diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.1.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.1.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7236aaf2323d4770cfa0cac2663948082f4b658c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.1.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Git v1.8.5.1 Release Notes
+==========================
+
+Fixes since v1.8.5
+------------------
+
+ * "git submodule init" copied "submodule.$name.update" settings from
+   .gitmodules to .git/config without making sure if the suggested
+   value was sensible.
diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index 4545afbd9ea285075ebef82a1955f5d38a6a8c57..4448ce2704284bde15a8a3222545993035e56467 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ unreleased) version of Git, that is available from 'master'
 branch of the `git.git` repository.
 Documentation for older releases are available here:
 
-* link:v1.8.5/git.html[documentation for release 1.8.5]
+* link:v1.8.5.1/git.html[documentation for release 1.8.5.1]
 
 * release notes for
+  link:RelNotes/1.8.5.1.txt[1.8.5.1],
   link:RelNotes/1.8.5.txt[1.8.5].
 
 * link:v1.8.4.5/git.html[documentation for release 1.8.4.5]
diff --git a/GIT-VERSION-GEN b/GIT-VERSION-GEN
index 99a62f3bafdf4e5f8392bc72d9619fd9d3a6a671..6dd0ec1270050b61c04434e58a8d6596fb3cc07d 100755
--- a/GIT-VERSION-GEN
+++ b/GIT-VERSION-GEN
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 GVF=GIT-VERSION-FILE
-DEF_VER=v1.8.5
+DEF_VER=v1.8.5.1
 
 LF='
 '
diff --git a/RelNotes b/RelNotes
index 61c3b54134d985cef6071014604d5b0499712df5..0064299c0e0cbe3e133d4464f2ab65d89324a0ab 120000
--- a/RelNotes
+++ b/RelNotes
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
\ No newline at end of file
+Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.1.txt
\ No newline at end of file