diff --git a/.github/workflows/push.yml b/.github/workflows/push.yml
index 2f85af1a..cc47d725 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
   Java21-Linux:
     if: contains(toJson(github.event.commits), '[ci skip] ') == false
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    timeout-minutes: 31
+    timeout-minutes: 50
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 778ead99..a91414fa 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## configure Gradle properties for building the jolt-jni project
 
-jjVersion = 0.9.6-SNAPSHOT
+jjVersion = 0.9.6
 
 ## default artifact name (used if -Partifact= isn't specified on the command line)
 artifact = jolt-jni
diff --git a/release-log.md b/release-log.md
index 98464ee6..b255e12b 100644
--- a/release-log.md
+++ b/release-log.md
@@ -1,5 +1,42 @@
 # release log for the jolt-jni project
 
+## Version 0.9.6 released on TBD
+
++ API changes:
+  + Renamed `CharacterVsCharacterCollisionSimple.getCharactersAsArray()`.
+  + Delete 5 trig functions from `Std` in favor of their `Jolt` replacements.
+
++ Bugfixes:
+  + `ClassCastException` in "BoatTest.java" with flavor=Dp
+  + native assertion failures at DMat44.h:115
+  + out-of-range error in `CharacterVsCharacterCollisionSimple`
+
++ Switched to LLVM when compiling (but not cross-compiling) on Linux.
++ Added V-HACD v4.1.0 source code to the project.
+
++ Added classes, enums, and interfaces to the libraries:
+  + `CharacterId`
+  + `ConstSoftBodyContactSettings`
+  + `ConvexHull`
+  + `CustomSoftBodyContactListener`
+  + `Decomposer`
+  + `FillMode`
+  + `InvBind`
+  + `Parameters`
+  + `ProgressListener`
+  + `Skinned`
+  + `SkinWeight`
+  + `SoftBodyContactListener`
+  + `SoftBodyContactSettings`
+  + `SoftBodyManifold`
+  + `SoftBodyMotionProperties`
+  + `SoftBodyShape`
+  + `SoftBodyValidateResult`
+  + `SoftBodyVertex`
+
++ Added many public methods to the libraries.
++ Updated the Jolt source code and assets to c1bdc5a (=sg250217).
+
 ## Version 0.9.5 released on 20 January 2025
 
 + Bugfix:  heap corruption in `ConvexHullShapeSettings.createSettings()`
diff --git a/src/main/native/glue/j/Jolt.cpp b/src/main/native/glue/j/Jolt.cpp
index 68278d28..8f07f9df 100644
--- a/src/main/native/glue/j/Jolt.cpp
+++ b/src/main/native/glue/j/Jolt.cpp
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_github_stephengold_joltjni_Jolt_unregisterTypes
  */
 JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL Java_com_github_stephengold_joltjni_Jolt_versionString
   (JNIEnv *pEnv, jclass) {
-    const jstring result = pEnv->NewStringUTF("0.9.6-SNAPSHOT");
+    const jstring result = pEnv->NewStringUTF("0.9.6");
     return result;
 }