diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 3d6bef0e..c643ee22 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 cspell:words pubspec erickzanardo xcframeworks Cupertino codesign codecov rkishan appbundle proto tlsv
  -->
 
+## 1.6.53 (July 24, 2025)
+
+- ⚡️ fail fast if existing release already exists
+  - only applies when specifying `--build-name` (and optionally `--build-number`)
+
 ## 1.6.52 (July 17, 2025)
 
 - 🐦 Support for Flutter 3.32.7
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/version.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/version.dart
index 7a31815d..5339e5f1 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/version.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/version.dart
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 // Generated code. Do not modify.
-const packageVersion = '1.6.52';
+const packageVersion = '1.6.53';
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/pubspec.yaml b/packages/shorebird_cli/pubspec.yaml
index af662cbf..5316865b 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: shorebird_cli
 description: Command-line tool to interact with Shorebird's services.
-version: 1.6.52
+version: 1.6.53
 repository: https://github.com/shorebirdtech/shorebird
 resolution: workspace