diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/2.8.5.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.8.5.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bd179f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.8.5.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Git v2.8.5 Release Notes
+========================
+
+Fixes since v2.8.4
+------------------
+
+ * "git-shell" rejects a request to serve a repository whose name
+   begins with a dash, which makes it no longer possible to get it
+   confused into spawning service programs like "git-upload-pack" with
+   an option like "--help", which in turn would spawn an interactive
+   pager, instead of working with the repository user asked to access
+   (i.e. the one whose name is "--help").
diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index 2cfad87..8fdb0c8 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@
 branch of the `git.git` repository.
 Documentation for older releases are available here:
 
-* link:v2.8.4/git.html[documentation for release 2.8.4]
+* link:v2.8.5/git.html[documentation for release 2.8.5]
 
 * release notes for
+  link:RelNotes/2.8.5.txt[2.8.5],
   link:RelNotes/2.8.4.txt[2.8.4],
   link:RelNotes/2.8.3.txt[2.8.3],
   link:RelNotes/2.8.2.txt[2.8.2],
diff --git a/GIT-VERSION-GEN b/GIT-VERSION-GEN
index ba8b8cf..253c632 100755
--- a/GIT-VERSION-GEN
+++ b/GIT-VERSION-GEN
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 GVF=GIT-VERSION-FILE
-DEF_VER=v2.8.4
+DEF_VER=v2.8.5
 
 LF='
 '
diff --git a/RelNotes b/RelNotes
index 58fee1e..c395dd8 120000
--- a/RelNotes
+++ b/RelNotes
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Documentation/RelNotes/2.8.4.txt
\ No newline at end of file
+Documentation/RelNotes/2.8.5.txt
\ No newline at end of file