diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index bf5569b49..d8affd815 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Type: Package
 Package: EpiNow2
 Title: Estimate Real-Time Case Counts and Time-Varying
     Epidemiological Parameters
-Version: 1.5.1
+Version: 1.5.1.9000
 Authors@R: 
     c(person(given = "Sam",
              family = "Abbott",
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 8e68d3d5b..bddbd7bf1 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# EpiNow2 (development version)
+
 # EpiNow2 1.5.1
 
 A patch release to fix an issue with the date in the package citation.