diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-aarch64.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-aarch64.cfg
deleted file mode 120000
index e435ce19d..000000000
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-aarch64.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-fedora-rawhide-aarch64.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-aarch64.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-aarch64.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0be4e06be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-aarch64.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+config_opts['releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['target_arch'] = 'aarch64'
+config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('aarch64',)
+
+include('templates/fedora-branched.tpl')
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-i386.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-i386.cfg
deleted file mode 120000
index 1f22dd229..000000000
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-i386.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-fedora-rawhide-i386.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-i386.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-i386.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d65d2d7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-i386.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+config_opts['releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['target_arch'] = 'i686'
+config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('i386', 'i586', 'i686', 'x86_64')
+
+include('templates/fedora-branched.tpl')
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-ppc64le.cfg
deleted file mode 120000
index 976749565..000000000
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-ppc64le.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-fedora-rawhide-ppc64le.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-ppc64le.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a4f312365
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+config_opts['releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
+config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+
+include('templates/fedora-branched.tpl')
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-s390x.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-s390x.cfg
deleted file mode 120000
index 37220789b..000000000
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-s390x.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-fedora-rawhide-s390x.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-s390x.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-s390x.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ff752729
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-s390x.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+config_opts['releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['target_arch'] = 's390x'
+config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('s390x',)
+
+include('templates/fedora-branched.tpl')
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-x86_64.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-x86_64.cfg
deleted file mode 120000
index cddd6e15a..000000000
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-x86_64.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-fedora-rawhide-x86_64.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-x86_64.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-x86_64.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb5f9f6f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-40-x86_64.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+config_opts['releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['target_arch'] = 'x86_64'
+config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('x86_64',)
+
+include('templates/fedora-branched.tpl')
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-aarch64.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-aarch64.cfg
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..e435ce19d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-aarch64.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fedora-rawhide-aarch64.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-i386.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-i386.cfg
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..1f22dd229
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-i386.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fedora-rawhide-i386.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-ppc64le.cfg
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..976749565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fedora-rawhide-ppc64le.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-s390x.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-s390x.cfg
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..37220789b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-s390x.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fedora-rawhide-s390x.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-x86_64.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-x86_64.cfg
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..cddd6e15a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/fedora-41-x86_64.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fedora-rawhide-x86_64.cfg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-eln.tpl b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-eln.tpl
index a9fca3344..2f1d16ac8 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-eln.tpl
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-eln.tpl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 config_opts['releasever'] = 'eln'
-config_opts['eln_rawhide_releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['eln_rawhide_releasever'] = '41'
 
 config_opts['root'] = 'fedora-eln-{{ target_arch }}'
 
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-rawhide.tpl b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-rawhide.tpl
index 1d9efc8dd..d30b52e21 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-rawhide.tpl
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/templates/fedora-rawhide.tpl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ config_opts['chroot_setup_cmd'] = 'install @{% if mirrored %}buildsys-{% endif %
 
 config_opts['dist'] = 'rawhide'  # only useful for --resultdir variable subst
 config_opts['extra_chroot_dirs'] = [ '/run/lock', ]
-config_opts['releasever'] = '40'
+config_opts['releasever'] = '41'
 
 # https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/BuildWithDNF5
 config_opts['package_manager'] = 'dnf5'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/mock-core-configs.spec b/mock-core-configs/mock-core-configs.spec
index 57818936f..8b9da289d 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/mock-core-configs.spec
+++ b/mock-core-configs/mock-core-configs.spec
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 %endif
 
 Name:       mock-core-configs
-Version:    39.4.post1
+Version:    40.0.post1
 Release:    1%{?dist}
 Summary:    Mock core config files basic chroots
 
diff --git a/releng/rawhide-branching.sh b/releng/rawhide-branching.sh
index 7a1ad3395..f5283b5bf 100755
--- a/releng/rawhide-branching.sh
+++ b/releng/rawhide-branching.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 ## arguments).
 
 set -e
-cd "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")/../mock-core-configs/etc/mock"
+topdir=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
+
+cd "$topdir/mock-core-configs/etc/mock"
 
 for config in fedora-??-x86_64.cfg; do
     prev_version=$version
@@ -37,6 +39,13 @@ for arch in "${architectures[@]}"; do
     git add "fedora-$next_version-$arch.cfg" "fedora-$version-$arch.cfg"
 done
 
+towncrier_file=$topdir/releng/release-notes-next/fedora-$version-branching.feature
+cat > "$towncrier_file" <<EOF
+Configuration files for Fedora $version have been branched from Rawhide,
+according to the [Fedora $version Schedule](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/schedule/f-$version/f-$version-all-tasks.html).
+EOF
+git add "$towncrier_file"
+
 # Use updated relasever in rawhide template, because we need to reference
 # updated GPG keys (of $next_version and $versiono).
 
@@ -45,6 +54,11 @@ for file in templates/fedora-rawhide.tpl templates/fedora-eln.tpl; do
   git add "$file"
 done
 
+
+config_spec=$topdir/mock-core-configs/mock-core-configs.spec
+sed -i "s/\(Version:[[:space:]]\+\).*/\1$version.0.post1/" "$config_spec"
+git add "$config_spec"
+
 echo "WARNING: Make sure Fedora Copr maintainers are informed that"
 echo "WARNING: they should run 'copr-frontend branch-fedora $version'".
 echo "WARNING: That has to be done right on time when branching is done."
diff --git a/releng/release-notes-next/fedora-40-branching.feature b/releng/release-notes-next/fedora-40-branching.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a25eeca3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releng/release-notes-next/fedora-40-branching.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Configuration files for Fedora 40 have been branched from Rawhide,
+according to the [Fedora 40 Schedule](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/schedule/f-40/f-40-all-tasks.html).