diff --git a/BUILD b/BUILD
index 4faf8b13ea3..6a98e3d5e66 100644
--- a/BUILD
+++ b/BUILD
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ g_stands_for = "gao"
 
 core_version = "6.0.0"
 
-version = "1.16.0"
+version = "1.16.1-pre1"
 
 GPR_PUBLIC_HDRS = [
     "include/grpc/support/alloc.h",
diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index 4d8ea44a3b8..21ea1a8b5b2 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ settings:
   '#10': See the expand_version.py for all the quirks here
   core_version: 6.0.0
   g_stands_for: gao
-  version: 1.16.0
+  version: 1.16.1-pre1
 filegroups:
 - name: alts_proto
   headers: