">KEYS</a>
     <a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/RELEASE_NOTES-5.0.x.txt">Release Notes</a>
     <br/>
     <p>Binary</p>
     <ul>
      <li>
-       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-bin.tar.gz">5.0-alpha3.tar.gz</a>
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-bin.tar.gz.md5">md5</a>]
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-bin.tar.gz.asc">pgp</a>]
+       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-bin.tar.gz">5.0-beta1.tar.gz</a>
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-bin.tar.gz.md5">md5</a>]
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-bin.tar.gz.asc">pgp</a>]
      </li>
      <li>
-       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-bin.zip">5.0-alpha3.zip</a>
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-bin.zip.md5">md5</a>]
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-bin.zip.asc">pgp</a>]
+       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-bin.zip">5.0-beta1.zip</a>
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-bin.zip.md5">md5</a>]
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-bin.zip.asc">pgp</a>]
      </li>
      <li>
-       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-osgi-bin.tar.gz">5.0-alpha3.tar.gz (OSGi bundle)</a>
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-osgi-bin.tar.gz.md5">md5</a>]
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-osgi-bin.tar.gz.asc">pgp</a>]
+       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-osgi-bin.tar.gz">5.0-beta1.tar.gz (OSGi bundle)</a>
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-osgi-bin.tar.gz.md5">md5</a>]
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-osgi-bin.tar.gz.asc">pgp</a>]
      </li>
      <li>
-       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-osgi-bin.zip">5.0-alpha3.zip (OSGi bundle)</a>
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-osgi-bin.zip.md5">md5</a>]
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-osgi-bin.zip.asc">pgp</a>]
+       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-osgi-bin.zip">5.0-beta1.zip (OSGi bundle)</a>
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-osgi-bin.zip.md5">md5</a>]
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/binary/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-osgi-bin.zip.asc">pgp</a>]
      </li>
     </ul>
     <p>Source</p>
     <ul>
      <li>
-       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-src.tar.gz">5.0-alpha3.tar.gz</a>
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-src.tar.gz.md5">md5</a>]
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-src.tar.gz.asc">pgp</a>]
+       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-src.tar.gz">5.0-beta1.tar.gz</a>
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-src.tar.gz.md5">md5</a>]
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-src.tar.gz.asc">pgp</a>]
      </li>
      <li>
-       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-src.zip">5.0-alpha3.zip</a>
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-src.zip.md5">md5</a>]
-       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-alpha3-src.zip.asc">pgp</a>]
+       <a href="[preferred]/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-src.zip">5.0-beta1.zip</a>
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-src.zip.md5">md5</a>]
+       [<a href="https://www.apache.org/dist/httpcomponents/httpclient/source/httpcomponents-client-5.0-beta1-src.zip.asc">pgp</a>]
      </li>
     </ul>
   </subsection>