diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 5facd2bfa..daa450169 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+# Synapse 1.96.1 (2023-11-17)
+
+This minor release was needed only because of CI-related trouble on [v1.96.0](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/releases/tag/v1.96.0), which was never released.
+
+### Internal Changes
+
+- Fix building of wheels in CI. ([\#16653](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/16653))
+
 # Synapse 1.96.0 (2023-11-16)
 
 Synapse will soon be getting forked by Element under an AGPLv3.0 licence (with
diff --git a/changelog.d/16653.misc b/changelog.d/16653.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 9ee7b2722..000000000
--- a/changelog.d/16653.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix building of wheels in CI.
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index ab7faa056..25d9f15cd 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.96.1) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New synapse release 1.96.1.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Fri, 17 Nov 2023 12:48:45 +0000
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.96.0) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New synapse release 1.96.0.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index daf5f5baa..7ff717877 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ module-name = "synapse.synapse_rust"
 
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "matrix-synapse"
-version = "1.96.0"
+version = "1.96.1"
 description = "Homeserver for the Matrix decentralised comms protocol"
 authors = ["Matrix.org Team and Contributors <packages@matrix.org>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"