diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 53ae6388fb4..0cafb94808c 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
   "require": {
     "php": ">=5.5.0",
-    "google/protobuf": "v3.1.0"
+    "google/protobuf": "^v3.1.0"
   },
   "require-dev": {
     "google/auth": "v0.9"
diff --git a/examples/php/composer.json b/examples/php/composer.json
index f0b9977252b..f4b177c2713 100644
--- a/examples/php/composer.json
+++ b/examples/php/composer.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "name": "grpc/grpc-demo",
   "description": "gRPC example for PHP",
   "require": {
-    "grpc/grpc": "v1.1.0"
+    "grpc/grpc": "^v1.1.0"
   },
   "autoload": {
     "psr-4": {
diff --git a/package.xml b/package.xml
index d82f2e49a81..e16161d7a2e 100644
--- a/package.xml
+++ b/package.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   <email>grpc-packages@google.com</email>
   <active>yes</active>
  </lead>
- <date>2017-01-13</date>
+ <date>2017-03-01</date>
  <time>16:06:07</time>
  <version>
   <release>1.2.0dev</release>
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
  </stability>
  <license>BSD</license>
  <notes>
-- PHP Proto3 adoption #8179
-- Various bug fixes     
+- Added arg info macros #9751
+- Updated codegen to be consistent with protobuf #9492
  </notes>
  <contents>
   <dir baseinstalldir="/" name="/">
@@ -1276,8 +1276,8 @@ Update to wrap gRPC C Core version 0.10.0
   </release>
   <release>
    <version>
-    <release>1.1.0dev</release>
-    <api>1.1.0dev</api>
+    <release>1.1.0RC1</release>
+    <api>1.1.0RC1</api>
    </version>
    <stability>
     <release>beta</release>
@@ -1287,7 +1287,39 @@ Update to wrap gRPC C Core version 0.10.0
    <license>BSD</license>
    <notes>
 - PHP Proto3 adoption #8179
-- Various bug fixes     
+- Various bug fixes
+   </notes>
+  </release>
+  <release>
+   <version>
+    <release>1.1.0</release>
+    <api>1.1.0</api>
+   </version>
+   <stability>
+    <release>stable</release>
+    <api>stable</api>
+   </stability>
+   <date>2017-01-31</date>
+   <license>BSD</license>
+   <notes>
+- PHP Proto3 adoption #8179
+- Various bug fixes
+   </notes>
+  </release>
+  <release>
+   <version>
+    <release>1.2.0RC1</release>
+    <api>1.2.0RC1</api>
+   </version>
+   <stability>
+    <release>beta</release>
+    <api>beta</api>
+   </stability>
+   <date>2017-03-01</date>
+   <license>BSD</license>
+   <notes>
+- Added arg info macros #9751
+- Updated codegen to be consistent with protobuf #9492
    </notes>
   </release>
  </changelog>
diff --git a/src/php/README.md b/src/php/README.md
index 821ea16aab6..f08541f16cf 100644
--- a/src/php/README.md
+++ b/src/php/README.md
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ $ composer install
 ### Protobuf compiler
 
 Again if you don't have it already, you need to install the protobuf compiler
-`protoc`, version 3.2.0+.
+`protoc`, version 3.1.0+ (the newer the better).
 
 If `protoc` hasn't been installed, you can download the `protoc` binaries from
 [the protocol buffers Github repository](https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases).
diff --git a/src/php/composer.json b/src/php/composer.json
index 8528304c81f..491e34795ac 100644
--- a/src/php/composer.json
+++ b/src/php/composer.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "version": "1.2.0",
   "require": {
     "php": ">=5.5.0",
-    "google/protobuf": "v3.1.0"
+    "google/protobuf": "^v3.1.0"
   },
   "require-dev": {
     "google/auth": "v0.9"
diff --git a/templates/composer.json.template b/templates/composer.json.template
index f56ecb69d6d..94f0c236a96 100644
--- a/templates/composer.json.template
+++ b/templates/composer.json.template
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
     "require": {
       "php": ">=5.5.0",
-      "google/protobuf": "v3.1.0"
+      "google/protobuf": "^v3.1.0"
     },
     "require-dev": {
       "google/auth": "v0.9"
diff --git a/templates/package.xml.template b/templates/package.xml.template
index 80f1a1fe974..8655cfa1d94 100644
--- a/templates/package.xml.template
+++ b/templates/package.xml.template
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     <email>grpc-packages@google.com</email>
     <active>yes</active>
    </lead>
-   <date>2017-01-13</date>
+   <date>2017-03-01</date>
    <time>16:06:07</time>
    <version>
     <release>${settings.php_version.php()}</release>
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
    </stability>
    <license>BSD</license>
    <notes>
-  - PHP Proto3 adoption #8179
-  - Various bug fixes     
+  - Added arg info macros #9751
+  - Updated codegen to be consistent with protobuf #9492
    </notes>
    <contents>
     <dir baseinstalldir="/" name="/">
@@ -312,8 +312,8 @@
     </release>
     <release>
      <version>
-      <release>1.1.0dev</release>
-      <api>1.1.0dev</api>
+      <release>1.1.0RC1</release>
+      <api>1.1.0RC1</api>
      </version>
      <stability>
       <release>beta</release>
@@ -323,7 +323,39 @@
      <license>BSD</license>
      <notes>
   - PHP Proto3 adoption #8179
-  - Various bug fixes     
+  - Various bug fixes
+     </notes>
+    </release>
+    <release>
+     <version>
+      <release>1.1.0</release>
+      <api>1.1.0</api>
+     </version>
+     <stability>
+      <release>stable</release>
+      <api>stable</api>
+     </stability>
+     <date>2017-01-31</date>
+     <license>BSD</license>
+     <notes>
+  - PHP Proto3 adoption #8179
+  - Various bug fixes
+     </notes>
+    </release>
+    <release>
+     <version>
+      <release>1.2.0RC1</release>
+      <api>1.2.0RC1</api>
+     </version>
+     <stability>
+      <release>beta</release>
+      <api>beta</api>
+     </stability>
+     <date>2017-03-01</date>
+     <license>BSD</license>
+     <notes>
+  - Added arg info macros #9751
+  - Updated codegen to be consistent with protobuf #9492
      </notes>
     </release>
    </changelog>
diff --git a/templates/src/php/composer.json.template b/templates/src/php/composer.json.template
index ecc516d1c4b..1887ee3c822 100644
--- a/templates/src/php/composer.json.template
+++ b/templates/src/php/composer.json.template
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     "version": "${settings.php_version.php_composer()}",
     "require": {
       "php": ">=5.5.0",
-      "google/protobuf": "v3.1.0"
+      "google/protobuf": "^v3.1.0"
     },
     "require-dev": {
       "google/auth": "v0.9"