diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index b8e2f4550..34d13e855 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 Changes
 =======
 
+Version 10.8.1 (released 2024-09-18)
+
+- serializers: avoid null pointer exceptions
+
 Version 10.8.0 (released 2024-07-28)
 
 - results: added support for drafts
diff --git a/invenio_rdm_records/__init__.py b/invenio_rdm_records/__init__.py
index ec9ecb526..4454f4587 100644
--- a/invenio_rdm_records/__init__.py
+++ b/invenio_rdm_records/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@
 
 from .ext import InvenioRDMRecords
 
-__version__ = "10.8.0"
+__version__ = "10.8.1"
 
 __all__ = ("__version__", "InvenioRDMRecords")