diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2259aef7aa..eb1ab40333 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@gmod/jbrowse",
   "main": "browser/main.js",
-  "version": "1.16.3-alpha.0",
+  "version": "1.16.3",
   "description": "JBrowse - client-side genome browser",
   "repository": "https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse.git",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/release-notes.md b/release-notes.md
index d7d8288313..86609c6668 100644
--- a/release-notes.md
+++ b/release-notes.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{$NEXT}}
+# Release 1.16.3     2019-02-21 00:48:52 UTC
 
 ## Bug fixes
 
diff --git a/src/JBrowse/package.json b/src/JBrowse/package.json
index b3cfa8b9fd..8ce9cbc29b 100644
--- a/src/JBrowse/package.json
+++ b/src/JBrowse/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "JBrowse",
-    "version": "1.16.3-alpha.0",
+    "version": "1.16.3",
     "copyright":"© 2007-2017 The Evolutionary Software Foundation",
     "main": "main",
     "dependencies": {
diff --git a/website/blog/2019-02-20-jbrowse-1-16-3.md b/website/blog/2019-02-20-jbrowse-1-16-3.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fabb4b92a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/blog/2019-02-20-jbrowse-1-16-3.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: JBrowse 1.16.3 maintenance release
+date: 2019-02-20
+tags: ["News","Software releases"]
+---
+
+Hello all, this is a small maintenance release that most importantly addresses compatibility that was causing setup.sh to fail on many installations by fixing a missing BioPerl package that was removed from their core distribution. If you are stuck with an older JBrowse release, please follow instructions listed here https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/issues/1313
+
+*   [JBrowse-1.16.3.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.16.3-release/JBrowse-1.16.3.zip) - minified release
+*   [JBrowse-1.16.3-dev.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/archive/1.16.3-release.zip) - use this if you modify jbrowse source code or use plugins
+*   [JBrowse-1.16.3-desktop-win32-x64.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.16.3-release/JBrowse-1.16.3-desktop-win32-x64.zip)
+*   [JBrowse-1.16.3-desktop-linux-x64.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.16.3-release/JBrowse-1.16.3-desktop-linux-x64.zip)
+*   [JBrowse-1.16.3-desktop-darwin-x64.zip](https://github.com/GMOD/jbrowse/releases/download/1.16.3-release/JBrowse-1.16.3-desktop-darwin-x64.zip)
+
+
+
+
+## Bug fixes
+
+ * Fix BioPerl setup after changes to the BioPerl distribution caused
+   setup.sh to fail in all past JBrowse versions (<a href="https://github.com/gmod/jbrowse/issues/1310">issue #1310</a>, <a href="https://github.com/cmdcolin">@cmdcolin</a>)
+
+ * Fix issue with NeatCanvasFeatures not drawing gradients on some
+   features. Thanks to <a href="https://github.com/mara-sangiovanni">@mara-sangiovanni</a> for reporting (<a href="https://github.com/gmod/jbrowse/issues/1311">issue #1311</a>,
+   <a href="https://github.com/cmdcolin">@cmdcolin</a>)
+
+ * Fix issue for exporting GFF3 for some nested attributes by dumping
+   JSON into the value field. Thanks to <a href="https://github.com/dionnezaal">@dionnezaal</a> for reporting
+   (<a href="https://github.com/gmod/jbrowse/issues/1309">issue #1309</a>, <a href="https://github.com/cmdcolin">@cmdcolin</a>)
+
diff --git a/website/siteConfig.js b/website/siteConfig.js
index 034f63896a..5468f20e71 100644
--- a/website/siteConfig.js
+++ b/website/siteConfig.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const createVariableInjectionPlugin = variables => {
 };
 
 const v = {
-    "version": "1.16.2"
+    "version": "1.16.3"
 };
 const siteVariables = {
     "version": v.version,