diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2a4c4dc4b..1de89f8b1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,22 @@ A summary of changes to nbgrader.
 
 <!-- <START NEW CHANGELOG ENTRY> -->
 
+## 0.9.0a0
+
+([Full Changelog](https://github.com/jupyter/nbgrader/compare/v0.8.4...1b5ffa93db15012f15ac17bf475eab2420fe73bf))
+
+### Enhancements made
+
+- Compatibility with Notebook7 and jupyterLab4 [#1684](https://github.com/jupyter/nbgrader/pull/1684) ([@brichet](https://github.com/brichet))
+
+### Contributors to this release
+
+([GitHub contributors page for this release](https://github.com/jupyter/nbgrader/graphs/contributors?from=2023-06-16&to=2023-07-18&type=c))
+
+[@brichet](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter%2Fnbgrader+involves%3Abrichet+updated%3A2023-06-16..2023-07-18&type=Issues) | [@github-actions](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter%2Fnbgrader+involves%3Agithub-actions+updated%3A2023-06-16..2023-07-18&type=Issues) | [@jtpio](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter%2Fnbgrader+involves%3Ajtpio+updated%3A2023-06-16..2023-07-18&type=Issues)
+
+<!-- <END NEW CHANGELOG ENTRY> -->
+
 ## 0.8.4
 
 ([Full Changelog](https://github.com/jupyter/nbgrader/compare/v0.8.3...83a0429e32e5d146a638dfeef6cee9fad7f277ab))
@@ -24,8 +40,6 @@ A summary of changes to nbgrader.
 
 [@brichet](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter%2Fnbgrader+involves%3Abrichet+updated%3A2023-06-15..2023-06-16&type=Issues) | [@github-actions](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter%2Fnbgrader+involves%3Agithub-actions+updated%3A2023-06-15..2023-06-16&type=Issues) | [@tuncbkose](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter%2Fnbgrader+involves%3Atuncbkose+updated%3A2023-06-15..2023-06-16&type=Issues)
 
-<!-- <END NEW CHANGELOG ENTRY> -->
-
 ## 0.8.3
 
 ([Full Changelog](https://github.com/jupyter/nbgrader/compare/v0.8.2...6b0ec9fd6a909692f346d98ecf0a5f52bf25e5e0))
diff --git a/nbgrader/_version.py b/nbgrader/_version.py
index 930d0da3b..e07b97dfa 100644
--- a/nbgrader/_version.py
+++ b/nbgrader/_version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-version_info = (0, 8, 4, "", "")
+version_info = (0, 9, 0, "a", "0")
 __version__ = ".".join(map(str, version_info[:3])) + "".join(version_info[3:])
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index baf8c2ba4..307279067 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "nbgrader",
-  "version": "0.8.4",
+  "version": "0.9.0-alpha.0",
   "description": "nbgrader nodejs dependencies",
   "keywords": [
     "jupyter",
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index fd4ea44a4..eb6d14fba 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "requests>=2.26",
     "sqlalchemy>=1.4,<3",
 ]
-version = "0.8.4"
+version = "0.9.0a0"
 
 [project.license]
 file = "LICENSE"
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ before-build-python = [
 ]
 
 [tool.tbump.version]
-current = "0.8.4"
+current = "0.9.0a0"
 regex = '''
   (?P<major>\d+)\.(?P<minor>\d+)\.(?P<patch>\d+)
   ((?P<channel>a|b|rc|.dev)(?P<release>\d+))?
diff --git a/src/assignment_list/index.ts b/src/assignment_list/index.ts
index 260e9f39b..a2a6a2187 100644
--- a/src/assignment_list/index.ts
+++ b/src/assignment_list/index.ts
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export class AssignmentListWidget extends Widget {
   checkNbGraderVersion() {
     var warning = this.node.getElementsByClassName('version_error')[0] as HTMLDivElement;
     warning.hidden=false;
-    requestAPI<any>('nbgrader_version?version='+"0.8.4")
+    requestAPI<any>('nbgrader_version?version='+"0.9.0a0")
     .then(response => {
         if (!response['success']) {
           warning.innerText = response['message'];
diff --git a/src/course_list/index.ts b/src/course_list/index.ts
index 7d059319d..a72114f0a 100644
--- a/src/course_list/index.ts
+++ b/src/course_list/index.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export class CourseListWidget extends Widget {
   }
 
     checkNbGraderVersion() {
-      let nbgrader_version = '0.8.4';
+      let nbgrader_version = '0.9.0a0';
       requestAPI<any>('nbgrader_version?version='+nbgrader_version)
           .then(response => {
               if (!response['success']) {
diff --git a/src/validate_assignment/index.ts b/src/validate_assignment/index.ts
index 84c1de9cd..5c994893a 100644
--- a/src/validate_assignment/index.ts
+++ b/src/validate_assignment/index.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { requestAPI } from './validateassignment';
 
 import { showNbGraderDialog, validate } from '../common/validate';
 
-var nbgrader_version = "0.8.4"; // TODO: hardcoded value
+var nbgrader_version = "0.9.0a0"; // TODO: hardcoded value
 
 class ValidateButton extends ToolbarButton {
   private _buttonCallback = this.newButtonCallback();