diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index c0ad52beda322d9d78e3c40622bbdcc11798ec7f..fed1b9285ff8517385af02ceed7c9a3eacfb15b5 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-6.9.0.pre
+6.9.0.rc1
diff --git a/doc/install/installation.md b/doc/install/installation.md
index a2615b5d52d75a1c26c0b8055f22f51c3d5fb2d8..0df929130856af49e3b44e95e9accfe035d84a0a 100644
--- a/doc/install/installation.md
+++ b/doc/install/installation.md
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ Is the system packaged Git too old? Remove it and compile from source.
 mail server. By default, Debian is shipped with exim4 whereas Ubuntu
 does not ship with one. The recommended mail server is postfix and you can install it with:
 
-	sudo apt-get install -y postfix
+    sudo apt-get install -y postfix
 
 Then select 'Internet Site' and press enter to confirm the hostname.
 
@@ -150,13 +150,13 @@ NOTE: because we need to make use of extensions you need at least pgsql 9.1.
 ## Clone the Source
 
     # Clone GitLab repository
-    sudo -u git -H git clone https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce.git -b 6-8-stable gitlab
+    sudo -u git -H git clone https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce.git -b 6-9-stable gitlab
 
     # Go to gitlab dir
     cd /home/git/gitlab
 
 **Note:**
-You can change `6-8-stable` to `master` if you want the *bleeding edge* version, but never install master on a production server!
+You can change `6-9-stable` to `master` if you want the *bleeding edge* version, but never install master on a production server!
 
 ## Configure it
 
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ GitLab Shell is an ssh access and repository management software developed speci
     cd /home/git/gitlab
 
     # Run the installation task for gitlab-shell (replace `REDIS_URL` if needed):
-    sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:shell:install[v1.9.3] REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379 RAILS_ENV=production
+    sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:shell:install[v1.9.4] REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379 RAILS_ENV=production
 
     # By default, the gitlab-shell config is generated from your main gitlab config. You can review (and modify) it as follows:
     sudo -u git -H editor /home/git/gitlab-shell/config.yml
@@ -409,22 +409,22 @@ GitLab uses [Omniauth](http://www.omniauth.org/) for authentication and already
 These steps are fairly general and you will need to figure out the exact details from the Omniauth provider's documentation.
 
 * Stop GitLab
-		`sudo service gitlab stop`
+    `sudo service gitlab stop`
 
 * Add provider specific configuration options to your `config/gitlab.yml` (you can use the [auth providers section of the example config](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/blob/master/config/gitlab.yml.example) as a reference)
 
 * Add the gem to your [Gemfile](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/blob/master/Gemfile)
                 `gem "omniauth-your-auth-provider"`
 * If you're using MySQL, install the new Omniauth provider gem by running the following command:
-		`sudo -u git -H bundle install --without development test postgres --path vendor/bundle --no-deployment`
+    `sudo -u git -H bundle install --without development test postgres --path vendor/bundle --no-deployment`
 
 * If you're using PostgreSQL, install the new Omniauth provider gem by running the following command:
-		`sudo -u git -H bundle install --without development test mysql --path vendor/bundle --no-deployment`
+    `sudo -u git -H bundle install --without development test mysql --path vendor/bundle --no-deployment`
 
 > These are the same commands you used in the [Install Gems section](#install-gems) with `--path vendor/bundle --no-deployment` instead of `--deployment`.
 
 * Start GitLab
-		`sudo service gitlab start`
+    `sudo service gitlab start`
 
 
 ### Examples
diff --git a/doc/update/6.8-to-6.9.md b/doc/update/6.8-to-6.9.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a5e644b8a0789b456592c9eb84a06b69d65da9e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/update/6.8-to-6.9.md
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# From 6.8 to 6.9
+
+### 0. Backup
+
+```bash
+cd /home/git/gitlab
+sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:backup:create RAILS_ENV=production
+```
+
+### 1. Stop server
+
+```bash
+sudo service gitlab stop
+```
+
+### 2. Get latest code
+
+```bash
+cd /home/git/gitlab
+sudo -u git -H git fetch --all
+```
+
+For Gitlab Community Edition:
+
+```bash
+sudo -u git -H git checkout 6-9-stable
+```
+
+OR
+
+For GitLab Enterprise Edition:
+
+```bash
+sudo -u git -H git checkout 6-9-stable-ee
+```
+
+### 3. Update gitlab-shell (and its config)
+
+```bash
+cd /home/git/gitlab-shell
+sudo -u git -H git fetch
+sudo -u git -H git checkout v1.9.4
+```
+
+### 4. Install libs, migrations, etc.
+
+```bash
+cd /home/git/gitlab
+
+# MySQL installations (note: the line below states '--without ... postgres')
+sudo -u git -H bundle install --without development test postgres --deployment
+
+# PostgreSQL installations (note: the line below states '--without ... mysql')
+sudo -u git -H bundle install --without development test mysql --deployment
+```
+
+### 5. Update config files
+
+#### New configuration options for gitlab.yml
+
+There are new configuration options available for gitlab.yml. View them with the command below and apply them to your current gitlab.yml if desired.
+
+```
+git diff 6-8-stable:config/gitlab.yml.example 6-9-stable:config/gitlab.yml.example
+```
+
+### 6. Start application
+
+    sudo service gitlab start
+    sudo service nginx restart
+
+### 7. Check application status
+
+Check if GitLab and its environment are configured correctly:
+
+    sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:env:info RAILS_ENV=production
+
+To make sure you didn't miss anything run a more thorough check with:
+
+    sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:check RAILS_ENV=production
+
+If all items are green, then congratulations upgrade is complete!
+
+## Things went south? Revert to previous version (6.8)
+
+### 1. Revert the code to the previous version
+Follow the [`upgrade guide from 6.7 to 6.8`](6.7-to-6.8.md), except for the database migration 
+(The backup is already migrated to the previous version)
+
+### 2. Restore from the backup:
+
+```bash
+cd /home/git/gitlab
+sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:backup:restore RAILS_ENV=production
+```
+If you have more than one backup *.tar file(s) please add `BACKUP=timestamp_of_backup` to the command above.