diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index f89be9147..f628bc550 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@ History
 
 Datacube-ows version 1.8.x indicates that it is designed work with datacube-core versions 1.8.x.
 
+1.8.26 (2022-01-31)
+-------------------
+
+Optimisation release.  Performance improvements to colour-map style rendering algorithm.
+For large, complex value_map rule sets the improvement is dramatic (e.g. DEA LCCS level4 style,
+which contains over 100 rules, rendering speed is increased by 70-80%).
+
+* Minor improvements to unit and docker testing (#792, #793)
+* Optimisation of colour-map style rendering algorithm (#795)
+* Increment default version number and update HISTORY.rst (#797)
+
 1.8.25 (2022-01-19)
 -------------------
 Bug fix release.
diff --git a/datacube_ows/__init__.py b/datacube_ows/__init__.py
index 849b6a257..2050a3865 100644
--- a/datacube_ows/__init__.py
+++ b/datacube_ows/__init__.py
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@
 try:
     from ._version import version as __version__
 except ImportError:
-    __version__ = "1.8.25+?"
+    __version__ = "1.8.26+?"