diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 9608b29881..963a2f8ca7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -5,23 +5,19 @@ Changelog
 
 0.6.2-alpha
 -----------
-**Date:** TBA
+**Date:** 2018-09-25
 
-[Title]
+Python Stride: Regression
 
-[Summary]
+A regression in the last fix for python strides made the relaxation not efficient for 2-D and higher.
 
 Changes to "0.6.1-alpha"
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-Features
-""""""""
-
 Bug Fixes
 """""""""
 
-Other
-"""""
+- Python: relax strides further
 
 
 0.6.1-alpha
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dbb1dfbd72..479b269330 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10.0)
 
-project(openPMD VERSION 0.6.1) # LANGUAGES CXX
+project(openPMD VERSION 0.6.2) # LANGUAGES CXX
 
 # the openPMD "markup"/"schema" standard version
 set(openPMD_STANDARD_VERSION 1.1.0)
diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index de4b1d9721..cb4c3e87b4 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 # The short X.Y version.
 version = u'0.6.2'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = u'0.6.2-dev'
+release = u'0.6.2-alpha'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst
index db58790823..32fa0a1a39 100644
--- a/docs/source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/index.rst
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ The supported version of the `openPMD standard <https://github.com/openPMD/openP
 ======================= ===================================
 openPMD-api version     supported openPMD standard versions
 ======================= ===================================
-``0.1.0-0.6.1`` (alpha) ``1.0.0-1.1.0``
+``0.1.0-0.6.2`` (alpha) ``1.0.0-1.1.0``
 ``1.0.0+``              ``1.0.1-1.1.0`` (not released yet)
 ``2.0.0+``              ``2.0.0+``      (not released yet)
 ======================= ===================================
diff --git a/include/openPMD/version.hpp b/include/openPMD/version.hpp
index cec28b0bc1..eb3397fd3f 100644
--- a/include/openPMD/version.hpp
+++ b/include/openPMD/version.hpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define OPENPMDAPI_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 #define OPENPMDAPI_VERSION_MINOR 6
 #define OPENPMDAPI_VERSION_PATCH 2
-#define OPENPMDAPI_VERSION_LABEL "dev"
+#define OPENPMDAPI_VERSION_LABEL "alpha"
 
 // maximum supported version of the openPMD standard (read & write)
 #define OPENPMD_STANDARD_MAJOR 1
diff --git a/src/binding/python/Attributable.cpp b/src/binding/python/Attributable.cpp
index 0f623d5233..d73a3f8f70 100644
--- a/src/binding/python/Attributable.cpp
+++ b/src/binding/python/Attributable.cpp
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ bool setAttributeFromBufferInfo(
             {
                 if( buf.ndim == 1u && buf.strides[0] > buf.shape[0] * buf.itemsize )
                     ; // ok in 1D
-                else if( buf.strides[0] == buf.itemsize )
+                else if( buf.strides[d] == buf.itemsize )
                     ; // ok to stride on an element level
                 else
                     throw std::runtime_error("set_attribute: "
diff --git a/src/binding/python/RecordComponent.cpp b/src/binding/python/RecordComponent.cpp
index bdcd055bdd..17003fe52c 100644
--- a/src/binding/python/RecordComponent.cpp
+++ b/src/binding/python/RecordComponent.cpp
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ void init_RecordComponent(py::module &m) {
                 {
                     if( a.ndim() == 1u && a.strides()[0] > a.shape()[0] * a.itemsize() )
                         ; // ok in 1D
-                    else if( a.strides()[0] == a.itemsize() )
+                    else if( a.strides()[d] == a.itemsize() )
                         ; // ok to stride on an element level
                     else
                         throw std::runtime_error("store_chunk: "